A great grandson of Tetteh Quarshie, Nii Samoa Okropon, chief of Abede at Osu in Accra, has made a passionate appeal to the government to offer support to the family, especially educational scholarships to his descendants.
He said, “Tetteh Quarshie introduced cocoa which has become the main stay of the country’s economy yet his descendants had not benefitted from his contribution. “Tetteh Quarshie has not been given enough recognition although proceeds from cocoa have contributed to the country’s development through the provision of infrastructure such as roads and public universities.”
Nii Okropon who is also the Mankralo of Sempe Oduponkpene was speaking at the media launch of this year’s Chocolate Day which is to be celebrated under thetheme,” Chocolate, A Healthy Expression Of Love?”
He complained about a complete neglect of the man through whose sweat, Ghana is now considered as a leading cocoa producer, and queried why the roundabout named after Tetteh Quarshie does not have his status; neither does the Ghana COCOBOD have anything in its frontage to depict his contributions to the economic development of the nation.“Rather, politicians who have done more harm than good to this nation, have been accorded much recognition by having their statues all over,” he said.
Mr. Frank Kofigah the Deputy Executive Director of (Operations) of the Ghana Tourist Board, said, “The redesign-nation of Valentine’s Day as Chocolate Day was to shift focus on Valentine’s Day to the promotion of chocolate.”
He said, consumption of locally made chocolate and cocoa based products, is not only to encourage people to enjoy the nutrition and health benefits of cocoa, but also to promote domestic tourism to minimize the anti-social vices associated with the celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Activities planned for the occasion which will be celebrated in all the regions, including the presentation of chocolate and chocolate based products to the needy, organized tours to various tourism sites in the country and special Chocolate Day functions in selected hotels, restaurants and other tourism plants.
Mr. Kofigah disclosed that a special tour from Accra to Tetteh Quarshie farm at Mampong-Akuapem, would be organised by some private tour operators, in collaboration with the Ghana Tourist Board.
Source: Ghanaian Times
