The Minister of Tourism, Catherine Afeku, has denied the seizure of the Kintampo Waterfalls by the Pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) vigilante group, Invisible Forces, in the moments leading to the tragedy that claimed some 20 lives in March, 2017.
The Chief of Kyeremankoma, had alleged that tour guides at the waterfall were sacked by some supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), few months after the party came into office.
But the Minister has stated that the Municipal Assembly was firmly in control of the facility contrary to reports that the vigilante group had taken over the site without the requisite expertise to manage the facility.
The Minister made this known in response to questions on the floor of Parliament. “Mr. Speaker, on the sad day that the tragedy occurred as I alluded to this august house a day after my team, the Vice President of the republic of this nation and other stakeholders visited the site, we did not see any illegal occupation when we visited the site,” the Minister said.
Catherine Afeku also announced that, the Waterfalls will be re-opened to the public on September 1st, 2017.
She stated that, the safety audit of the facility was still underway. At least 18 persons were confirmed dead after a huge tree run off the top of the Kintampo waterfall, and descended unto dozens of revelers swimming beneath the fall.
The incident was the most catastrophic domestic tourism accident in Ghana in the last few years.
