I fell in love with Tamale the moment I arrived there to work and the reason was that the environment was peaceful and the people welcoming.
Residents of the metropolis are always ready and eager to help visitors find their way and also feel at home.
My short stay in Tamale has changed the negative perceptions I had of the city and its people.
Down south, the perception one has of Tamale is a place of open clashes between opposing groups in an atmosphere of confusion and lawlessness.
There is also the wrong perception that the people are not friendly, they are indifferent and do not like strangers.
Others are also of the view that not only is the north very far but also the terrain is so difficult, as well as having very ‘harsh’ weather conditions.
Therefore, when I was transferred from my work station in Accra to Tamale, a number of friends and colleagues at work called me to express their sympathy.
While on board a Tamale-bound Metro Mass Transit (MMT) bus, I sat beside a young man called Thompson, who briefed me on my new home.
On our arrival in Tamale, the young man directed me to the offices of the Graphic Communications Group Limited located in the central business district of the metropolis, for which reason I had no difficulty in locating it.
As I walked to the office, I took in the sights of the city and was impressed by the well laid out asphaltic roads and the traffic build-up on them. In fact, I was quite intrigued by the rather large number of motorbikes on the roads, a number of them ridden by females, and skillfully too, some with babies firmly strapped to their backs.
In the city considered as an outpost by some, I chanced upon many foreigners, mainly young white ladies, who were either trekking on foot or riding bicycles along the roads.
After a few days’ stay at Jisonaayili, a suburb of Tamale, I have thrown away all inhibitions and convinced that the city is peaceful, clean, beautiful and full of life.
Living standards
The central business district is one area that is very busy. Like all metropolitan areas in Ghana, there is a complex mix of people and vehicles jostling for space. Of particular notice are taxicabs that are quick to dash to the curb on noticing a commuter in need of their services.
In terms of material comfort, with regard to the availability of goods and services, I will say that the cost of living in Tamale is quite moderate. Food, especially, is readily available and I have developed a special liking for TZ or Sa’am, as it is called in Dagbani, with green leafy soup.
I have also tasted “waatche” of varied culinary types.
In Tamale, the very popular maize porridge or ‘kooko’ is unlike what it is known to be in southern Ghana. Up north, kooko is very thick and flavoured with spices such as ginger.
For those who like khebab, I recommend Tamale as the place to be.
Moving around the city is very affordable. For example, the taxi fare from Jisonaayili to the centre of the city is GH¢1.20 for a journey of almost a mile.
Night life
Tamale has a very vibrant night life that goes on uninterrupted till the wee hours of the morning. There are also businesses that operate in the night, particularly in the central business district.
Apart from food vendors, who can be found along the dual carriageway downtown, there are many drinking bars all over.
For someone from southern Ghana, it is refreshing to notice that people can hang out deep into the night without any fear or intimidation.
Infrastructure
According to some nonindigenous public sector workers, who have stayed in the city for more than five years, the infrastructure base of the city has improved in recent times in terms of the road network, buildings and other social amenities.
Remarkably, though, the city and its people have not lost their traditions and customs, especially where architecture is concerned. There are still traditional round huts and thatched houses around.
Comparably, Tamale has one of the most beautiful road networks in the country, with very little traffic on most of them. However, the roads leading to some of the suburbs of the city, as well as the newly developing areas, would have to be tarred to reduce dust pollution and the mud patches experienced in the dry and rainy seasons, respectively.
From my experience so far, Tamale is a peaceful city, very hospitable and quite different from what I had been made to believe all these years.
