President Richards visits Cape Coast and Elmina Castles

Cape Coast, Nov. 5, GNA - The visiting President of Trinidad and Tobago, Professor George Maxwell Richards on Wednesday toured the Cape Coast and Elmina Castles as part of his visit to the Central Region. Professor Richards, accompanied by his wife, Dr Jean Ramjohn-Richards, visited the two sites for the first time and said he was sad because of the atrocities meted out to the slaves there. The couple was taken round the castles by the Deputy Minister of Tourism and Diasporan Relations, Mr Osei Ameyaw and the Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur.

The President had earlier paid a courtesy call on Nana Arthur at his residency where he was briefed on the history of Cape Coast. Nana Arthur expressed his desire for Cape Coast to form a bilateral partnership with a city in Trinidad and Tobago in the form of Sister Cities for their mutual benefit.

He said Cape Coast was a strategic ancient town which had a similar history as Trinidad and Tobago and being the former capital of the then Gold Coast, it was the cradle of education, tourism and the "heartbeat" of Ghana.

On tourism, the Minister said a number of tourist attractions could be found in the region and named the two castles and forts including Fort Saint Jago at Elmina, the Kakum National Park and the many eco-tourism sites as areas that could attract investment. He said the inhabitants of the region were predominantly farmers and fishermen adding that agro-processing was an area that the proposed partnership could benefit from.

Prof. Richards pledged to make arrangements to partner one of the two cities in his country to a town in the Central Region.