The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Madam Abla Dzifa Gomashie, has called for the demolition of unauthorised buildings and other structures encroaching on the buffer zones of forts and castles across the country.
According to the Minister, the growing encroachment poses a serious threat to the beauty, integrity and long-term preservation of Ghana’s historic heritage sites.
She made the call at a symposium on the Korea-Ghana Heritage Project held in Accra during the week.
Madam Gomashie, who is also the Member of Parliament for Ketu South, stressed the need for stronger engagement with communities living around heritage sites to help residents appreciate the importance of protecting such locations.
She observed that inadequate community engagement often contributed to resistance from residents when authorities sought to remove illegal structures around forts and castles.
“Often, we leave out the engagement with the community. And so, they don’t see the importance of why our heritage sites must be protected,” she said.
The Minister described the extent of encroachment around some heritage sites as alarming and said urgent measures were needed to address the situation.
“If I show you pictures of the encroachment on the buffer for the forts and castles, you will join me in doing Aluta,” she said.
Madam Gomashie maintained that the protection and preservation of Ghana’s cultural heritage required a collective effort involving the government, traditional authorities, local communities and other relevant stakeholders.
She therefore called for a more coordinated and sustained approach to safeguarding the country’s forts, castles and other heritage assets to ensure their preservation for future generations.
