By Philip Tengzu, GNA
Wa, (UW/R), Feb. 15, GNA – The Upper West Regional Office of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has marked this year’s Valentine’s Day with a donation of assorted items to the Wa Central Prisons to extend its love and solidarity to the inmates.
The donation also formed part of activities commemorating National Chocolate Month, an annual activity observed by the GTA every February, to promote domestic tourism and Ghana’s cocoa products.
The items included cocoa products such as chocolate, bags of rice, gari, packs of toiletries, packs of bottled water and bags of sachet water.
Mr Kwesi Anim-Larbi, the Upper West Regional Director of the GTA, presenting the items in Wa at the weekend, said the Authority chose to celebrate the occasion with the inmates to demonstrate that they remained valued members of society.
“Last year we shared chocolates with children at a hospital ward, and this year we decided to come here because these are also loved ones of our community.
They need to feel the love that society has for them, and so we want to show our love for them and to let them know that they are not neglected”, he explained.
Mr Anim-Larbi noted that the celebration of Chocolate Month was also aimed at encouraging Ghanaians to patronise locally produced cocoa products to support the national economy.
He explained that cocoa had helped to build the economies of other countries and stressed that Ghana’s economy could also grow if Ghanaians patronised made-in-Ghana cocoa products.
The GTA’s Regional Director indicated that the Authority’s mandate was to market Ghana as a preferred tourism destination both domestically and internationally, and that they were collaborating with owners of tourism assets to advance the sector.
“By promoting chocolate and cocoa products during this month, we are also promoting domestic tourism because Valentine’s Day encourages people to visit hotels, restaurants and other attraction sites”, Mr Anim-Larbi explained.
ASP Mr Vere Bede, the Duty Officer at the Wa Central Prisons, who received the items on behalf of the facility, thanked the GTA for the donation and prayed that the Authority would sustain the desire to extend such kindness to the needy.
He used the occasion to appeal to the public to remember persons in lawful custody during the season of love and to offer support to them to help improve their lives.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Kenneth Odeng Adade