The people of Otrokper in the Upper Manya Krobo District of the Eastern Region are calling on the Ghana Tourism Authority, the Local Assembly, and the Government of Ghana to develop its unknown waterfall for the creation of jobs for the teeming population among youths in the area.
Some of them, who spoke to GhanaWeb said that for the past years, the government had not deemed it fit to create jobs in the area through the development of the fall which has the potential of raking in massive revenue to the community and the state.
According to them, tourism is among the largest employers of labour in many areas and urgent attention must thus be given to the waterfall.
Though the Waterfall remains undeveloped, holidaymakers from various parts of the Eastern Region cannot help but travel to the community revel in its serenity.
The place is overgrown with weeds as there was no visible sign of habitation there.
Explaining how the fall became a preferred holiday destination for many since 2010, a youth leader in the community, Emmanuel Tettey Saweh told GhanaWeb in an interview that his keep fit club some 11 years ago settled on the Otrokper Waterfalls as its holiday destination which has served as the beginning of the story.
“It was in 2010 when we formed a keep fit club in this town. I happened to be the leader of the keep fit club. So there was this 1st July Day and this small group decided to come and have fun over here without going to any tourism center,” said Emmanuel Tettey Saweh adding that the group at the end of the event realized the tourism potentials and commercial viabilities of the place.
To him, various stakeholders including NGOs and investors must come aboard to undertake the development of the place including the road leading to the site.
“The road leading to this place is not in a good condition and therefore we need a motorable road to the place and to start with, maybe some love benches around where people can come and have fun, and maybe some drinking spot and going forward, even a hotel can make this place a very big one,” suggested Mr. Tettey.
With various parts of the surroundings depicting potential tourism features, he suggested that a canopy walkway be built downstream to serve as an additional tourism location.
Assemblyman for Otrokper Electoral Area, Joseph Teye Padi who led the team to the site, said though he has drawn the attention of both the current and immediate past District Chief Executives (DCE) of Upper Manya Krobo District Assembly, Felix Nartey Odjao and Joseph Teye Agmor to the Fall, nothing has been forthcoming.
He agreed with Mr. Tettey that this is a good tourism hub that must be given the necessary attention.
“I think if this place is developed, it will help us a lot, potentials like some drinking spots, in fact, if all these things are put in place, it will help us, the community and the district as a whole,” the assemblyman posited.
Even though activities at the Fall have not yet been commercialized, Mr. Padi said announcements are carried out in the run-up to major national holidays to create awareness of the existence of the Waterfalls.
Dadematse of Otrokper, David Narh Kaizer also pleaded with authorities at both the District Assembly and government to accord the place the necessary priority.
“We are pleading with the government that since this thing has begun well, they must step in and help for the place to become very beautiful and be of benefit to us by drawing people from different parts of the country to rake in revenue for us,” said the chief.
Meanwhile checks from the Ghana Tourism Authority in the Eastern Region revealed that it was not even aware of the existence of the Otrokper Waterfalls.
Elike Dei-Zanga is the Senior Quality Assurance Manager at the Eastern Regional office of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).
Speaking on behalf of the Regional Director of the Authority in an interview with GhanaWeb, he disclosed that the GTA on its own does not develop tourist attractions but which rather must come from the District/Municipal Assembly where the attraction is located.
“Any Assembly with any tourism potential must write to the Authority for a collaborative effort to that effect,” he said adding that no such letter regarding the Otrokper Falls had come to the attention of the GTA,” he explained.
Most historical landmarks in most of the tourist sites in the district have been left undeveloped as the tourism sector continues to be neglected and many jobs that could be created from it for many including the youths are neglected.
The Otrokper Waterfall, if well-developed would generate revenue and attract lots of tourists from within and outside the Eastern Region.
