Ghanaian radio presenter at Empire FM in Takoradi, Enoch Kweku Asare popularly knowns as Feeling Daddy has asked that Catherine Ablema Afeku, the former Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture under Nana Akufo-Addo’s first term in office, be re-appointed as minister to the ministry.
According to him, Catherine performed well during her tenure until she was replaced by Barbara Oteng Gyasi.
“I feel that she did creditably well when she was at the ministry. So if there is another opportunity, she needs to be given a second chance,” he told ghanaweekend.com.
This has come at a time when most people are wondering who handles the ministry in Nana Addo’s second government.
Catherine was a cabinet minister in the Nana Akuffo-Addo administration and served as the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts of Ghana from February 2017 to February 2019.
She was reshuffled from the Ministry of Tourism to the Presidency on 28 February 2019.
She is currently a Minister of State at the Office of the President, assigned to the Office of the Senior Minister.
To Feeling Daddy, the following achievements by Catherine Afeku show that when given the second opportunity, she would help project the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture:
1) Celebration of CHOCOLATE DAY – instituted the initiative of going to distribute chocolate to passengers at the Airport to promote consumption.
2) Re-opening of Kintampo Falls after the accident, major rehabilitation undertaken.
3) Kwahu Paragliding with toilets, a pavilion constructed for the first time with grassing and sponsoring from the private sector in the industry.
4) COTTM participated in China-Africa Business in Tourism Summit. Presented Ghana on China TV and promoted Ghana massively.
5) PANAFEST/Emancipation – wreath-laying ceremony. This time, I invited the grandson of W.E.B. Dubois and to participate in the ceremony, his first-ever visit to Ghana.
6) As part of honoring our tradition’s forefathers, I got H.E. the President’s approval to renovate Paa Grant’s tomb and he came to commission in August 2017.
7) UNWTO – selected Ghana for Themis, Regional Training Hub as a result of my lobbying at our meeting in Spain. Fifteen (15) countries participated in the Regional Training.
8) Hospitality Breakfast – first-ever innovative breakfast meeting with stakeholders to discuss the industry’s challenges and opportunities.
9) World Tourism Day – I proposed the celebration in Tamale to promote domestic tourism in the North. We used the occasion to outdoor Tourism Ambassadors.
10) Digital TV initiative that I launched with C2TV to promote Arts and Culture using our Ambassadors. I started with Agya Koo.
11) First-ever World Tourism Forum – I visited Turkey and brought the team that organized WTO to Ghana and by extension Africa. Then our Special Guest, Jack Straw paid a courtesy call on the President.
12) All Advisory Boards were inaugurated in record time to assist with my work at the Ministry.
13) Marine Drive sod-cutting ceremony took place with pomp and pageantry with the President.
14) Drive Legislative Instrument (L.I.) to consolidate all tourist attractions under the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture that we hitherto scattered through NGOs, Forestry Commission, etc. Now the L.I. is in Parliament and we have conducted stakeholder engagement to see to its passage.
15) Innovative concept to create Akwaaba Hotels to meet market demand for low-income budget hotels through the private sector. Feasibility studies conducted financials done, and brochures available for prospective investors.
16) Renovation of Accra Tourist Information Centre (ATIC) to house the Creative Arts Council and other project offices.
17) Marine Drive Project since sod-cutting:
a. Special Purpose Vehicle
b. Project Management Unit
c. Chiefs and People Sensitization Workshops
d. Memorandum of Understanding – signed
e. Compensation for squatters paid
f. Bringing on board second Anchor Developer (FRIDOUG)
g. Clearing of sites by Attachy
h. Relocation of Arts Centre to Kawukudi works ongoing.
i. Bringing on Board David Adjaye and Associates as Principal Architects.
j. Discovery of SUMMA from Turkey to undertake the major works.
18) Youth in Tourism launched to promote domestic tourism in second cycle institutions.
19) Kids in Tourism inauguration to sensitize kids in tourism projects at the lower level of education.
20) For the first time, the World Bank got attracted to our activities and we got US$40 million approved to support the Ministry.
21). She saw to the hosting of the All Africa Music Awards in Ghana (AFRIMA).
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By: ghanaweekend.com