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Shai Hills Resource Reserve — a destination for memorable holiday experience

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The tourism industry, just like other sectors, had borne the brunt of the global pandemic with many recreational sites receiving a less significant number of visitors. However, operators are hopeful of an increased turn out this year.

The Shai Hills Resource Reserve located at Doryumu in the Shai Osudoku District in the Greater Accra Region, for instance, used to record about 27,000 to 30,000 visitors annually but that figure had reduced to 16,000 as of December last year.

Mr Prince Anane Agyei, Park Manager of the reserve, who indicated this in an interview with The Spectator, said they had started lots of publicity last year and were expecting more visitors but the lockdown and travel restrictions had affected their plans.

He said the numbers only started improving in the last quarter of 2020 and the facility as of January 2021 was making further progress.

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Mr. Agyei projected more patronage by the second quarter of this year, adding that the reserve was adopting other publicity and marketing strategies to attract more local visitors.

He noted that a chunk of visitors to the site were non-Ghanaians which to some extent, accounted for the drop in their figures.

“COVID-19 has taught us that we will have to target more domestic tourism. We need to boost publicity and education on the various sites across the country to attract more people,” he said.

The park manager admitted that lots of Ghanaians did not have enough disposable income hence were reluctant in visiting tourist centres.

Nonetheless, he said, their rates remained affordable and the facility would continue to provide visitors quality and memorable experience.

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“Entrance fee for adults range from at least GH25.00 and there are other attractive packages for children, and other groups of individuals,” he said

Background

The Shai Hills Resource Reserve provides an opportunity to experience Wildlife without having to move far away from the capital city, Accra.

The dry evergreen savannah forest with a size of 51km sq. allows tourists to enjoy a unique combination of wildlife, nature and an amazing landscape.

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The Reserve, which is one of the 16 Protected Areas, under the Wildlife Division (WD) of the Forestry Commission (FC) is one worth seeing for its natural beauty.

It is home to a wide range of plants and animals with the baboon being its major attraction. A walk into the Park gives a tourist the chance to see the beauty of animals such as the Zebras and ostriches, antelopes, green monkeys, spot-nosed monkeys, Olive baboons amongst others, living in their natural habitat.

It is a bird haven also with over 150-bird species. The Reserve has a rich cultural history and heritage of the people of Shai who were once occupying the place which has a museum of natural and cultural history with a wide scope of artefacts.

The park has accommodation facilities and tourists are able to explore the various hills and caves in the park by way of adventure.

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By Ernest Nutsugah

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Justin Kodua Frimpong files nomination to seek re-election as NPP General Secretary

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General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.

He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.

Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.

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“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.

He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.

“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.

His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.

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The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.

The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme

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UGMC disputes Michael Blackson’s claims over late mother’s treatment

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The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.

In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.

The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.

According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.

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UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.

The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.

It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.

UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.

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The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.

The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.

Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.

By: Jacob Aggrey

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