Gidisu worried over poor roads to tourism sites
The Minister for Roads and Highways, Mr. Joe Gidisu has expressed concern about the low pace at which tourism is developing in the country, due to lack of access roads to tourism sites.
Mr. Gidisu said having identified the problem, his outfit has drawn up a programme to construct roads to tourism sites throughout the country, to open up such areas for development and also boost revenue generation. The Roads and Highways Minister was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people of the Agortime traditional area at Kpetoe in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District to honour the Minister of Tourism and the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ho- East, Mrs. Juliana Azumah-Mensah, as the Development Queen mother of Agortime, in view of her contribution to development in the area.
He continued that in fulfillment of government's commitment to reduce poverty and improve the standard of living of both rural and urban areas, rehabilitation and maintenance works on a number of roads were underway to ensure free movement of people and goods, particularly farmers and business men and women to market centers.
Mr. Gidisu said his Ministry was undertaking rehabilitation and maintenance works on the Kpetoe town roads, not only to ensure that the quality of roads in the town befit a district capital status, but also to make the area more attractive to tourists, since Agortime was noted for the production of the rich kente cloth as well as its proximity to the Republic of Togo.
He observed that the proximity of Kpetoe to Togo as well as other communities in the country which shared borders with neighboring countries was a great opportunity for the development of an export market.
Mr. Gidisu pointed out that in order for government to achieve its development agenda, there was the need for total support and collaboration of activities by the citizenry. According to him, the time has come for Ghanaians to show keen interest in eco-tourism since it is not the preserve of foreigners alone.
The Roads and Highways Minister commended Mrs. Juliana Azumah –Mensah for her achievement, and called on parents to invest in the education of their children.
The Paramount Chief of the Agortime Traditional Area, Nene Nuer Keteku III, on behalf of the chiefs and people of the area thanked President J.E.A Mills for appointing Mrs. Juliana Azumah –Mensah as a Minister, noting that the people of Agortime were proud of her position.
The Agortime Paramount Chief said the people in the area would reciprocate the honour done them by giving the Tourism Minister the needed support that would enable her to work more effectively to uplift the image of the traditional area and the NDC government.
Nene Nuer Keteku urged Mrs. Azumah-Mensah to work hard and to develop the kente industry, as well as other tourism potentials in the country, particularly the Wli water falls, Adaklu Mountain, Tafi- Atome monkey sanctuary, all in the Volta region for the accelerated development of the region.
The Minister responsible for Tourism Mrs. Juliana Azumah –Mensah, the Development Queen Mother of Agortime, who was been given a stool name -Mama Benya II, thanked the chiefs and people of Agortime, Adaklu and Ziope traditional areas for the confidence reposed in her, by electing her to Parliament, which made it possible for the President to promote her to the current position as the Tourism Minister.
The Minister also expressed her gratitude to the chiefs and people of Agortime for making her the Development Queen Mother and called for support to enable her to discharge her duties diligently, noting that she was able to rise to the current positions as an MP and a Minister due to education and reaffirm her commitment to support brilliant but needy children in the area.
Present at the ceremony was the Minister for Women and Children's Affair and MP for North Dayi, Ms. Akua Sena Dansua, the MP for Ho – West, Mr. Emmanuel Bedzrah, the MP for North Tongu, and Mr. Charles Hodogbe among others. The Paramount Chief of the Ziope Traditional area, Togbui Binah Lawlivi chaired the function.