The Afadjato-Agumatsa Conservation Project in the Hohoe Municipality of the Volta Region has changed the lives of people living in the two traditional areas.
Visitors to the place, which is one of the fastest growing eco-tourism sites in the country, feel they are in touch with nature.
This is because the atmosphere is so serene, relaxed and the vegetation so lush. There is also the Wli Water Falls, the highest fall in the West Africa, a few kilometres away, which is a place of relaxation for many.
The 10-year project, which was started in 1999 with lands donated by the chiefs and people of two traditional areas - the Gbledi and Fodome Ahor - focuses on the conservation of biodiversity.
It also ensures sustainable supply of forest resources on the Afadjato range.
It was initiated by the Ghana Wildlife Society (GWS) and sponsored by the Royal Netherlands Embassy.
To add to the beauty at the background of the Agumatsa range is the Mount Afadja, the highest mountain in the country, which provides two developed trails to the summit for those who want to hike.
To ensure the comfort of tourists to the place, various facilities, such as visitor centre, summer hats, potable water, recreational park, restaurant and toilet facilities, have been constructed.
And for tourists who want to sleep overnight, a 10–bed room guest house, funded by the British High Commission, is at their service.
The guest house is located at Fodome Ahor, which is seven kilometres from the project site at Gbogame.
The visitor centre is located at Gbledi Gbogame, 24 kilometres Southeast of Hohoe and about 250 kilometres from Accra.
The 12-kilometre square area is home to over 33 mammals, 150 bird species and 350 butterflies and about 430 plant species of various socio-economic values.
And to prevent the degradation of the forest, the people have benefited from various micro-finance schemes and engage in income-generating activities to improve their livelihood.
According to the Project Manager, Mr Hanson Agboso, last year, the project generated over GH¢4,500 from tourists. The amount has been disbursed among the three stakeholders, namely the traditional authorities, land lords and the Hohoe Municipal Assembly.
This year, he projected that they were expecting between 75,000 and 100,000 visitors, and urged the people to be more interested in eco-tourism since the country is endowed with beautiful and educational tourist sites.
The only setback to the development of tourism in the municipality is the poor road network from Liati Agbonyra to the tourist spots of Afadjato, Agumatsa Range and the Wli Waterfalls, which is impassable.
This is due to the shoddy work done by the contractor, who has abandoned the project for more than a year now.
During a fact-finding tour of the area by the Daily Graphic, it was observed that although the drains and some of the culverts had been constructed, the road had not been surfaced.
As a result of this, the recent rains have had their toll on the road, because of the deep gullies and trenches.
What is even more worrying is that the tax payer’s money so far expended on the abandoned projects far exceeds what is left to complete it.
The situation has resulted in motorbike owners doing brisk business and charging GH¢3 per pillion rider for a short journey.
The road was to open up the tourist sites located in the area. It is, however, alarming that the Hohoe Municipality, which has the highest tourist centres in the country, has very poor road network leading.
These centres include the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary,the Likpe caves, just to mention a few.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
NDC ON COURSE (PAGE 16, DEC 15)
The government is on course to achieving the goals it set itself, the Volta Regional Secretariat of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has declared.
It said after a critical observation of its achievements over the past 11 months, it could conclude that the government of the NDC had not detracted from its set goals.
In a statement signed by Mr Francis Ganyaglo, Volta Regional Secretary of the party, it stated that "The NDC having examined progress so far made by Professor John Evans Atta Mills’s administration in the past 11 months, can say that things are on course toward the achievement of the Better Ghana Agenda as espoused in the NDC’s 2008 manifesto" .
The regional branch did not see why some members of the party could not see eye to eye with the government and appealed to all such people to close their ranks and use their channels of communication to redress any grievances instead of opening up the party to detractors.
"The regional branch will like to appeal to all protagonists in the supreme interest of the party to close their ranks and support President Mills to deliver on the promise," it sated.
"Consequently, the Volta Regional NDC is appealing to any member who has any reservation about any development in the party to first use the existing and appropriate channels of communications to put their message across instead of rushing to the media."
The statement assured the President of their unflinching support of the party in the region at all times and also wish him, the party leadership and the rank and file a merry Christmas and happy New Year.
It said after a critical observation of its achievements over the past 11 months, it could conclude that the government of the NDC had not detracted from its set goals.
