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Kwahu goes frenzy …as revelers celebrate Easter at Paragliding Festival
A cross-section of chiefs seated during the opening of the Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival
The Kwahu Township was thrown into a carnival mood when hundreds of tourists stormed the area to celebrate the 2024 Kwahu Easter Paragliding Festival that ended on Monday, April 1.
The four-day celebration which kicked off on Friday (Good Friday) attracted visitors from all corners of the country and beyond the country’s borders.
It was used to commemorate the Easter celebration of Christians.
The climax of the celebration was the paragliding session that saw a huge number of revelers queue for that lifetime experience flying across the mountainous Kwahu area.
With seasoned pilots including Jonathan Quaye from Ghana, Chuck Smith, Blake Pelton and Ed Stein from the USA, Okada Naohisa from Japan, Eduardo Reategui from Peru, and Hagan Muhlich from Germany in attendance, tourists were assured of a beautiful experience of having an aerial view of the Kwahu area topography.
A flight from the Odweanoma Mountain near Atibie in the Kwahu South Municipality of the Eastern region cost interested tourists GH¢1,000.
With a large crowd to applaud every move and skill displayed by the pilots, the tourists were flown beautifully across Mpraeso, Atibie, Obomeng and Abetifi mountains before landing safely at the Nkawkaw Sports Stadium.
One passenger and tourist, Abraham Smith told The Spectator he was glad to be part of the festival and revealed that he had a lot to tell family and friends about his exciting experience.
In his view, the festival was exciting and a lot of people must be told about it to also enjoy that experience of a lifetime.
Aside the paragliding and other fun activities, there was a boom in economic activities at the site as food, water and other vendors cashed in on the occasion.
One boiled egg seller, Akosua Antwi shared with The Spectator how her wares got sold up and had to rush home to get more to sell.
“I sold a crate of boiled eggs in no time and had to go home to prepare more for sale. This activity boosts sales and economic activities in the area. I wish the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) would sustain it and add other activities to explore the tourism potential in the area,” she added.
Opening the festival, the Minister-designate for Tourism, Arts and Culture, Mr Andrew Egyapa Mercer recognised its significance and impact on the local economy of Kwahu and highlighted its contribution to revenue generation through employment creation for the Kwahu people.
He said the festival has also allowed for cultural heritage preservation and environmental assets, and has enhanced the appeal of Kwahu as a tourist destination, leading to an increase in the number of visitors and generate revenue for the local tourism industry.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the GTA, Mr Akwasi Agyeman said the event has become the fulcrum for adventure and sightseeing activities that has attracted hundreds of tourists from all over the world to witness the paragliding festival since 2005.
“For instance, in 2016, we attracted 60 tourists and raised the peak to 248 in 2019 and since then, every year, the number keeps growing, thanks to the resilience of our pilots who have come in from all over the world and we acknowledge the work done by the community and assemblies as well.
He commended the Ministry of Roads and Highways for commencing the construction of the road leading to the paragliding sites and urged the contractor to expedite action and finish before the 2025 edition.
The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr. Seth Acheampong said the festival had become a hallmark of the region and has not only brought joy and excitement to all but also played a crucial role in boosting the tourism industry and contributed to the economic growth of the locals in the country.
Nana Kwadjo Boama, representative of the Chief of Kwahu Atibiehene, said the chiefs were excited about the event and its associated benefits and called on the authorities to develop the other tourist sites in the Kwahu enclave.
From Ama Tekyiwaa Ampadu Agyeman, Kwahu Atibie
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Traders, ‘Okada’ riders take over Circle pavement
• Korle-Bu CEO with staff of Nivaansh MediQas
Activities of traders and drug addicts are contributing to make the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange (Circle) area very uncomfortable and unsafe for commuters.
Day in and out, pedestrians are ‘ejected’ from the pavement created for their safety as traders preferred to sell their wares on that space.
That hinders the free movement of the pedestrians.
The small space left for the pedestrians are also shared with ‘Okada’ riders.
As if these woes are not enough for a commuter on a single day, they also have to navigate carefully to avoid clashes with drug addicts and the mentally challenged.
These people have turned the pavements into their places of abode, covering every inch of space with their wares.
Our photographer, Lizzy Okai, captures some of the unfriendly scenes the authorities must try and deal with to restore sanity to the area.
By Lizzy Okai
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NDC outlines demands before committing to Peace Pact
The National Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has set forth specific conditions that the party insists must be met before considering signing the Peace Pact advocated by the National Peace Council in anticipation of the December 7 elections.
Mr. Nketia expressed scepticism about the effectiveness of past Peace Pacts, highlighting that they had not achieved their intended outcomes, particularly referencing the 2020 elections, during which eight NDC members were allegedly killed by national security operatives without accountability.
During an August 20 meeting with the National Peace Council at the NDC headquarters, Mr. Nketia detailed the certain conditions for the NDC’s participation in the Peace Pact.
The NDC is demanding that the recommendations from the investigation into the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election be fully implemented.
They also want those responsible for election-related violence in the last election to be prosecuted, stressing the importance of justice and prevention.
The party is calling for accountability regarding irregularities in the printing of ballot papers and insists that visible measures be taken to prevent such issues from happening again.
They are also pushing for a thorough investigation into the missing IT equipment from the Electoral Commission’s (EC) warehouse, expressing concerns about the integrity of the EC’s systems and the potential bias of its staff.
Furthermore, the NDC is urging the President to publicly commit to respecting the results of the 2024 elections. Lastly, the party insists that the Peace Pact should be signed by key figures, including the Inspector General of Police, the Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, and the National Security Coordinator, before they will consider signing it themselves.
Source: Citinewsroom.com
