A Brief History: Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park

The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum

The star of Africa

Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and memorial park

The Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and National Park was built on the old Polo Ground and dedicated to the first president of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in 1992 under the presidency of Jerry John Rawlings. The aim of the mausoleum is to preserve the legacy and historical artifacts of the man who won independence for Ghana and regarded by many as the founder of the nation.

The Mausoleum is located directly opposite the old Parliament House of Ghana, which now serves as the office of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ). With a total land surface of 5.3 acres, the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum is the largest Historical Museum in Ghana. Just in front of the Mausoleum is the Huge statue of Kwame Nkrumah, which can be seen from afar.

While only the statue of Kwame Nkrumah can be seen from afar, the interior of the mausoleum has several sections including the graveside and tomb of the late president as well as museum that contains all his memoirs, from signed documents to photographs he took with some of the world’s most powerful and celebrated men of the 20^th Century.

Some of the famous photographs found in the museum include Dr. Nkrumah’s pictures with Queen Elizabeth of England, Pope Pius XII, Fidel Castro, President Nasser of Egypt and John F. Kennedy of U.S.A.

A Brief History of Nkrumah’s Overthrow

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah after being in power for nine years as both prime minister and a president later on, was overthrown by the military under the leadership of General kotoka, who at the time proclaimed that he was liberating Ghanaians from Nkrumah’s ‘dictatorship’.

After the overthrow, Nkrumah took refuge in the Republic of Guinea, where he stayed as a guest of the Guinean President Sekou Toure till he fell ill and was taken to Romania to seek for treatment. His quest to seek for better health was however not successful and he passed away in Bucharest, capital of Romania in 1972.

His body was returned to Guinea where he was given a state burial by the Republic of Guinea on May 1, 1972. During the famous state burial, the then president of Guinea stated “Betrayed in Ghana, he found himself once again on free soil in Guinea, co-president of the Republic, to the great surprised of the imperialist powers enclosed in bourgeois legalist. With Nkrumah, African unity became an irresistible force. That is why this thinker and man is not a Ghanaian, but an African – even more –just a man”. The statement was regarded as an indirect message to how he had been treated by his own people, Ghanaians and the western powers that many believed were behind the coup d’état that saw his overthrow.

The government of Ghana later sent a five-member delegation headed by Colonel Benni to persuade the Government of Guinea to return Nkrumah’s body home for burial. After months of negotiations, Sekou Toure reluctantly agreed and Nkrumah’s body was exhumed and flown to Ghana on July 7, 1972. He was then buried at the State House in Accra, until 1992 when he was finally reburied at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, which was built on the same grounds he declared independence for Ghana on 6^th March 1957.

Accra International Conference Centre: A Brief History

The Accra International Conference Centre popularly referred to as AICC, is arguably the most popular event hosting centre in Ghana, notable for hosting almost all the major events in Ghana.

With a total capacity of 6,000, which have been divided into six conference halls, the AICC is among the biggest enclosed event hosting centres in the country, hosting musical concerts, comedy shows and diplomatic conferences in Accra.

Located at Osu, directly opposite the new parliament house and some few metres away from the Accra Sports Stadium, the AICC was built in 1991 under the presidency of former President Jerry John Rawlings to host the historic Tenth Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement.

Since then it has gone on to host other major events and conferences such as summits by the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS, while it has also become the ideal place for hosting entertainment events in the capital.

Even though it was built in the 90s, the AICC is one of the most modern event centres in West Africa, boasting of modern transmission technology, a press gallery and other facilities that make it media and technology-friendly.

In recent years, the centre has been under immense pressure from event organisers as the population growth is gradually rendering the 6000 capacity venue inadequate to meet market demand. This has resulted in the putting up of a dome-like structure at the car park of the Conference Centre, to make up for the demand for larger capacity.

While there have been no talks of expansion, the constant demand for a larger venue like the Trade Fair Dome could persuade the government to make some renovations and add more capacity to the AICC in future.

La Pleasure Beach: A Brief Profile of Ghana’s most visited beach

Ghana is a country blessed with abundant beaches. These beaches are among the most visited tourist destinations by tourists, especially on holidays and festive periods. One such beach is the Labadi Beach in La, a suburb of Accra.

The Labadi Beach, popularly known as La Pleasure Beach, is regarded as one of the most visited beaches in Ghana, surrounded by some of the finest hotels in the sub-region, for tourists who would like to stay close to the sea and enjoy the breeze.

While the beach continues to attract tourists, especially those visiting Ghana for the first time, it continues to suffer from opening defecation, prompting the Accra Metropolitan Assembly to launch operations to curve this menace.

Aside from receiving visitors, La Pleasure Beach is also noted for hosting events and major entertainment shows on public holidays, with artists organizing musical concerts for their fans. Keep fit clubs also hold exercise and keep fit activities at the beach on a regular basis, usually in the morning.