In a statement signed by Mr Francis Ganyaglo, Volta Regional Secretary of the party, it stated that "The NDC having examined progress so far made by Professor John Evans Atta Mills’s administration in the past 11 months, can say that things are on course toward the achievement of the Better Ghana Agenda as espoused in the NDC’s 2008 manifesto" .
The regional branch did not see why some members of the party could not see eye to eye with the government and appealed to all such people to close their ranks and use their channels of communication to redress any grievances instead of opening up the party to detractors.
"The regional branch will like to appeal to all protagonists in the supreme interest of the party to close their ranks and support President Mills to deliver on the promise," it sated.
"Consequently, the Volta Regional NDC is appealing to any member who has any reservation about any development in the party to first use the existing and appropriate channels of communications to put their message across instead of rushing to the media."
The statement assured the President of their unflinching support of the party in the region at all times and also wish him, the party leadership and the rank and file a merry Christmas and happy New Year.
Friday, December 11, 2009
JASIKAN, KADJEBI DISTRICTS FROM WATCHDOG C'TTEES (PAGE 20, DEC 11)
Ten watchdog committees have been formed in 10 communities on the fringes of the Kabo River Forest Reserve within the Jasikan and Kadjebi districts of the Volta Region.
This is to help control the spread of bush fires and uncontrolled exploitation of the forest resources.
The formation of the watchdog committees is in line with the bye-laws adopted by the Association of Jasikan District Civil Society Organisations (AJADSCO), in collaboration with the KASA Project, to forestall the massive degradation of the eco-system and to conserve the forest and the wildlife.
According to the Co-ordinator of the KASA Project, Mr George Gyapong, AJDASCO, in collaboration with CARE International, had instituted the KASA Project with the aim of implementing a natural resource and environmental governance (NREG) programme to reduce the incidence of bush fires and illegal harvesting of forest resources.
He said the communities are Atonkor, Kudje, Worawora, Apesokubi, Kabosu, Asukwakwa, Guaman, Wawaso and Katanga.
Mr Gyapong said the watchdog committees were formed out of the existing three groups in the communities, namely the Fire Volunteer Squads, the Forest Management Committees and the School-based Environmental Clubs.
He said it formed part of the efforts being made by AJADSCO to sensitise stakeholders in the northern part of the Volta Region to reduce the rate of environmental degradation and improve governance of the natural resources on a sustainable basis.
In line with this, he said a one-day sensitisation workshop on natural resources and environmental governance for selected stakeholders was recently held at Jasikan.
It brought together 50 participants, including officials of the Jasikan District Assembly, churches, traditional authorities, chain saw operators and saw mill owners.
According to Mr Gyapong, the committees would ensure effective reduction of human-induced factors such as bush fires, indiscriminate harvesting of wood and hunting of animals, leading to environmental degradation.
This is to help control the spread of bush fires and uncontrolled exploitation of the forest resources.
The formation of the watchdog committees is in line with the bye-laws adopted by the Association of Jasikan District Civil Society Organisations (AJADSCO), in collaboration with the KASA Project, to forestall the massive degradation of the eco-system and to conserve the forest and the wildlife.
According to the Co-ordinator of the KASA Project, Mr George Gyapong, AJDASCO, in collaboration with CARE International, had instituted the KASA Project with the aim of implementing a natural resource and environmental governance (NREG) programme to reduce the incidence of bush fires and illegal harvesting of forest resources.
He said the communities are Atonkor, Kudje, Worawora, Apesokubi, Kabosu, Asukwakwa, Guaman, Wawaso and Katanga.
Mr Gyapong said the watchdog committees were formed out of the existing three groups in the communities, namely the Fire Volunteer Squads, the Forest Management Committees and the School-based Environmental Clubs.
He said it formed part of the efforts being made by AJADSCO to sensitise stakeholders in the northern part of the Volta Region to reduce the rate of environmental degradation and improve governance of the natural resources on a sustainable basis.
In line with this, he said a one-day sensitisation workshop on natural resources and environmental governance for selected stakeholders was recently held at Jasikan.
It brought together 50 participants, including officials of the Jasikan District Assembly, churches, traditional authorities, chain saw operators and saw mill owners.
According to Mr Gyapong, the committees would ensure effective reduction of human-induced factors such as bush fires, indiscriminate harvesting of wood and hunting of animals, leading to environmental degradation.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
GBI TRADITIONAL AREAS MARK GBIDIKORZA (PAGE 21, DEC 9)
The chiefs and people of Gbi, comprising the people of Hohoe and Peki traditional areas in the Volta Region, have held a grand durbar to climax their annual unification festival - “Gbi-dukorza”.
