Aburi Gardens is not dead – GTA

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has accorded that reports of the death of the Aburi Botanical Garden run parallel to the real fact on the ground.

According to the authority, the best days of Aburi Botanical Gardens are yet to come and asked the Ghanaian populace to rather watch out for the facelift the garden is about to receive by the end of the year.

The Chief Executive Officer (C.E.O) of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Akwasi Agyeman speaking in an interview with Happy 98.9 FM’s Samuel Eshun, on the Happy Morning Show said, “Aburi Garden is not dead. It needs enhancement.”

He noted that for the redevelopment and renovation of the garden, the GTA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Parks and Gardens which is currently managing the facility.

Mr. Agyeman hinted that the two bodies have held a series of meetings and have agreed to work on three (3) major projects to give the park its long-overdue facelift.

The GTA boss disclosed that they were proactively going to expand the car park of the garden to make room for the many tourists that will troop to the garden after its facelift. “The event grounds of the garden is also going to be enhanced. A tourist information centre will be built in the garden along with a big washroom.”

Reiterating the “garden is not dead” statement, Mr. Agyeman explained that the reduction in the number of people visiting the garden is as a result of citizens acting responsibly and respecting the president’s directive.

“Most joggers in the area and other people end up in the garden to have picnics whenever they came out to exercise. But the ban on public gatherings and the adherence to the social distancing protocol is why the garden is recording low patronage,” he stated.

Akwasi Agyeman applauded the Department of Parks and Gardens for maintaining the garden and appreciated the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Akuapim South Constituency, Osei Bonsu Amoah for his countless support in the maintenance and further redevelopment of the Aburi Botanical Garden.