Come to Damongo for best tourist experience - Abu Jinapor

Samuel Abu Jinapor, Member of Parliament for Damongo and Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, has called on Ghanaians and foreign tourists to visit the Damongo constituency as it is arguably one of the best tourist destinations in northern Ghana.

The constituency is made up of 104 towns, villages and communities with several sites of historical significance, awe-inspiring landscapes, and cultural diversity.

Jinapor averred that the constituency was an exceptional destination for tourists seeking to immerse themselves in the beauty and traditions of Ghana and West Africa.

Jinapor made a case for tourist visitation to the Damongo constituency when he made a statement on the floor of Parliament.

“Tourism offers a glimpse into our history, culture and nature, and thus should not be reserved for foreigners alone.

“There are several tourist attractions in the country, which if well patronised, will contribute substantially to our national economy,” Mr Jinapor stated.

The Minister noted that tourism had become a major boost for many countries in Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda and Zambia.

On Tuesday, July 4, 2023, President Akufo-Addo commissioned the renovated and modernised Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, with a commitment to make Ghana the tourism hub of West Africa.

Mr Jianpor said the Nkrumah Memorial Park initiative, coupled with others like the “Year of Return” and “Beyond the Return,” showed the government’s commitment to promoting tourism in the country.

Highlighting some of the tourist attractions in the Damongo constituency, Mr Jinapor mentioned the Larabanga Mosque, one of the oldest mosques in Africa, mostly referred to as “the Mecca of West Africa.”

The over 600-year-old mosque is said to have been built by one Ayuba after Allah had revealed to him in a dream to build a mosque, which Allah himself had already laid the foundation.

Inside the Mosque is an ancient Qur’an believed to have been delivered by Allah to the Imam of the Mosque in 1650.

Jinapor also mentioned the Mystic Stone, also located at Larabanga.

According to legend, when the colonial administration was constructing a road through Larabanga, the contractor removed the stone but came back the next day to find the stone returned to its previous position, and when this persisted, the contractor was compelled to divert the road and left the stone in its position, which has remained there till date.

Other tourist sites in the area included the Mognori Eco Village, a community-based tourism project in Mognori, which provides a range of tourist activities such as guided nature walks, traditional drumming and dancing, and handicraft demonstrations.

The Mole National Park, being the first largest and most prestigious biodiversity-protected area in Ghana, hosts a variety of plant and animal species, including elephants, buffalos, lions, monkeys, and other endangered species.

The park also hosts West Africa’s first luxury safari lodge, the Zaina Lodge, which provides top-notch hospitality services with a unique cultural touch to visitors to the park and its catchment areas.

Damongo, which serves as the capital of the constituency in the Savannah Region, was also the Gonja Kingdom, and hosts the famous Jakpa Skin, exuding cultural richness, and offering patrons a rich cultural and historical experience of the Gonja people.

The people celebrate the Damba and Fire festivals.

The MP for Damongo believed that the centrality of the constituency made it an exceptional place to lodge and connect with other parts of northern Ghana.

Jinapor thanked President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal, the Minister of Tourism for paying special attention to tourism and called on everyone to patronise those tourist sites for rare life experience.