HE Oguaa Traditional Council has, with immediate effect, placed a ban on all funeral celebrations in the Cape Coast metropolis until after the visit of President Obama.

Saturdays are traditionally funeral days in most parts of Ghana and many people will hardly sacrifice that occasion for anything else.

Even though the first US couple are expected to spend only a few hours in the ancient city, the traditional authorities, and indeed the people, are prepared to postpone their sacred duty to the dead.

The ban therefore seeks to create a platform for the residents to give Mr Obama a rousing welcome, according to the paramount chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwasi Atta II, who gave the directive.

He said it will afford the people the chance to turn up in their numbers to welcome President Obama.

“The people are ready and pleased for the privilege to play host to such an important personality”, he said.

Osabarima Kwasi Atta told the Times that, the visit would bring great benefits to the region and the nation at large adding that it would lay the foundation for investment opportunities for all especially the tourism sector.

It will also help to put Cape Coast on the world map and that calls for enough preparation to make the visit a historic one.

He urged residents to build on the foundation that would be laid during the visit to promote development of the area.

But with barely 62 hours to the grand arrival of President Obama, sale of Obama paraphernalia which had dominated commercial activities of weeks yesterday showed a significant dip reports Clement Atagra.

From T-shirts to cloths, jerseys, and head scarves to bags, there was generally wanted interest as compare to previous days.

Dealers attributed the sudden decline in sales to the latest announcement that President Obama will not be addressing a public gathering.

At the Osu Oxford Street, the Arts Centre and parts of the Central Business District, the Times leant of low patronage of the pamphernalia which to dealers was surprising.

“With the day drawing closer, I expected the sale of these merchandise to peak but beginning from today, the situation has been very bad,” Kwesi Amoateng, a seller t the Oxford street told the Times.

He said for the past one week, yesterday was the only day he did not sell any of Obama’s merchandise.

“By this time yesterday (Monday), I had sold quite a number of these items but it is not the case today’ he said.

He attributed the new development to the fact that the media has created the impression that the US President will hardly come into contact with the ordinary people.

Another dealer, Albert Atiku gave a similar account of a dip in sales of Obama’s memorabilia.

“People at first were buying these merchandise because we all thought it was giving to be like former President Clinton’s visit where people lined up the streets to welcome him but now we are told he will only come to the conference centre where only invited guests will attend so people do not want to waste their money”, he said.

At the Arts Centre, Ras Botwe said there was not much difference between sales of Obama merchandise for previous days and yesterday. Continued    Source: David Yarboi-Tetteh, Cape Coast - The Ghanaian Times