Ewuradjoa writes: My nine-hour journey to Dromankese and the land of ‘Monkeys’

Wheeew! (Sigh) How does it feel to sit on your butt for close to nine hours and journey all the way to a different region? Tiring huh? But it was exciting too. That was the experience I had somewhere last week.

The trip from Accra, the national capital to Dromankese in the Nkoranza North District of newly created Bono East region, was the longest I have ever done in my life. It was exhausting.

My motivations: I was sent by God and the idea of travelling in the bus sounded interesting. The experience was romantic indeed. I joined other members of my church for a week-long programme.

Thanks to its geographic diversity, Bono East region is home to some of the best road trips and scenic drives.

From mountain ranges, sweeping rainforest and semi-deciduous lands were something for me to enjoy the trip.

If you enjoy the twists and turns of quality drive, you’ll love this 340-kilometre stretch along with rugged mountain ranges, steep valleys, thick forests and rolling farms between Accra and Nkoranza.

Cashew cultivation is very common among the people of Dromankese who are mostly farmers. That cash crop has become so common that it now run side-by-side with yam, the most popular staple food for the people.

Many farmers now associate themselves with cashew farming, the reason there are many hectares of cashew farms at the outskirts of Nkoranza, especially, Dromankese.

My response to a divine call to preach Jesus Christ sent me to Dromakese. Yes, I was there to evangelise.



The new yam comes from June to December

Besides preaching the gospel, I explored the good and ugly side of the community where workers of God’s Kingdom were ordered to go and labour.

One ugly side of Dromankese is drug abuse among the youth in the community, a development Queen-mother of the town, Nana Dokyiwaa is unenthused about.

Speaking through her representative, Nana Adoma Bediatuo, the Kyidomhemaa, she described the situation as a ‘pressing issue’ confronting her community.

A section of the youth I interacted with told me how some of them have been lured into drugs for pleasure. Some say they engage in it to gain extra strength to enable them work in their endeavours. That is not cool!

Residents of Dromankese are receptive and welcoming regardless of one’s status.



The people of Dromankese are very receptive

Like I said, God is more important than the things we see every day physically.

A trip to the Bono East region without visiting the popular Boabeng-Fiema Monkey Sanctuary will mean no trip.

This is where Monkeys that die are given burial by the Fetish Priest of Daworo in a coffin wrapped in white calico.



Monkey cemetery

Common with many tourism sites in Ghana, the road leading to the Monkey Sanctuary is in a bad state.

A 30-minute drive from Dromankese to the sanctuary now takes one and a half hours.

The monkey cemetery

This does not befit the status of the sanctuary which attracts patrons from both within and without of Ghana.

Government should pay attention and improve the situation to help attract more visitors to enable the state rake in more revenue.

Dromankese is a wonderful place to be. I am still relishing a second visit to the community.