KUMASI: THE CITY OF TRUMPS TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILE INDUSTRIES IN GHANA

As one journey around some notable European countries such as Hamburg and some largest Scandinavian cities, one cannot help but admires the manner their transportation systems are regulated. On the one hand, there are taxis speeding around with people/businessmen that need to get to their destinations as quickly as possible due to the nature of their jobs. On the other hand, there are also busses which may be working just like the trotros in Ghana, taking certain people that ply often with collective traffic to their normal destinations in the cities as well as in the outskirts of the town. Apart from these two most important forms of transport, are the trumps trains which also go side by side with these other transports within the cities. The serene atmosphere that those that enjoy their journeys with trumps trains cannot be underestimated. If a visitor or one wants to enjoy sight seeing in these well-planned cities in the Scandinavia, the best form of transport to utilise should be the trump trains that are purposely built to adapt well to these beautiful environments that calm stress completely from the tourist. Their fares are also rationalised to fit well to the type of income one earns monthly, which makes it that irrespective of one's social class, one is capable of boarding it to enjoy the accident-free transport in most European cities.

In Ghana, the city Kumasi could be the best city to employ this means of transport. Apart from the fact that it is neat and filled with more friendly people than elsewhere in the country, Kumasi as the garden city, can host these trumps trains to augment the numerous traffic that ply between the Manhyia Palace, Baba Yala Stadium, and KNUST. There are spaces beside its roads to accommodate the transport system that enhance European cities with beauty, serenity, and hospitality. I usually enjoy going by trumps trains when on a conference in Europe or the Scandinavia. I refuse to use ordinary trains or busses when I am in these neat and crime-reduced cities in the Scandinavia. I have heard many people saying that even when one is broke and have nothing to eat at home, one sometimes will be able to enjoy travelling free on these trumps trains to a friend or relative living far at the end of the city to borrow money or food from them. The generous nature of these transportation systems is often rationalised by people to be one of the reasons why people refrain from committing crimes in Europe because it helps to fill the loop holes that will make the poor to think evil or plan evil in the country. One can kill boredom by journeying around the cities with trump trains.

If Kumasi wants to experience this efficient means of transport in its streets in the country, then members of the Metropolitan Council at Kumasi should make a trip to either Sweden or Finland to experience it themselves. This educational trip would then be followed by collaboration with the companies who will be willing to invest in Ghana and build the first trump rails. Several entrepreneurs in the nation do not have idea that money could be made this way by investing in these trump trains. It should be the delight of the people at Kumasi, football funs, and the students at KNUST to see that these investments are being made in the garden city. I am very sure that Otumfo Osei Tutu II himself would be very glad and would probably be interested in becoming a share holder in this business venture. It is lucrative and soon other cities in the country may be requesting for similar investments if Kumasi succeeds in accomplishing its project which later attracts other potential travellers and tourists to the garden city.

I hear that in Nigeria, due to gigantic corruption cases in the country, many of the states are no longer waiting for the Federal Government to initiate their developments for them; they have taken their own lives and developments into their own hands. So Lagos today, for example, is building its own railways systems and cares not what is happening in the other regions of the country. Kumasi should follow suit the example of Lagos state and show to the Ghanaian people that they are different and not corrupt as the other parts or regions in the country. Their politicians should be example to the other regions and develop the city to become one of the desired regions in the West Africa. Borrowing from abroad should be engaged in and the investments should be huge and gigantic just as Los Angeles in the USA does. Disregard the corruption practices by Ghanaian politicians and let Kumasi show to the world that it is an ancient city with an ancient Kingdom that can be respected even if Ghana itself is collapsing with corrupt governments and certain personalities in the country. The collaboration I am talking about should be sought at the regional levels if they want to avoid obstruction from the state of Ghana. That is, for example, Kumasi can collaborate with Gothenburg Region in Sweden, a very progressive region in Sweden that has many industries and a harbour. If this collaboration is sought, Kumasi can avoid many troubles with the government of Ghana as they may not have to pass through parliament before negotiating for a loan from this rich and most important region in Sweden.

The time has come for Kumasi as an ancient city with an ancient Kingdom to go alone to lead in the development in the sub-region of Africa. Once it accomplishes this project, another project should follow suit, which includes the establishment of the automobile industries in Ghana. Here, Kumasi can take the lead to offer Ghana two models of native Ghana automobile industries. With the assembling of engineers from the KNUST, Kumasi Magazin, and some leading members/engineers such as, Apostle Kwadwo Safo, the NPP government in Ghana will offer Kumasi and the first automobile industries, which will offer tremendous employment to graduates from the Kumasi Metropolitan Region.

Professor Desmond Ayim-Aboagye is a member of the NPP Party in Ghana.