The Omanhene of Essikado Traditional Area, Nana Kobina Nketsia V has expressed grave concerns about the pollution of river bodies by illegal miners known as “galamsey” in the districts of the Western Region.
Against this background, he urged the Government to deal with both nationals or foreigners who were neck deep in the galamsey menace and said, “as our forebears left the river bodies in purity, we need to preserve it for generations yet unborn”.
Nana Kobina Nketsia V made the expression when he chaired a grand durbar held at the Takoradi Mall in the Western Region to climax this year’s United Nations World Tourism Day (UNWTD).
It was under the theme, “Tourism and Rural Development”.
The event was graced by traditional rulers, the media, security services, businesses, and stakeholders in the tourism industry, and commenced with a virtual symposium via zoom followed by a health walk, a tree planting exercise, a Sod-Cutting for Damang Arts Training Center and a musical concert at Bogoso.
He described the Western Region as a “Sleeping Giant of Tourism in Ghana” and stressed the need to reawaken the cultural consciousness of people in the region to locate the tourist sites and develop them.
He pointed out that the Western Region abounds in a host of tourist sites and attractions which need to be harnessed adding, “As a people, we have a unique culture such as tourism, which requires hospitality, peace, and unity as a benchmark for development.”
However, he admonished political actors and Ghanaians to ensure peace, unity and love as we go to the polls on December 7 since tourism could not thrive in a violent society.
“In this manner, there is the need to consolidate the peace and tolerance of opposing views”, he stressed.
The Chief also reminded society to celebrate the Patriots of Ghana, festivals, forts, castles, and monuments such as museums to make them part of their heritage.
In a speech read on behalf of the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, he said the Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) was making frantic efforts to showcase the region as tourists’ destination of choice.
He announced that the region has a 192 km coastline from Shama to Jomoro, the largest number of forts and castles dotted along the coastal line.
He said promoting tourism business in the Western Region has been key on the agenda and for that matter the operationalization of the WRCC Tourist Centre was part of measures to promote tourism in the region.
He noted that the day seeks to celebrate the tourism sector’s diverse ability to drive economic development and provide opportunities outside the big cities and therefore include communities that otherwise would have been left behind.
“Tourism is a sector that leads in employment and is therefore an economic pillar providing jobs and opportunities, most notably for women and the youth”, he added.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
