GhIS unveils Prime Meridian Monument at Somanya

The Ghana Institution of Surveyors (GhIS) has unveiled the Prime Meridian Monument at Somanya as part of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Institution.

Speaking at the unveiling, the President of GhIS, Surveyor Maame Ama Edumadze-Acquah (FGHIS) noted that, Surveyors from the Land Surveying Division of the GhIS accurately and scientifically determined and demarcated the location of the Prime meridian also known as the Greenwich Meridian with the use of the Global Positioning System and other survey equipment at Somanya.

She noted that the project cost the Institution a total GHc 90,000.

The imagery lines with the Latitude running from East to West and has its reference as the Equator, dividing the earth into two hemispheres. The Lines of Longitude also runs from North to South with its reference as the Prime Meridian dividing the earth into East and West hemispheres.

“The demarcation has a beautiful monument at the tail end as you can see to signify the importance of the Prime Meridian. Road Markings and Signage have also been made to inform motorist of the Crossing of the Meridian which make it very remarkable in the history of the GhIS,” Edumadze-Acquah said.

The President noted that, other monuments would be developed in nine other places in the country to boost local tourism and aid teaching and learning.

The monument is meant to project the Somanya township, the Assembly, Eastern Region and Ghana as a whole, boost tourism locally and internationally, provide better coordination, integration, and dissemination of travel and tourism information, support teaching, learning and research, as well as project Ghana as the center of the world.