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Year of Return: Minister of Tourism unveils Ghana, Centre of the World monument
A monument has being unveiled at a site in Tema, Ghana, where the Greenwich Meridian runs southwards through the ocean to meet the equator at the centre of the earth making the country the closest to the centre.
The Greenwich meridian (longitude zero degrees) meets with latitude zero degrees at the south of Ghana. That point of intersection is the geographic centre which is 611km from Ghana. According to Lieutenant Commander Stephen Manu of the Ghana Navy who was onsite to explain the phenomenon, although the figure might seem big in real terms, it places Ghana as the most proximate country to the centre of the earth.
“You may think 611km is too high, but however, that’s the smallest distance from any country with reference to the centre of the earth, he stressed”
The site is located at Hole Seven of the Tema Country Golf Club where the unveiling was done last Saturday as part of the Year of Return edition of the annual Ghana-Centre of the World Golf Tournament organised by the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) who are spearheading Ghana as the Centre of the Earth project.
Speaking to the Press on the sidelines of the event, the Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi said government is desirous of developing a project around it to sell Ghana as the centre of the earth.
“This project comprises supporting the Tema Golf Club to develop the golf course into an international standard one which can host international golf tournaments here in Ghana. We are also going to develop a religious aspect to the project which is the Presbyterian Church, located in Community One which will be a religious pilgrimage site for tourists coming to Ghana.
“We are also going to build an iconic tower just like any tower that you can identify in other countries; for instance, the Eiffel Tower in Paris. We are also going to develop a Port for passenger cruise ships to dock in Ghana to come and see the positioning of Ghana as the Centre of the Earth”, the Minister said.
Stressing the importance of the passenger terminal for instance, CEO, GTDC, Kwadwo Antwi said it will be a great way of boosting the country’s tourism receipts.
“We are working with the authorities at Ghana Ports to be able to develop a passenger terminal for cruise ships. We have been told from their manifest that there are cruise ships passing upwards of 15,000 and 30,000 people. So we’ve asked ourselves what it would look like if we are able to discharge all these people for the purposes of holiday and for reveling.
“If they came here to our country it means our hotels are full, our restaurants are full, it means transportation services will be patronized, it means there will be people buying our arts and craft. So that is what is driving us to be able to create this ecosystem that not just create opportunity for people to have pleasure but to do business and to develop the country’s GDP as well,” averred Antwi
Mrs. Oteng-Gyasi said with consultants at the final stages of designs and estimates, the project will take off soon.
“Currently we have engaged consultants who are working very hard to finalise the designs and estimates for the projects. Once that is done, GTDC who is the agency in the forefront of the project will seek investors to collaborate with in order to realize the project.
We hope that by the end of next year we will have something on the ground to show for the Centre of the World project,” the Minister assured.
Source: Voyages Afriq
Experience Ghana’s 2nd Annual Ghana-Centre of the World Golf Tournament
It’s no surprise that people are excited about the 2ndAnnual Ghana-Centre of the World Golf Tournament on 13th July at the Tema Country Golf Course. This year’s tournament is dubbed the ‘Year of Return Edition” because 2019 marks the 400 years since the arrival of the first documented ship of enslaved Africans in Jamestown, Virginia. Ghana declared this year as one where we welcome the global African family to return home to the motherland, Ghana. Throughout 2019, ‘Year of Return’ events are honouring the resilience of people of African descent.
The Ghana Centre of the World Tournament is organized by the Ghana Tourism Development Company (GTDC) in partnership with Tema Country Golf Club. Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture with an endorsement by ‘Year of Return’, under Ghana Tourism Authority, this year promises to be even bigger than the last. The increased number of people travelling to Ghana because of ‘year of return’, means potential engagement with avid golfers from the diaspora.
On the high table for the official press launch was Akofa Dokosi, Deputy CEO, Ghana Tourism Development Company, Teye Lartey Gberbie, Competition Secretary, Linda Osei Bonsu, Japan Motors, Nana Dr. Ani Agyei III, Twafohene of Tutu-Akwapim, Eastern Region, Lieutenant Commander Stephen Manu, Commanding Officer of Ghana Navy Ship EHWOR and Annabelle McKenzie, Manager Year of Return.
Nana Dr. Ani Agyei III, Captain of Tema Country Golf Club, recently enstooled as Twafohene of Tutu-Akwapim, Eastern Region, gave opening remarks, “We seem to take the ‘centre of the world’ lightly, but it is an important line or mark geographically, in the whole world and we are lucky, especially members of Tema Country Golf Club, to have the Meridian passing through our course and even making it almost the centre of the world.” He went on to say that this mark can go a long way towards motivating investors to develop the area positioning it to attract tourists.
Akofa Dokosi, Deputy CEO of Ghana Tourism Development Company, said “We seek to position Ghana as a desired and most preferred destination for people, with the caption ‘Ghana Centre of the world’ we are able to confidently use that caption because of the attributes that have identified Ghana as the nearest habitable land to the interjectional point of the latitude and longitude in the Atlantic ocean. The primary focus of the tournament is to market the project that will transform the Tema Country Golf Club into a World Class Leisure Resort. Dokosi said that they have plans to develop the course to international PGA standards. The four (4) projects to brand Ghana as the Centre of the World include:
- The construction of a Passenger & Cruise Ship Terminal at the Port to attract Cruises.
- The erection of a World Time Iconic Structure at the precincts of the Tema Harbour.
- The redevelopment of the Greenwich Meridian Religious Tourism Facilities
- The transformation of the Tema Country Golf Club into a World Class Leisure Resort with the capacity to host PGA certified tournaments.
The tournament is expected to attract prominent people in the community including Ministers of State, diplomatic corps, Heads of State-Owned Enterprises and those from the African diaspora. As the Manager for Year of Return, Annabelle McKenzie, was there to support the launch. “We are excited to be here we want to thank the Tema Golf Club for having us.”
Dokosi and McKenzie unveiled the official attire for the golf tournament and declared the Ghana Centre of the World Golf Tournament, formally launched. Everyone walked through the golf course with Lieutenant Commander Stephen Manu, Commanding Officer of Ghana’s Navy Ship EHWOR. He spoke about the actual location of the centre of the earth. We were informed that the 0° Latitude line also passes through Tema Harbour and The Presbyterian Church at Tema Community 1.
The tournament takes place on 13th July 2019 at Tema Country Golf Club. Registration is 100 GHS per person but free for golfers of sponsor entities. Anyone interested in participating should send an email to temagolfclub1@yahoo.com. Registrations need to be completed by 8th July at 3 pm to be considered.
Written by Ivy Prosper