The Paramount Chief of the Talensi Traditional Area in the Upper East Region, Tongraan Kugbilsong Nanlebegtang, has called on the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to support the area to effectively market its tourist sites to the international community.
The Tongraan is of the view that the area abounds in such tourist sites as the Tengzuk shrines, caves, stone outlines, mystery rocks, among others, which if well harnessed could create employment opportunities for the youth and also help rake in the needed revenue for development.
Tongraan Nalebegtang made the call when he addressed the first durbar to climax activities marking the Golob Festival of the chiefs and people of the Talensi Traditional Area at Tongo.
Appeal to gods
The festival is celebrated in March every year to appeal to the gods for good rain and successful farming seasons.
In the past, it was celebrated with no durbar except the performance of a series of rituals climaxed by public dancing amid music and general merry-making.
This year’s celebration was on the theme: “Harnessing the social, economic and cultural heritage for the development of Talenteng”.
The Tongraan intimated that the traditional area was rich in gold, iron ore and diamond deposits which must be exploited for the benefit of the people to reduce poverty in the area.
He called on large-scale companies to invest in the area by partnering small-scale miners to engage in deep shaft mining which would be environmentally friendly and help provide jobs.
The Tongraan also entreated the government to rehabilitate the various roads in the region to open up the region for development.
Tourist sites
The Upper East Regional Minister, Ms Paulina Abayage, for her part announced that as part of efforts to promote tourism in the region, the Department of Feeder Roads would soon improve some selected roads leading to tourist sites to make them more accessible to tourists.
“I must emphasise that tourist destinations such as Paga, Zenga and Chief crocodile ponds, the Pikworo Slave Camp, the Tongo Hills and Tengzuk Shrine, the Sirigu Women Organisation in Pottery and Art, among other tourist sites, continue to attract tourists despite infrastructural, logistical and sanitation challenges,” she observed.