Labadi Beach is yet to fully utilize its potentials and could become a world-class beach capable of being compared to famous beaches in Miami and Barcelona if appropriate measures are put in place to put an end to issues like open defecation at some part of the beach as well as bringing an end to the constant littering of the beach.

Top Recommended Places To Eat In Accra

We may not be able to eat in our homes all the time as there are occasions where we find ourselves in the middle of town and want to grab a meal somewhere because we are hungry. When this happens and you are at place where you have no idea where to go and find something good to eat, then you sometimes resort to search the internet for the nearest place to eat, or the best place as some of us are very concerned about what we eat and do not look for just the ones closest to us. If you are in Accra and in this situation then you just landed on the right material to help you out as we list the top places to eat in Accra.

Best Places To Eat In Accra

Burger and Relish Restaurant

Burger and Relish restaurant serves mostly Burger and Pizza and is a well-known restaurant for those living in the Osu area. The restaurant’s burgers and pizza are the best you can find in town based on customers experience and reviews. Aside from the Burger and Pizza other foods such as jollof rice, potato fries and chicken wings are sold at the restaurant.

Sontoku

Sontoku Restaurant is a Japanese restaurant located at the Airport residential area and specializes in the preparation of Japanese local dishes and nothing more. It is usually frequented by Asians living in Ghana. However, a lot of Ghanaians also visit there on a regular basis to try out some of the amazing Japanese delicacies. They can be reached on 0544311511.

Buka Restaurant

Buka Restaurant is a West African Restaurant and serves only indigenous West African foods like Beans and Plantain and fried plantains. Their focus is to serve visitors with foods that are common to the entire West African region, making it the top choice for businessmen and tourists visiting from neighbouring countries as well as Ghanaians. They can be contacted on 0244842464.

Osteria Michelangelo

The Italians are famous throughout the world for their delicious and incredible dishes and for this reason Italian restaurants are found in almost every corner of the world and the capital city of Ghana, Accra is no exception. Osteria Michelangelo is an Italian restaurant that serves its customers popular Italian foods such as Pane, pasta and pizza.

Polo Club Restaurant & Lounge

The Polo Club Restaurant & Lounge is located at the Airport Bypass Road, in Accra and offers both local and intercontinental dishes to cater for its different clients who come from diverse backgrounds and different countries. It is a nice place to go on a date with someone but it must also be noted that prices of food and other beverages here could be slightly higher than what is sold in other places. You can contact them on 0246767777 to make a reservation and book a table.

Lord of the Wings

For the lovers of chicken you just found for yourself the right restaurant to visit for a sumptuous meal. Lord of the Wings restaurant located at Cantonments, opposite the Akai House Clinic serves grilled chicken with fried plantain or a bottle of soft drink. Bottom line here is the main delicacy of the restaurant is chicken and whatever you decide to take the chicken with is your choice. Reach them on 0546007007 for further enquiries

Azmera Restaurant

For the typical Ghanaian, looking for the typical Ghanaian food in Accra, Azmera Restaurant located in the Ayawaso vicinity is the best choice. They serve foods such as ‘Ghana Jollof’, plantain with kontomire stew and yam with any stew of choice. Their speciality in preparing local foods has endeared them to locals in the Ayawaso area making them of the biggest names in the vicinity when it comes to food services. Their contact is 0268029966.

La Chaumiere

It is always good to try something new once in a while and La Chaumiere restaurant in Accra, around the Airport area is one of the best places to do so and in this case, try out some French foods. The restaurant serves only French cuisines as is usually frequented by French ex-pats and tourists in Accra. You can call them and book a table in advance on 0302772408

Papa Cuisine

Papa Cuisine is found near the Casely Hayford Road in Accra and serves meals such as fried plantain and pizza. If you are looking for some light meal to keep you going for the day you may want to check them out as their foods also come at very good prices. Contact them on 0501619329.

Coco Lounge

Coco Lounge is a luxurious restaurant that focuses on giving visitors a treat of their life. For Coco Lounge it not just about Food but making sure customers receive the best customer service and are well taken care of. Their meals range from breakfast foods such as coffee to lunch and supper meals. Whatever your taste it, Coco Lounge is most likely to have you sorted. Call them on 0244222202 for further enquiries

Top 10 Restaurants In Ghana

It is almost impossible to eat from your home all the time because of factors like work, going out with friends etc., hence we all tend to eat from restaurants near us at a point in time. Finding the best restaurant to eat is, however, not that easy as there are so many of them in our cities, especially the major cities like Accra and Kumasi. After a short but intense survey and research, Jetsanza.com has come to the conclusion that the list below is the top restaurants in Accra and just the right places for you to grab a meal or even go on a date with someone.

