The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Dzifa Gomashie, has advocated for the immediate pulling down of unapproved buildings surrounding castles and forts nation-wide.
She indicated that encroachers are posing a direct threat to the aesthetic appeal, structural soundness and long-term conservation of the nation’s historical landmarks.
Delivering an address at a symposium centered on the Korea-Ghana Heritage Project in Accra, the Minister emphasized the vital need for intensified dialogue with local dwellers near these historical grounds to educate them on the value of safeguarding such national treasures.
In her view, the persistent omission of local communities from key discussions remains the primary driver behind public resistance whenever authorities attempt to clear unauthorized developments around these historic monuments.
“Often, we leave out the engagement with the community. And so they don’t see the importance of why our, for example, call for the demolition of illegal structures around the forts and castles,” she said.
Dzifa Gomashie expressed deep worry over the current scale of human activity encroaching upon these protected zones, stressing that decisive intervention is urgently required to arrest the situation.
“If I show you pictures of the encroachment on the buffer for the forts and castles, you will join me in doing Aluta,” she said.
The Tourism Minister asserted that safeguarding Ghana’s historic legacy demands a unified front involving central government, traditional leaders, host communities and key partners. She consequently pushed for a well-harmonized strategy to ensure these castles, forts and cultural treasures are safeguarded for future generations.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
