Tourism Minister Calls on Ga Traditional Council

Accra, Feb. 12, GNA - Mr Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Minister of Tourism and Modernisation of the Capital City, on Thursday said the Government would start the redevelopment of Accra from Ga Mashie at James Town and British Accra since that was the "Heart of the City".

He said plans for the project had already been designed and that it would soon take off after other stakeholders, chiefs and communities involved were taken through the plans for the necessary adjustments. Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey announced this when he called on the Ga Traditional Council, owners of the Ga land, to inform them about the project and to ask for permission to start it.

The redevelopment of Ga Mashie would cost about five million dollars and it would be completed in six months.

The Government would provide the seed money from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) fund while other foreign sources of funding would be accessed.

At the Ga Mantse's Palace where the deliberations took place, Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey explained to the chiefs that in redeveloping and restoring Old Accra to become as any of the modern capitals of the world, many adjustments would have to be made.

He said under the project, the fishing community at the Usher Fort along the Beach Road would be redesigned and only indigenous fishermen would be permitted to fish in the sea. A modern fish market and a "fish restaurants would also be created to serve tourists".

The Minister said Bukom Square and the area around the Freeman Methodist Church would also be developed into a Boxing Museum where a hall of fame with names of former champions would be erected, as well as a food court and a night market.

He said under the project, the old colonial structures would be rehabilitated to serve as tourist attraction, saying the people, the culture and history all formed part of tourist attraction.

"Even the residence of all past heads of State could be part of the attraction sites".

The Minister, however, said for tourism in Accra to thrive, total safety must be ensured for tourists and thus the people would have to be policing such facilities when they were put in place.

Mr Obetsebi-Lamptey said the Dutch would give 1.5 million dollars for the rehabilitation of the Elmina Castle to boost the tourism industry.

Nii Adotey Obour, Acting President of the Ga Traditional Council, expressed the Council's happiness about the project and thanked the Minister for briefing them about it.

He, however, said the interest of the people should be considered so that they were not deprived of their livelihood.

The Chief Priest of the Ga State, Nai Wulomo, Numo Tete III urged the Government to consult the Council before any project was carried out in the city "so as not to infringe on sacred areas and shrines of the people".

Numo Tete said for instance, the chiefs were not consulted before the start of the Korle-Lagoon project for the necessary traditional rites to be performed, saying the "Lagoon harbours our shrines, so we have to perform some rituals at all cost".

Other members of the Council called for the establishment of a community bank to give loans to traders and other self-employed. They also appealed to the Government to Community Centre situated near the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum back to the Council.