Ten things that make Obuasi worth visiting
Obuasi is the name and her world acclaimed nick name is The Golden City of Ghana; take it or leave it! Obuasi, according to analysts, should have been on the same level in terms of development with South Africa's Johannesburg. But what do we see now? The difference is like Hollywood and Kumawood!
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Obuasi is mostly known for its gold and other mineral resources,but there are other contributing factors that make Obuasi worth visiting and staying in.
10) Best orange in the country: Those who ply the Obuasi-Kumasi and the Bekwai -Yamoransah highways will attest to this fact. Oranges bought at Dunkwa and Asokwa Junctions have different taste as compared to ones bought in Kumasi and other places.
"Obuasi ankaa wo)"literally means Obuasi sweetest Oranges, is the song that will usher you into the Golden City and the most popular Municipality in Ghana.
People who visit Obuasi make sure they get a bag full of Oranges before they leave. Relatives in Accra and Koforidua who are fed up with their B'Fosters and fried rice chicken breasts always look to people from Obuasi for Obuasi ankaa wo)!
9) Town Hall: Many Ghanaians are lamenting over the closure of many cinema halls, which were the toast of most people some years back. Dont worry. Obuasi still have its biggest cinema hall alive...close your mouth and let me continue with the surprise. Town Hall, as it’s popularly called, shows movies from 6pm till you drop dead!
Yes, Obuasi still has a cinema house big enough to accomodate 500 people. Whenever you are in Obuasi, try to forget about the home theatre and visit Town Hall, relax with popcorn and sobolobo and watch your movies.
8) Gari and beans things: 'Concrete', as it is called here is the saviour of students, corporate people, mechanics, drivers and many others. Every school here in Obuasi has a gari and beans vendor.
There are three main gari and beans joints which you will love to visit when you come down to Obuasi any moment from now: E.T.S or Railway Line joint; J.J Joint; and Gausu Joint. It is only at these "Concrete" joints that you see school boys and suit wearing gentlemen craving for space, Police and other security officers are not left out when it comes to cementing your hunger with "y)k".
Only in Obuasi do we serve Gari and Beans with salad, macaroni, cabbage and onions. Sorry for whetting your appetite!
7 Trotro Chronicles: Don’t be scared about the nick name of the municipality. Just preserve your coins and there is a waiting trotro with video waiting to take you to anywhere in the Municipality.
In Obuasi, trotros ply every corner of the municipality. We have three different trotro stations and all trotros at these stations go to the same destinations.
If you want to feel or enjoy the real political show after the Papa Akwatics, Kwame Sefa Kayis and Prof Maliks are done with their political shows on radio, don’t miss a trotro when you come to Obuasi either in the busy mornings or the rush hour evening. That is where you hear the real gutter economic analysis!
6) O.D.P.A: I'm yet to hear from any other place if there's this kind of association - Obuasi Draught Players Association. Yeah it's real and it is happening in no other place than Obuasi, the Golden City of the Republic of Ghana.
The two most patronized draughtjoints are the Zongo or New Nsuta field, which is adjacent the Obuasi Central Mosque and the E.T.S field which is close to the railway line and not too far from the Obuasi Local Prisons.
The best social-political debates go on there from Monday to Saturday.
5) Leonardo Clay and Ofori Sports Stadia: Popularly known to all as Len Clay Sports stadium, was built by Obuasi based Mining and Building Contractors(MBC) and named after one of the white expatriates then in AGC whiles Ofori Stadium was also named after an illustrious son of the Adansi Land.
The only First Capital Premier League team with its own training and football pitch is none but Ashanti Gold football club. No wonder they are on top of the league table. Len Clay and Ofori stadia are worth visiting - state of the arts facilities and other sporting equipment that make sports enthusing can be found in these popular stadia.
Black Park is Len Clay stadium annex - a large park that can accomodate four different teams at the same time - also helps up and coming footballers to unleash their talent and it serves as a relaxation area in the evenings and on weekends and also the main durbar ground for all big programmes.
Don’t forget that footballers John Mensah, Jonathan Mensah, Shaibu Yakubu and Mubarak Wakasu are all products of Obuasi!
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4) Parliaments: Obuasi Municipal boasts of about 100 local Parliaments. These local Parliaments instill discipline in their members. They have their Speakers and other vital positions just we have in our August House.
There are more than five Parliaments in every suburb in the Municipality. We have the Alaha Parliament, Kenken to Kenken Parliament, GLO Parliament, To wo bo Parliament and host of other dignified ones.
They help in clean up exercises and donation to orphanage homes. They also help create jobs for themselves and do proper debates on the economy. What most of them do not entertain is unnecessary political debates.
3) Rice and palm nut soup: I know my brothers and sisters from Wassa will pull me before JSC Atuguba for saying' Ab3kwan mo' is the third attribute of the Obuasi people!
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People of Wassa used to be best known for 'ab3kwan mo', but Obuasi hijacked that accolade some decades ago. Visit the Black Park, Walas, Adago and other popular ab3kwan mo joints and see how students do justice to it.
2) Obuasi Airport: Don't worry if you can't come by O.A or GPRTU buses. There's an airport which serves passengers from Obuasi to Accra and Kumasi. I said we are next to Joberg!
1) Galamsey: It has been the job of our forefathers and the youth have taken it up. Galamsey boosted business in the municipality and the Ashanti Region as a whole. Aside all other flaws, galamsey or Small Scale Mining is the largest contributor to the total gold production of the nation.
Obuasi goes with galamsey and whenever you visit, let me take around to see some abandoned sites and camps. After the national swoop two years ago, galamsey is totally dead. But dont worry, as the Terminator rightly said, we shall be back!
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You can contact the writer on 0249542342/0508609109