Top 10 restaurants in Accra

Polo Club Restaurant & Lounge

Sontoku

Sontoku Restaurant is a Japanese restaurant located at the Airport residential area and specializes in the preparation of Japanese local dishes and nothing more. It is usually frequented by Asians living in Ghana. However, a lot of Ghanaians also visit there on regular basis to try out some of the amazing Japanese delicacies. They can be reached on 0544311511.

Buka Restaurant

Osteria Michelangelo

Lord of the Wings

Azmera Restaurant

La Chaumiere

Papa Cuisine

Coco Lounge

Coco Lounge is a luxurious restaurant that focuses on giving visitors a treat of their life. For Coco Lounge, it’s not just about Food but making sure customers receive the best customer service and are well taken care of. Their meals range from breakfast foods such as coffee to lunch and supper meals. Whatever your taste it, Coco Lounge is most likely to have you sorted. Call them on 0244222202 for further enquiries

Burger and Relish Restaurant

Top tourist attractions in Accra, Ghana

Accra, the capital city of Ghana, has a lot of beautiful sceneries that are worth visiting. Within Accra, you will get access to sunny beaches, Ghana’s rich culture, lovely locals, top eateries, etc.

Whether you are a solo tourist, or with family, on a holiday or here for business, Accra has something great to offer you and make you feel comfortable and at home.

Knowledge of the top destinations in Accra will help you make a sound decision prior to your travel to the city.

Now let’s see the top 5 tourist attractions in Accra

Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park & Mausoleum.

Located in Downtown Accra, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is a place dedicated to Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who led the fight for independence for Ghana. The Museum hosts stuff relating to Ghana’s independence and the mortal remains of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

It is one of the most sought-after places for tourists visiting Accra. Consider this museum when planning your next tour.

The Independence Arch

Located in Accra, Ghana, the Independence Square has monuments which signify Ghana’s struggle for independence in the colonial days.

Many locals from other parts of the country do visit this place on any day throughout the year.

The Osu Castle

It was built by the Denmark and Norway during the colonial days. The Osu Castle is located in Osu, Accra. Many tourists from all over Ghana visit the Osu Castle to get insights into what transpired during the Colonial days. The late Prof. John Evans Atta was buried in a bird sanctuary at the Osu Castle.

The Osu Castle was the former seat of Government until it was moved to the Jubilee House. Dignitaries such as Queen Elizabeth II and United States President Barack Obama have paid a historic visit to the Osu Castle.

Get to have a memorable sight of the slave dungeons, walkway to the Door of No Return, a water reserve and a chapel all in the Osu Castel.

Labadi Beach

This is one of the top destinations for tourists and some locals in Accra. It is the most popular and visited beach in Ghana.

Many Ghanaians and foreigners spend time with family and friends at the Labadi Beach during weekends, holidays and festive seasons. It is located in La, near Teshi in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

If you want to have the beach experience, visit Labadi Beach. There are often performances of local songs, cultural drumming and dancing. Major points of interest at the beach are swimming, fishing, relaxation, touring the turtle hatching site, canoe ride and social meet-up and networking.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture

The W.E.B. Du Bois Memorial Centre for Pan-African Culture is located in the centre of Accra and houses the tomb and graveside of the former African-American Pan Africanist, W.E.B Du Bois and the ashes of his wife.

The centre also serves as a major research centre on African development, a library and a museum. The section of the centre which serves as the museum contains the possessions of the former scholar which are deemed important in telling the life story of the once strong ally of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

The library section of the centre also contains books, manuscripts, letters and articles written by Dr. Du Bois during his lifetime. Here all the important scholarly works of his are kept and made use of by researchers who consult them for academic purposes.

At the entrance of the centre is an inscription from one of his most famous poems “Children from the Moon” mounted on a plaque.

Du Bois’ Relationship with Ghana and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

W.E.B. Du Bois was an African-American scholar and civil rights activist who fought and spoke against racism and maltreatment of Blacks in America and Africans in general. In 1961 he was invited to Ghana by then president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to help write the Encyclopedia Africana, a special encyclopedia on African history.

Du Bois who had heard about the greatness of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and admired him from afar accepted the invitation and traveled to Ghana to honour the request. Whilst in Ghana he became the personal secretary of Nkrumah after renouncing his US citizenship and adopting Ghana as his home country. He later fell sick and died in 1963, two years after arriving in Ghana.

The section of the centre that currently serves as the museum was the home of Du Bois and his second wife, Shirley.

Bukom: Where boxing legends are born

When the word boxing is mentioned in Ghana, the first name that comes to mind is Bukom, the undeveloped urban community in Accra. Since independence, Bukom has created a name for itself as the hub of boxing in Ghana and West Africa, a place where so many Ghanaian boxing legends were born and trained to get to the world level.

