The Giant Moree Statue: A New Tourists destination in Central Region

Undoubtedly, Ghana’s “Year of Return” initiative chalked several successes, but it only exposed one thing, ‘the unharnessed tourist potential that the nation is blessed with’.

This sense of awakening catalysed the launching of ‘Destination Ghana’, in London April 3, 2022, by the President, which seeks to build on the achievements of the “Year of Return” held in 2019 with the goal to boost local tourism in the country.

Talk of Ghana’s tourist destination, there is always emphasis only on the prominent ones, but not much light is thrown on the history potential of the land and the socio-economic potential that could be harnessed.

This is the narrative that, Nana Obokese Ampah, the Apagyahene of Asiebu Tradional Council, who inspired the Moree Kemetic Rebirth Project, seeks to achieve. The project aims to unite Africans and Diasporas around the history of the greatest fisherman ever; Ofarnyi Kweigya, and as a result projecting Moree as an alternative tourist destination in the Central region.

In line with this vision, the chief rallied support for the molding of the most conspicuous and elegant statue in Central region, essentially, to project the untold history of the giant fisherman, Ofarni Kwegya, who left unparrelled fishing records.

Oral historians have averred that Asebu Amanfi and Ofarni Kwegya, who migrated from Egypt and were both giants, settled in the Asebu township. However, Ofarni Kwegya, who was a master fisherman, moved to settle in the Coast due to the abuncance of Mɔrolɛ (Stingray) in the rivers, hence, the adopted name Mɔrolɛ or Moree.

In fact, his fishing successes were attributed to his giant stature, and he became a celebrated fishing legend in the then Coast.

Nana Obokese, whilst unveiling the giant statue on Thursday, 28^th April 2022, expressed optimism that the bold move, which is the 1^st Phase of the project, would whip up tourist interest and make Moree an alternative tourist destination in the Central region. This, he believes, would yield some economic prosperity for the citizenry.

He therefore called for public support to project the Moree Giant Stature to help achieve the needed visibility envisioned by the project.

By: Kwaku Usman Dawood (Kawunda)

[email protected]

Citizen journalist