Travelling without seeing

By Kofi Akordor

OUR taxi and tro-tro drivers have a culture of having simple but thought-provoking inscriptions on their vehicles. Some common ones are : “One man no chop”; “Poor no vex”; “No pain no gain’; “Work and happiness’”; “Shame unto my enemies”; “I shall return”; “Friends today, enemies tomorrow”.
Sometimes it is easy to tell what motivated vehicle owners of drivers to inscribe these things on their vehicles. Other times too, it is obvious that the brain behind the inscription is expressing appreciation for a goodwill gesture, denouncing someone for his/her wickedness or simply giving an advice.
Africans generally, and Ghanaians in particular, value words and these simple inscriptions have come to epitomise the African’s appreciation of wise sayings which have useful lessons for all. Among the Ibos of Nigeria, as captured by the great Chinua Achebe in his book; Things Fall Apart, ‘proverbs are the palm oil with which words are eaten’.
The Ibos are not alone in this regard. This is a common trait among Africans whereby statements are embellished with proverbs, idiomatic expressions and wise sayings to the extent that by the time the speaker ends, the venom in the message would have evaporated. This is especially so if they have to break sad news about death or any other calamity.
These taxis and tro-tros have become mobile signboards which constantly remind us of certain important truths in the world or unmanned pulpits from which divine words such as; “Forgive and forget”, spew out which, when applied in our daily lives will encourage us to do more than we are doing, reform us and generally serve a useful purpose of changing things for the better.
One inscription I find very fascinating is; “Travel and see”. This is quite simple and straight to the point. Why do we have to travel and see? There is a saying, which loosely translated means a child who does not travel always believes his mother’s soup is the best. This means that it is good to travel not only to see things, but to taste, feel and experience other things by other people.
Travelling expands our horizon, deepens our knowledge, frees us from ignorance and makes us wiser. Travelling enables us to appreciate the diversity of nature and gives us the opportunity to learn from the experience of others. If for instance, Community A, has been battling with erosion for years and through travelling, the members of that community have been able to study how members of Community B, have managed their erosion problem, Community A would have benefited from travelling by learning from Community B.
We may realise, as we travel, that what we consider as a delicacy is abhorred by others or vice versa. That manifests the greatness of God the Creator who made all things possible.
The question is; do we really see anything when we travel? Do we admire beautiful things and learn any useful things from our hosts when we travel? Do we carry any positive images of ourselves to our hosts which they may also want to emulate? Or do we only travel and see, admire, enjoy and return to remain in the past?
You may blame ignorance on the part of that innocent child who had never travelled for concluding that his mother’s soup is the best. What about the person who has travelled widely and has seen things done differently? In the example given in the erosion case of Community A, what would be the excuse if after seeing how the people of Community B have solved the problem, they continue to allow erosion to wash away their beautiful towns and villages?
Notwithstanding our precarious finances, our government officials have had their fair share of foreign travels and we expect the nation to benefit from their experiences. Unfortunately as it seems now, apart from personal gains, the nation hardly derives any benefit from the numerous travels by our government officials, from the President of the Republic to the ordinary civil servant at the district level. Sometimes I am tempted to ask myself; what are we trying to tell the rest of the world? You arrive at Kotoka, our only international airport, and a few metres away; the first traffic intersection you encounter is in chaos because the traffic lights are not working? And this is not a once-in-a while situation but a regular daily phenomenon, yet no one seems to care.
We do not need to make reference to the US, Britain, Germany or France, because these are generations ahead of us. Is this what our big men and women see when they step out of their aircraft in Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and other Third World capitals?
Ghana is not alone in the energy crisis so if the traffic lights of others are working, why can’t we ask our hosts how they have been able to solve matters instead of just admiring things with glee and returning home with no determination to change a bad situation for the better.
Our leaders never fail to tell us the impressive things they saw in their foreign travels. What they fail to tell us is how they are going to replicate those beautiful things here. I think national pride alone will dictate that at least some of our traffic lights at strategic and busy intersections will be removed from the national grid and hooked to a solar system.
