Nana Kwame Bediako, Leader of the Newforce Movement says his goal is to create canal connections between rivers and the sea for efficient coastal transportation and economic development.
Addressing the controversial topic of dredging the sea to the Ashanti Region on ATL FM on Friday, 22nd March 2024, Nana Kwame Bediako also known as Cheddar said “Yes, it’s very feasible, but the point that I was making is not carrying or forcing the sea into Ashanti region. I was saying to Ghanaians that the time has come that we connect all our ferries, our rivers with the sea. It’s called canals.”
He said there is a need for efficient coastal transportation in the country especially for transporting goods like containers to speed up the country’s economic development.
“And if we want speed in our development, how are we going to sit down and think that we are going to be bringing five hundred containers from Tema Habour, 400 kilometres away from Kumasi, to develop Kumasi?
“And if we want to have a good economy, how would we think that if we put about five different plants in Kumasi for gold mining, for timber, for all sort of exploration and manufacturing, how are we going to export that out of Kumasi to other regions?” he queried.
Discussing his goals, mission, and townhall meeting in Cape Coast and an interaction session with the University Community with Nana Antwi-Boasiako, host of ATL FM’s Atlantic Wave, Cheddar underscored the importance of waterways for efficient coastal transportation highlighting the potential for linking large rivers like Oti, Pra and Tano River.
“Tano is in Tehchiman and Tehchiman is the biggest cocoa producer in this country. This tunnel goes all the way to the Ivorian and Ghana borders, where the sea is. This is a simple dredging canal connection and then you’ve gotten water flowing through the country,” he said
He cited global examples of successful canal projects in countries like Hamburg and Manchester, asserting that the concept is feasible and could benefit Ghana’s development.
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