Woe zor to the Oxygen City, Ho
Ho can generally be described as a city of tranquillity, which presents a perfect buffet of a scenic, unpolluted environment for a weekend of quiescence and rejuvenation.
The city is breezing to become an excellent tourism destination and a preferred choice for national celebratory events, conferences or seminars. This is aided by the emergence of luxurious hotels and guest houses, which are an extension of the region’s courteous hospitality.
Advertisement
Ho currently has three and four star-rated hotels: Skyplus, Volta Serene, Stevens, Chances, Freedom, Woezor (which means welcome in Ewe) and African Hill hotels are some of the main and leading names in the industry.
But Ho has not always been this vibrant. Life in Dansoman (where I grew up) is a sharp contrast to the Volta Regional capital, especially with its 24-hour busy nature; hence, it was not long before boredom began to set in, a few days following my relocation to Ho, now christened the “Oxygen City” of Ghana, some six years ago.
As the years rolled by, however, the once dull city gained momentum and vibrancy with the springing up of some recreational centres and joints.
Night life
Ho’s diverse and varied nightlife at weekends is receiving a steady awakening. Its Monday to Thursday nightlife, nonetheless, is not so vibrant, as would be expected of a population mostly made up of an active working class.
Food vendors and shop operators feature heavily at Ho’s Civic Centre on weeknights, working late into the night even when it becomes apparent the city has gone to sleep and has become eerily quiet.
The same, however, cannot be said about the weekends. Many hotspots, including Mirage, Rabazey, Red Dot and Five Star pubs, are at their busiest on Friday and Saturday nights.
Apart from the usual food and drink offer, some of these joints go an extra mile to engage patrons in social games in an effort to wither away stress.
The Volta Press Centre Bar is a latest addition to the joints. Apart from its main purpose of serving as a rallying point for the region's journalists, the centre also offers an atmosphere of relaxation and networking.
Hotels, especially those situated atop the hills overlooking the city are relaxation venues that are mostly considered to be the joint for the elite and the affluent.
The venues are mostly patronised because of their provision of a picturesque aerial view of Ho, which is dotted with twinkling lights at night.
The Ho Pleasure Garden also plays an important role as a first rate centre for recreational activities such as funfairs, wedding receptions and other social events.
The three shopping malls in Ho, the Stadium Gate Shopping Mall, Melcom and LIZZ-DEE Shopping Mall, provide people with their grocery needs at affordable prices.
Low crime rate
The Volta Region continues to record lower crime rates in Ghana.
The regional capital Ho is fast becoming a cosmopolitan area and is still considered one of the safest places in the country.
My entry to the city was met with reassurances from a senior colleague journalist, Mr Tim Dzamboe (now of blessed memory), during a briefing. He said to me:
“Here, you are safe. If you leave something here, you will come back and meet it.” He was expressing the view that the crime rate was low.
However, it must be stated that over the past few years issues of theft and burglary have become some of the most commonly reported cases in the capital.
Nevertheless, the police and other security agencies are doing all they can in collaboration with residents to ensure the capital is crime-free. The former Inspector General of Police, COP David Asante Apeatu, during a visit, commended the people for doing ‘extremely well’ in crime management in the region.
Easy transportation system
Some of the easiest modes of transportation in Ho are taxis and commercial tricycles also known as “Mahama Cambo” or “Pragya”. Readily available taxis to any part of town with a regular route, remains at GH¢ 2.50, within Ho, with the tricycle going for a much cheaper fare of GH¢ 1.50
Life in Ho is relatively stress free, with virtually no heavy traffic situation except on market days and it is limited to the market centre and surrounding routes.
Clean environment
Ho is a clean city, a striking feature that never fails to draw visitors’ attention whenever they visit the capital.
On a recent visit to Ho for a stakeholders meeting, the Editor of the Daily Graphic, Mr Kobby Asmah, made an observation that Ho probably was the neatest city in Ghana. Arguably it could be said to be so.
This is because there have been a lot of commitment by various groups, including chiefs, security agencies, market women, the Volta Regional Ghana Journalists Association, among others, to organise clean-up exercises frequently to rid the town of rubbish.
The then Ho Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Prosper Pi-Bansah, said the 66 Artillery Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, for instance, had initiated weekly clean-up exercises to clean major areas in Ho.
This goes to show that Ho is an ideal place to be for a rejuvenated and renewed body, mind and spirit, and perhaps for a new breath of "Oxygen" therapy.