Improving tourism holds the key to eradicating poverty

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Managing Director of the Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL), Mr Kenneth Ashigbey has called on the New Regional Minister for the Upper East Region, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru to tap into the tourism potentials of the region and evolve strategies to develop them into vehicles of eradicating poverty. He stressed that if well planned, most of the tourist attractions, such as the Paga Crocodile Pond, the Pikoro Slave Camp and the numerous attractions in the region, could provide employment and business opportunity for the various stakeholders, including the host communities. Mr Ashigbey said this during an interaction with the Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru and his Deputy, Mr Daniel Syme as part of a his working visit to Upper East Region He was accompanied by the General Manager, Newspapers, Mr Yaw Boadu-Ayeboafo, and the the Zonal Manager for the three northern regions, Madam Mahama Memuna. Mr Ashigbey who had earlier toured the Paga Crocodile Pond, said a lot more could be done to derived maximum benefits from such a facility.”We should be able to transform a place such as Page, the adjoining slave camp and many other destinations into a tourism experience. It should be possible to revamp the area to enhance tourism. How to we drive domestic tourism, when the place is poorly organized?’ he asked. “Graphic is ready to partner the Regional Coordinating Council, through publicity to harness the potential that exist to lift our people out of poverty. We cannot allow our people to wallow in poverty, when we have an abundance of resources that can be tapped into”, he said. Mr. Ashigbey said one other area GCGL is committed to is the area of education and to that end has instituted the Junior Graphic newspaper to inculcate the habit of reading in children, He said the product is also targeted at improving on the writing skills of children. He called on the Regional Coordinating Council, Municipal and District Assemblies as well as other stakeholders in the region to subscribe to the Junior Graphic newspaper for distribution to deprived schools across the region, “of the many challenges most schools in deprive areas face is the non-availability of textbooks and teachers, among others and the newspaper is so designed to provide a serve as a source of learning material for school children in their academic work. He said GCGL in partnership with its suppliers of newsprints have identified three deprived school in the region who are supplied with copies the Junior Graphic weekly and urged the MMDA to get onboard to improve on the standard of education. The Upper East Regional Minister, Alhaji Limuna Mohammed-Muniru lauded the suggestions by Mr Ashibgey and noted that such a move would certainly improve on the lives of the people. “This region has a lot of potential but if we do not sell our stories, how do we attract the right partners to support our drive for development,” he said. Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru and his Deputy, Mr Syme were full of praise for the level of professionalism, credibility, balance, fairness and accuracy GCGL exhibits in all its brands and urged management to keep improving its standards. He said Daily Graphic must also increase its coverage of rural areas by highlighting the many developmental challenges that confronts the people. Alhaji Mohammed-Muniru observed that Graphic lacks some basic resources in the region, such as the absence of a duty vehicle to enhance independent newsgathering as well as late arrival of products of the company into the region and called on management to address it, to which the MD oblige assuring that the problems will be resolved immediately. While in the Upper East Region, Mr Ashigbey interacted with vendors and agents as well as presented awards to those that have distinguished themselves. He also held discussions with the Rector of Bolgatanga Polytechnic, Dr Mba Atinga and other Senior Manager of the institution, Bolgatanga Branch Manager of the Ghana Commercial Bank and the Headmistress of Aningazanga Primary School, Madam Felicia Kanton, one of the schools benefitting from the free distribution of the Junior Graphic. -end- Writer’s email: Benjamin.glover@graphic.com.gh