Ghanaian boxing legends like Iyke Quartey, Azumah Nelson and Joshua Clottey were all produced by the humble Ga community of Bukom. What makes this feat more surprising and worth praising is the fact that Bukom isn’t known to have modern boxing facilities that exist in other countries, yet it has made use of improvised training equipment like concrete blocks and heavy car tires to produce title-winning champions.

WBC honours Azumah Nelson on his 60th birthday

In fact, it is common to go to Bukom and see kids and teenagers of school going age in boxing gyms after school, training hard with the hope of following in the footsteps of the likes of Azumah Nelson and become world champions someday. Children born in Bukom are made to know right from infancy that fighting is a skill that when guided onto the right path could lead one to greatness and riches.

For this reason teenagers who get into a fight on the streets of Bukom are hardly stopped, as it is believed that is it during these tangos that the talented boxers are discovered and then nurtured to conquer the word.

To reward the community for its production of so many world champions in boxing, the government of Ghana in 2016 commissioned an ultramodern 8000 capacitor boxing arena in the community named Bukom Boxing Arena. While the boxing arena may not be enough to appreciate what the community has done for Ghana in terms of the sports, it reminds everyone that Bukom is the home of boxing in Ghana.

And if ever anyone thought Bukom was done producing world champions, well then you are not far from being wrong. Richard Commey, the current International Boxing Federation (IBF) Lightweight champion is just the latest world champion to come from Bukom and be added to the tall list of champions produced by the community. If ever you embark on tour of Accra, be sure to visit Bukom and have a tour of the town that gave birth to Azumah Nelson, Iyke Quartey and the countless world boxing legends.

Community Profile: Jamestown

Jamestown is arguably one of the most popular communities and suburbs in Accra and Ghana at large. The community is responsible for hosting the annual Chalewote Street Arts festival.

Jamestown is also the oldest district in the Greater Accra region with the community being founded as far back as the 17^th century when the Europeans started arriving on the coast of Accra. Today, Jamestown is one of the biggest fishing communities in Ghana, with the craft starting somewhere in the 16^th century by inhabitants of the community, the Gas.

Aside being known for its fishing activities, Jamestown is also famous for its historical and ancient appearance. The community which can be described as hugely under developed has remnants of the country‘s colonial past, making it a prime tourism destination for tourists who want to see remnants and monuments of Ghana’s colonial past.

In the center of the community lies the famous Jamestown Lighthouse, built by the British in the early 1930s to replace the original one built by the British in 1870. With a height of 34metres, tourists can see the whole landscape of Jamestown once at the top.

James Fort, another important monument of Ghana’s colonial past is found in Jamestown, just beside the Jamestown Lighthouse. The Fort was built by the British traders to serve as a trading post in 1673, making it the third oldest fort in Accra and only behind Fort Christianburg (built by the Danish in 1653) and Dutch Fort Crevecoeur (built in 1649).

Even with the transformation of Accra into a uniquely cosmopolitan city, inhabiting people from all parts of Ghana, Jamestown has managed to remain a predominantly Ga community, with the indigenous Gas accounting for a huge chunk of the population. Traditionally, the community is ruled by a chief who is chosen and installed according to the Ga tradition and customs.

Artist Alliance Gallery: The Artistic Home of Ghana

Ghana is a land blessed with abundant artistic talents especially in the area of painting and sculpture. People travel from other countries just to see some of these artistic work, and also purchase some to take back home to their motherlands.

For any tourist who comes to Ghana for this purpose, the ultimate destination is the Artist Alliance Art Gallery, located in Nungua, a suburb of Accra.

The Artist Alliance Gallery building, close to the seashore at Nungua, was first commissioned by former United Nations secretary, Kofi Annan in 2008 as part of efforts to promote the art culture and provide art connoisseurs with a modern centre where African arts and other artistic works can be purchased.

The mansion has three floors each dedicated to a specific class of artistic impressions and monuments. Two of the three floors are specifically dedicated to modern classic paintings and art works, whiles the building also has a room dedicated to only Kente materials.

Artist Alliance Gallery is truly a place where artists, art lovers, and buyers of art works and art collectors come together to establish long term relationship that is beneficial to all parties.

While the main aim of the centre is for the purchasing of arts, tourists who have no intention of buying but just want to go and have a tour of the gallery are also welcomed to the centre by friendly a staff that that is always on standby to show visitors round and explain some symbolic art to them.

The construction of the gallery was originally started by one Ablade Glover, a lecturer at KNUST in the 1960s. However his effort to build a home for the fine art in Ghana proved to be a tough task for the determined lecturer with work on the building coming to a halt along the way due to financial constraint and various revolutions. Finally, Ablade Glover was able to establish the Art Gallery in 1993 with the help of some partners and art lovers. The Venture collapsed again years later. But Ablade, determined to make it work embarked on a long term project to build the current structure, a project which was very successful and led to what is now known as Artist Alliance Gallery.