The festival, which is held on rotational basis in each of the towns, was initiated in 1995 to mark the unification of the two traditional areas after their split on the journey out of Notsie, while escaping from the tyrannical rule of King Agokorli around the 17th century.
History has it that the people broke through a part of the walled city and started their journey to their present location.
In 1995, the two traditional areas decided to come together and celebrate the festival at one place and this year, it was held at Hohoe.
This year’s celebration was on the theme: “The Development of Tourist Sites; The Future of Gbidukor”.
Addressing the festival, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Juliana Azuma Mensah, expressed satisfaction and gratitude to the people for their hospitality. She said the municipality was endowed with major tourists attractions.
The minister said tourists visiting Afadjato would now enjoy decent visitor facilities with a gift-shop, training and exhibition halls at the foot of the mountain at Gbledi-Gbogame.
Other identified and developed centres are the Wli waterfall, the highest in West Africa, the Monkey Sanctuary at Tafi Atome and the ancient caves at Likpe.
She said the involvement of the people in tourism development was impressive and reiterated that the Government, having noted the vast potential in the industry had provided a congenial environment for tourism development and promoting private investment in the industry.
She said the construction of the tourist village at Peki to promote handicrafts should be taken seriously. She called for serious attention to be given to education on environmental protection with the view to harnessing the enormous potential.
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, reaffirmed the determination of the Government to improve infrastructure such as roads to facilitate investment by the private sector in the tourism industry.
He said the eastern corridor from Asikuma through Hohoe to the northern part of the country was one of the highways the Government was determined to improve and said everything was being done to commence the project.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Paramount Chief of Gbi Dzigbe (Hohoe Traditional Area), Togbega Gabusu VI, expressed satisfaction that for the past 15 years, the two sister areas had preserved the peace and unity and expressed the hope that the heritage would be cherished for years to come.
For his part, the Deiga of Gbi Anyigbe (Peki Traditional Area) Togbe Kwadzo Dei XI, prayed that the “Gbidukorza” Gbi festival would be well packaged and promoted because of its potential to propel the development of tourism.
The festival, which is held on rotational basis in each of the towns, was initiated in 1995 to mark the unification of the two traditional areas after their split on the journey out of Notsie, while escaping from the tyrannical rule of King Agokorli around the 17th century.
History has it that the people broke through a part of the walled city and started their journey to their present location.
In 1995, the two traditional areas decided to come together and celebrate the festival at one place and this year, it was held at Hohoe.
This year’s celebration was on the theme: “The Development of Tourist Sites; The Future of Gbidukor”.
Addressing the festival, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs Juliana Azuma Mensah, expressed satisfaction and gratitude to the people for their hospitality. She said the municipality was endowed with major tourists attractions.
The minister said tourists visiting Afadjato would now enjoy decent visitor facilities with a gift-shop, training and exhibition halls at the foot of the mountain at Gbledi-Gbogame.
Other identified and developed centres are the Wli waterfall, the highest in West Africa, the Monkey Sanctuary at Tafi Atome and the ancient caves at Likpe.
She said the involvement of the people in tourism development was impressive and reiterated that the Government, having noted the vast potential in the industry had provided a congenial environment for tourism development and promoting private investment in the industry.
She said the construction of the tourist village at Peki to promote handicrafts should be taken seriously. She called for serious attention to be given to education on environmental protection with the view to harnessing the enormous potential.
The Volta Regional Minister, Mr Joseph Amenowode, reaffirmed the determination of the Government to improve infrastructure such as roads to facilitate investment by the private sector in the tourism industry.
He said the eastern corridor from Asikuma through Hohoe to the northern part of the country was one of the highways the Government was determined to improve and said everything was being done to commence the project.
Earlier in his welcoming address, the Paramount Chief of Gbi Dzigbe (Hohoe Traditional Area), Togbega Gabusu VI, expressed satisfaction that for the past 15 years, the two sister areas had preserved the peace and unity and expressed the hope that the heritage would be cherished for years to come.
For his part, the Deiga of Gbi Anyigbe (Peki Traditional Area) Togbe Kwadzo Dei XI, prayed that the “Gbidukorza” Gbi festival would be well packaged and promoted because of its potential to propel the development of tourism.
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