Rally around Year of Return - Tourism Minister
The Minister for Tourism, Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, has called on all Ghanaians to participate massively in the activities of the Year of Return programme and give visitors who will throng into the country, an experience that they will relish for a very long time.
She said Ghanaians were well-known for their hospitality and “this is a great opportunity for us to show to the world this wonderful attribute we have.”
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Mrs Oteng-Gyasi, who was speaking in an interview with The Mirror, stressed that it was important for citizens to take keen interest in the Year of Return programme and warmly welcome the visitors from the diaspora so that their experience in the country would entice them to keep coming to Ghana again and again.
The year-long programme which stated in January, is to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first enslaved Africans in America in 1619. It celebrates the resilence of people of African descent in the Diaspora and encourages them to connect with their heritage by visiting Ghana and forming linkages for business and investment.
The Minister said the proverbial Ghanaian hospitality was an asset “we all need to be proud of as it is ingrained in our culture and our way of life which sets us apart from other nationals across the globe.”
The minister said some of the activities planned for the Year of Return included the Ghana Diaspora Celebration, the Marhaba Tourism Festival, the Black Prophet Welcome Home Reggae Concert, (Zonta, aka Black Prophet, a Ghanaian talented artiste who has championed the cause of Ghana and Africa through his music across the world) and various programmes around PANAFEST and Emancipation Day in July.
She also said the line-up of other activities for the celebration were workshops on music and dance, colloquiums as well as a Hip Hop/Rap Summit which would be part of the Youth Assembly.
The Minister with the Asantehene (2nd left)
Additionally, Mrs Oteng-Gyasi said, there would be a Ghana Carnival to showcase the Ghanaian culture through vibrant costumes and dance and encouraged members of the public who had not experienced the variety of the rich culture of this country and most of the tourist sites to ensure that they did not miss out on the fun and knowledge which would abound by participating in the events.
On the safety of visitors, as well as citizens during the activities of the programme, she reiterated President Akufo-Addo’s statement during his visit to the diaspora recently that, Ghana is the safest country in the West African Region and one of the few places where we were one another’s keeper and, therefore, would continue to look out for the welfare of one another at all times.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi also stated that the security services were being resourced to ensure effective security in the country, stressing that there had been some isolated incidents which did not reflect the general state of security in the country.
Tourists, she emphasised, were assured of their safety while in Ghana.
Profile and political life
Mrs Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, who is also the Member of Parliament for the Prestea-Huni Valley Constituency in the Western Region, was the deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources prior to her appointment as Tourism Minister in April this year.
A trained lawyer with 30 years experience in the profession, Mrs Oteng-Gyasi began an active political life prior to the 2016 national elections and described her career in politics as eye-opening to the true state of our nation and one which had made her passionate to serve her constituents in particular, and the nation generally, to help improve on the living standards of the ordinary Ghanaian and transform Ghana into the country we would all be proud of as our homeland.
She explained that it was in pursuance of this objective that she embarked on a number of projects to assist her constituents since she became an MP in January 2016.
In the area of health care, she has provided medical equipment to CHPS compounds, an incubator for the Prestea Government Hospital where construction of a Children's Ward is ongoing while the Education Directorate has benefited from the supply of furniture for schools, computers and motorbikes, free vacation classes for JHS and SHS students and scholarships for tertiary students.
The Tourism Minister with some team members of the Black Star before their departure to Egypt for the AFCON tournament
Being a major farming area, Mrs Oteng-Gyasi has supported cocoa farmers with spraying machines and other farm equipment while a micro loan scheme has been instituted to assist women to engage in various trading activities.
The youth, she says, are dear to her heart as they constitute the future growth of the constituency, therefore, she has empowered them through skills training and the supply of sewing machines/ hair dryers to make them self-reliant.
She regularly fetes widows and those with disability and provides them with cloths, wheelchairs, clutches and white canes.
She has also successfully lobbied for government projects for the constituency and the Prestea Town roads are to be constructed under Phase 1 of the Sinohydro Project and an ultra-modern hospital is to be built at Bogoso.
Extension of electricity and telecommunication services under the rural electrification / rural telephony projects is also being provided to several communities of the municipality.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi has an unwavering dedication to pursue her goals till they are realised, and her journey to becoming the Member of Parliament for Prestea/ Huni-Valley, began by first beating seven men in the NPP Primary and going on to wrest the seat from the NDC whose candidate was the sitting DCE, demonstrates this fact.
She confesses that although being an MP is quite challenging, the regular six-hour road trips to the constituency to maintain contact with her constituents, coupled with her duties as a Parliamentarian and a Minister of State, leaves her with very little personal time but she feels fulfilled serving her people and the nation which she considers a rare privilege.
She believes that “we all get an opportunity to make an impact sometime along our journey of life and should make the most of it when we find ourselves in that position”.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi delivering a speech
She will, therefore, continue to remain resolute and committed to her work to transform Prestea/Huni Valley and the Ministry of Tourism but also ensure the welfare of her family is not compromised.
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi said the strict discipline by her parents, especially her father, the late Daniel Mintah Quaicoe, a former Director of Administration, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation, (GBC) was a major factor which had defined who she was today.
She recalled a favourite Akan saying of her father which translated means " the crab is headless due to the influence of too many friends", indicating the need to be independent minded.
She pointed out that her father always stressed the importance of education, integrity and discipline which he said were key in building good character, independence and a successful life.
When asked about her fashion sense, she smiled and said, “I guess I took after my mum in that respect, she would never step out without looking best. We admired her greatly and all her three daughters do likewise.”
Mrs Oteng-Gyasi was educated at the Mfantsiman Girls Secondary School, Saltpond and Wesley Girls High School, Cape Coast, continued to the University of Ghana for her LLB degree and to the Ghana School of Law for the Barrister at Law (BL).
The Minister presenting a gift to a widow during the Mother’s Day held recently
She is a member of FIDA GHANA and has held the positions of Secretary, Vice President and President over the years.
She also holds an Executive MBA (Human Resource) from the Ghana Business School, University of Ghana, Legon.
She is married to Mr Tony Oteng-Gyasi, Managing Director of Tropical Cable & Conductor Limited and they have five children.
