GTA Western Regional Boss Henry Yeledour Renews Call for Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum Upgrade in Nkroful

• Ghana Tourism Authority Western Regional Manager, Henry Yeledour, revives calls for a facelift of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Nkroful
• Mr Yeledour revealed that discussions on giving a facelift to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum are at the preliminary stage
• The face-lift of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Nkroful will include a library, a reception, among other things

The Western Regional Manager of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Henry Yeledour, has revived calls for a facelift of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Nkroful, the birthplace of the country's first President.

The place he said requires a renovation to a world-class standard to help shore up the number of tourists that visit the site annually.

The current state, he said, is not befitting a world-recognised figure who has played diverse roles in Africa and the world at large.

“We are concerned that the place is not developed to the status we would have wished, looking at the important role Kwame Nkrumah played in the history of Ghana, Africa and the world at large”, he said.

In an exclusive interview with YEN.com.gh on the performance of tourist sites in the region, Yeledour revealed that discussions on giving a facelift to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum are at the preliminary stage, with a meeting already being held with the board members of the tourist site to solicit suggestions on how the edifice should look like.

“We are looking at it as a pilgrimage so that tourists who will get to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra will be eager to know where Kwame Nkrumah comes from. So we have made some suggestions together with the members of the governing board of the place. We have heard some lengthy discussions”, he said.

The immediate past Western Regional Minister, Kobina Okyere Darko Mensah, during his tenure, welcomed the decision to have the mausoleum renovated and indicated his resolve to assist in the direction until his party was voted out of power.

According to Yeledour, the planning committee of Nkrumah Fest, one of the National Tourism Festivals, has also expressed interest and is initiating moves to mobiles funds towards seeing the Mausoleum given a facelift.

The renovation plan, among other things, is to put into proper use the library, which has been under lock and key for years, the reception and also washroom facility.

Yeledour said, GTA is currently in search of someone with the technical know-how to propose a standard estimate for the renovation.

“As part of my program for 2025, I included in my budget a meagre amount of money for the renovation. We will need an expert to do an assessment and give us an estimate for the renovation”, he added.

According to Yeledour, revenue mobilised from the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in 2023 saw an increase from Gh 2,927 to Gh 4,986, from 741 visitors from 78 non-Ghanaians and 819 Ghanaians.

He reckons the facility has the potential to raise more revenue when the renovation is carried out.

He said GTA in September this year will use Nkrumah Fest as an opportunity to raise some funds towards renovation.

The President of Ghana, during the 2024 election campaigns, during one of his visits to the region, assured of adding Nkrumah Fest to the list of National Tourism Festivals.

Members of the governing board of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum have written a letter to the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Armah Kofi Buah, to remind the president of his promise.

According to Yeledour, Armah Buah, in his response, has forwarded the letter to the sector minister, Minister for Tourism, Art and Culture, Dzifa Gomashie, to do the needful. She has given the assurance of the president with some correspondence to the Chief Executive of the Ghana Tourism Authority.

Pictures Of Renovated Monument Make Waves On Social Media

YEN.com.gh reported that former president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo commissioned the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park on Tuesday, July 4, 2023.

After the commissioning, the mausoleum, which had been closed for renovations, was reopened to the general public.

Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.

Source: YEN.com.gh