TAMALE, THE IDEAL PLACE TO SETTLE....Page 29

Story: Vincent Adedze, Tamale

“Ei, so do the Gas, Ashantis and Ewes also live in Tamale? And even the whites, Germans, Japanese . . . I never knew people from all walks of life also live here. I think I must live here because the place is good.”
This remark was made by a friend of this reporter, Big Joe, who recently visited the metropolis to attend a workshop.
He, together with his other colleagues, visited places of interest in the metropolis like the new sports stadium, the Tamale Airport and the Volta River Authority (VRA) clubhouse. Fortunately for the visitors, they had the opportunity to attend a few programmes at the various nightclubs in the metropolis and concluded that indeed the city was a place to live in. They least expected they would find the kind of nightlife enjoyed here.
Tamale is indeed cosmopolitan and boasts people from all walks of life. It is noteworthy that just as other big cities like Accra and Kumasi have people from various ethnic backgrounds, who have virtually made those places their homes, so is Tamale.
The various tribes in the metropolis have their associations as well as local chiefs. They meet regularly to deliberate on sensitive matters to ensure the total well-being of their respective members.
Some of the migrants have resided in the metropolis for more than 30 years and have virtually decided to die there and even wish to be buried there.
Some were born and bred in Tamale and speak fluently the local language, Dagbani. If the saying “travel and see” is anything to go by, then visitors to the metropolis would certainly do away with the negative perceptions by people who have never travelled to the north.
In the near future it is possible many people will find it difficult to acquire plots of land to put up buildings either for commercial purposes or for private residence.
What makes the area unique is the fact that the crime rate is relatively low compared to other parts of the country and residents must be commended for that. Nobody fears being harmed by another, because day and night people can be found in the streets.
Admittedly, there are some bad lots but, overall, the metropolis is safer than other parts of the country.
Weekend relaxation by both workers and revellers at various spots, particularly at night or after a hard day’s work, is common here.
The expatriates, especially, enjoy riding their bicycles on the well laid- out bicycle lanes in the metropolis without fear of harassment from unscrupulous individuals.
Like many other areas of Ghana the indigenes cherish greetings and so any visitor who practises that virtue would certainly be hailed by the residents.
When one meets the elderly in our society courtesy demands that one greets them. That is the magic wand for our prospective visitors to Tamale between now and when Ghana 2008 Africa Cup of Nations tournament kicks off in the metropolis.
The proverbial Ghanaian hospitality is more pronounced in Tamale than elsewhere with such cosmopolitan characteristics and those who have lived in the area for decades have been enjoying such hospitality from the indigenes. Why not you also, our next prospective visitor?