There is one such traffic light on the Kanda Highway, which since its installation about four years ago has been functioning . A national endeavour to do a similar thing at some of our major intersections will save the nation the embarrassment of the chaotic situations at traffic intersections and the consequent accidents which result in deaths, injuries and destructions to properties. Are we going to hide behind poverty to remain in this jungle, 51 years after independence?
Playing host to certain international events is an opportunity to overhaul existing infrastructure, the building of new ones to serve as a historical reminder of the event as well as creating opportunities for economic, social and industrial growth. Almost all nations use such occasions to build showpieces which showcase the country’s development and boosts its image in the comity of nations.
When South Korea offered to host the 1988 Olympic Games, it took advantage of it to embark on a massive re-development programme for Seoul, the host city and the rest of the country. A new international airport was built far from the city centre with road network to make movement not only easy but pleasant to visitors.
We had a similar opportunity, albeit on a smaller scale when we were hosts to the rest of the continent during the Ghana 2008 CAF Tournament. We could have used the tournament to build a modern stadium at a new site with modern road network, hotels and other modern infrastructure which could open up our capital city and made it ready to host future international sporting events. Instead, we took the short-cut by refurbishing an existing one in an old part of the city where modern development is virtually nil.
We saw the blunder committed when spectators had to park their vehicles as far away as the Children’s Park with the dangers and inconveniences entailed and walk to the Ohene Djan Stadium. That new stadium, if it had been built, could have been a monumental jubilee gift to the nation. In any case an opportunity has been lost.
I read a colleague, Adwoa Serwaa Bonsu’s account of her experience in China, where she visited recently to cover the Miss Tourism Queen International (MTQI) pageant and wondered when we shall stop paying lip-service to tourism development in the country?
From her account, the Chinese are not only concentrating on industry and commerce as they continue to capture the attention of the world. They are making sure that whoever comes to their country for whatever reason goes home with fond memories.
What are we doing here? We have a whole Ministry of Tourism and Diasporean Relations (whatever that means) but try visiting Boti Falls in the Eastern Region and what should be a pleasurable trip becomes a nightmare. When you finally get there, you do not see any addition to what nature has graciously given us free of charge.
Many have heard of Dodi Island and are dreaming of spending a weekend family holiday there. You may join the Dodi Princess operated by the Volta Lake Transport Company at any weekend to the island. Your dreams will, however, evaporate into thin air and you will be left open-mouthed. Here is a beautiful island surrounded by a beautiful lake formed as a result of the Volta Dam at Akosombo. Beyond that, NOTHING. Not even a lonely sign post to welcome you to the famous Dodi Island. And we have a Ministry of Tourism with all its bureaucratic paraphernalia in place.
As it is now, our tourism development does not take the visitor beyond the slave dungeons at the Cape Coast Castle, Elmina Castle and other such colonial relics. Our beautiful coastline has become dumping grounds for human waste and drug addicts. Our tourism potentials in the regions are not accessible to the locals let alone to foreigners. A few seminars and workshops for hoteliers and caterers here and there, and we are in tourism development.
Are we saying our big men and women, do not see how others are developing the tourism industry in their countries when they travel ouside? Why should our business tycoons and rich politicians decide to go to foreign lands for holidays, when a few days at a mountain resort on the Kwahu or Amedzofe mountains; a weekend on the numerous islands in the Volta Lake after a few hours’ cruise on the lake; enjoying a clean air at the Mole Game Reserve in the north or closer here— the Game Reserve at the Shai Hills will do the trick? The country abounds in many tourism potentials that I need not attempt mentioning here. Those moneys, some of which were siphoned from our national coffers anyway, could have remained here , built the economy and offered jobs to the youth.
All we need is basic infrastructure including good access roads, camping facilities such as lodges and hotels, recreational facilities for both children and adults and adequate information on where to go to enjoy and feel relaxed. When we begin to enjoy the gifts of Nature in our own land , it will not take long before others join to savour a good weather, clean environment and a friendly people. Who knows, we may not even need a whole ministry to develop and promote tourism.
As it is now, we are travelling all right but it is as if we are not seeing anything or even if we see, we do not learn. Is that the reason we are still so far away from those who were in the same trench with us at independence?
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fokofi@yahoo.co.uk