Tourism, culture and Creative Arts Minister, Catherine Afeku says her administration will push for the regularization of the operations of all tourist sites in the country.
She said a Legislative Instrument (LI) is needed to regulate activities of tourist site operators and ensure that the necessary safety measures are in place at these sites.
Speaking on Adom FM’s morning show ‘Dwaso Nsem’, the Minister, who is also MP for Evalue Ajomoro Gwira said for tourist sites in the country to be safe, certain measures must be put in place and she will ensure that these are done.
“The LI will be specific to the management and revenue sharing strategies of tourist sites,” she said.
Mrs Afeku was speaking two days after 19 students died at the Kintampo Waterfalls in the Brong-Ahafo region.
The students, from the Wenchi Methodist Senior High School and the University of Energy and Natural Resources, were bathing in the pond beneath the waterfall during a heavy rain storm on Sunday when a tree along the banks broke, crashing them to death.
Related:Kintampo waterfall disaster: Bawumia pledges support for bereaved
Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia and Mrs Afeku were in Kintampo yesterday to access the situation
Following the incident, the chief of the town disclosed that immediately after the 2016 general elections, the Kintampo sect of pro-NPP vigilante group, Invincible Forces, chased away operators of the facility and took over.
Nana Essah Boakuro lamented that since they took over management of the facility, patronage has gone down due to the Forces’ incompetence at managing the place.
Officers of the Ghana Fire Service were at the scene of the incident to help rescue victims
Mrs Afeku said, although during her visit there were no such persons in sight, the need for regulatory measures to be put in place cannot be underestimated.
She said her administration will ensure that people who will be working at the site subsequently, will be taken through some form of training.
Once we get to Accra, we will speak to the Speaker of Parliament and my other colleague MP and ask that an LI is passed to help us regulate the activities of these tourist sites.
Meanwhile, the Kintampo waterfalls site has been closed to the public.
