Caretaker laments safety, security at Fuller Waterfalls
The caretaker of Fuller Waterfalls at Yabraso, in the Bono East Region, Mr Adamu Amidu, is concerned about the absence of professional lifeguards and security personnel at the site.
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He said the absence of these professionals put swimmers, particularly children, at risk.
According to Mr Amidu, although most of the children were good swimmers, he was worried about their safety and security especially because they swam unsupervised.
In an interview with The Mirror last Friday, he said “Even though the children are very good swimmers, anything can happen and I wish the site had some security, for instance a fence wall or gate to deter unauthorised entry since I cannot always be around to supervise.”
Children within the community swim at the falls for hours
At the time of the visit, there were a number of schoolchildren from neighbouring communities who had come to swim.
While some jumped from nearby rocks into the water, others, mainly the boys, competed among themselves on who could jump farther into the water.
Throughout The Mirror’s stay there, there were more than 20 school children swimming at the falls with more trooping in while the team was leaving the site.
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Investment
Mr Amidu who has been in charge of the site for over three decades added that with the right investment and amenities, the site could rake in revenue and also become one of the most visited waterfalls in the country.
He therefore appealed to government and private businesses to develop the site in order to boost tourism in the area.
The facility, he said, needed restrooms, a restaurant and accommodation for tourists who wanted to spend longer periods there.
Currently, the site only has a small urinal shared by both men and women which was constructed by Mr Amidu from the entry fees he collected.
This washroom, constructed by the caretaker is used by both men and women
Due to the absence of toilet facilities, tourists and locals who visited the site had no choice than to defecate in the nearby bushes.
The caretaker has also constructed a small sign post and bamboo barrier from the entry fees pegged at GH¢10 for Ghanaians, GH¢20 for foreigners and GH¢2 for locals.
According to him, although he kept no proper records, he averagely made GH¢1,000 monthly on regular days and GH¢2,000 during peak seasons such as Christmas and Easter.
He added that after he paid himself out of that money, the remainder was not enough for any significant development.
Parts of the Fuller waterfalls located at Yambraso, Bono East Region
When asked about support from the District Assembly, he said it had been of little help although he accounted for parts of the revenue to them in the past. He said due to the lack of support, now, he was the only cashier and manager of the site.
“Back in 1996, I used to account the revenue I generated to the District Assembly so they could support the falls when the need arose.
However, I never got any support. I have followed up several times but to no avail so I decided to manage the place myself,” he said
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Prayer retreat
Aside tourists who come to swim and enjoy the serene nature of the site, it is also a popular site for religious groups, particularly Christians.
Mr Amidu said many church groups within and outside the area, held prayer retreats and services there often.
“Originally this site was a prayer camp before it became a tourist attraction. Till date, many churches come here for their services. Even for locals, we still believe this is a spiritual place and God dwells here,” he added.
History
The falls cover an area of 173 metres above sea level and cascades down several layers of rocks into a wide pool of water.
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According to Mr Amidu, the site was discovered by a Filipino missionary, Rev. Father Joseph Panabang, in 1988.
“At the time, I was into the business of charcoal making by the waterfall and Father Panabang asked me to quit my job in order to help him develop the site into a prayer camp.
Originally, the name was ‘Our Lady of Kintampo Prayer Camp’. I agreed and I have been the official caretaker since then under the authority of the Wu chieftaincy clan of Kintampo”, he said.
The caretaker added that the falls was later named after a British soldier, Captain Fuller who led an army to win battles in 1911.
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Savannah Safari
The stop at Fuller Waterfalls was part of a three-day road trip quest for wildlife in the Mole grasslands of the savannah curated by WangoWango,a lifestyle and concierge focused on curating unique memories through domestic tourism and food.
When The Mirror team was driving out of the premises, it spotted an ongoing construction of chalets near the site but could not tell if they were for a private developer and for what purpose as the caretaker, Mr Amidu, had left the site after our earlier interview.
Attempts to reach him by phone proved futile.