By Nelson Ayivor
Keta (VR), GNA – Torgbi James Ocloo V, Dufia of Keta has praised efforts to renovate Fort Prinzenstein in Keta to give it a facelift to boost tourism in the Keta Municipality.
Torgbi Ocloo was speaking during a visit to the three-century old Danish slave fort by the Ghana News Agency, following a recent visit to Keta by a 20-member delegation of African-American lawmakers and architects from the US states of Chicago and Illinois.
The bid by the visitors was to “trace their roots to the motherland” and to inspect the current deplorable state of the Keta Fort to ensure its renovation.
The traditional ruler observed that Fort Prinzenstein, when renovated, would not only beautify the edifice but also boost tourism in the area as it would attract many visitors and potential investors to the Municipality.
The intent holds the key for investment and job creation opportunities for the people of the area, especially the teaming unemployed youth.
Torgbi Ocloo decried the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade saying, “never again in the affairs of men, should we experience such acts of man’s inhumanity to fellow man.”
Dr Emmanuel Kojo Jones-Mensah, a business mogul and philanthropist on Saturday 21st January 2023, led a 20-member USA delegation to Keta to inspect Fort Prinzenstein and to carry out renovation works on the structure.
The delegation, which comes from the Illinois Black Caucus (IBC) of Afro-descendants comprised legislators, activists, and business executives.
Through a special arrangement by Mrs Beatrice Tayui, CEO of Cybele Energy and Dr Jones-Mensah, the Illinois Black Caucus has agreed to renovate Fort Prinzenstein and to construct state-of-the art ancillary items such as restaurants, pubs, and recreation facilities to boost tourism in the Keta Municipality.
The CEO of Empire Domus Group, Dr Jones-Mensah encouraged the USA delegation to invest in Keta and the Anlo State in the areas of agriculture, food processing, education and housing.
Prior to the inspection ceremony, the delegation paid a courtesy call on the Awomefia Torgbi Sri III at his palace and they were taken through some traditional rights as a way of welcoming them back to their roots.
Officials of the Ministry of Tourism as well as those of the Museums & Monuments Board together with the Ambassadors of Denmark and Germany were also in attendance.
Established by the Danes in 1784, Fort Prinzinstein was one of the major trading posts for the Trans-Atlantic slave trade where Africans were shipped to the Americas.
It is expected that more tourists will flock to Keta after the renovation of the Fort to relive stories of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade.
The team is expected to return in September to commence the renovation works on the Fort with the project expected to be completed within a year.
GNA