In
July 2016, a stampede in an overcrowded Asawase Community Center in Kumasi
claimed nine young lives, whilst scores of other Muslim holiday revelers got
injured.
Almost
a year on, a teenage boy was shot in the head as he participated in the 2017 Eid-Ul-Fitr
celebration at Manhyia.
Various
security lapses have been identified and interventions outlined to avert
recurrence of such incidents.
But
there is a critical factor that has been downplayed – Kumasi is deprived of
public recreational facilities to accommodate holiday and fun makers.
Festivities
like the Eid, Christmas and Easter mostly attract young people who seek avenues
to revel. But with limited avenues to host large crowds, the risk of falling
prey to the Manhyia shooting incident remains high.
Kumasi Cultural Centre
The
Kumasi Centre for National Culture “Cultural Centre” has in times past served
as the major attraction to young holiday makers with exciting programmes for
all.
The
Centre has good space and other facilities to host large numbers.
However,
the area is no longer attractive. Vehicular congestion and commuter traffic jam
along the Kejetia-Bantama stretch has rendered the Cultural Centre almost
inaccessible and unattractive to people.
Hence,
event organizers seldom opt to host programmes at the enclave.
Children’s Park
The
Children’s Park at Amakom has a serene greenly environment for social pleasure
and leisure reading.
This
10.9 acre land was allotted for the multipurpose park in the late 1980s to
serve the recreational needs of children in Kumasi and other parts of the
Ashanti region.
But
the facility, which includes a playground and a library, has been left to
deteriorate over the years with no rehabilitation in sight.
The
park has largely become a den for criminals, an abode of reptiles and an
atmosphere for suicide freaks whilst young people seek avenues to develop the
physical and mental wellbeing.
Rattray Park
The
Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) commissioned the Rattray Park in 2015 as an
amusement and recreational park.
But
access to the facility comes at a cost most young people may be challenged in
paying.
On
festive occasions, the Park attracts at additional charge, making it expensive
for the average youth to patronize.
Kumasi City Mall
The
newly commissioned Kumasi City Mall is the current attraction for young people in
search of places of amusement. Even with no special events to excite trading at
the Mall, holiday-makers troop the mall to stroll and window-shop.
It
is now commonplace for the youth to use the facility as their abode of
amusement.
Sustainable Livelihood
A
modern city needs basic amenities for health and wellbeing.
Public
parks and leisure facilities offer people avenues to build social cohesion and
generate healthy living.
Kumasi
city developers will therefore need to rethink recreational infrastructure that
provides a safe environment for young people to play and develop sustainably.
Such
facilities will also enforce the Garden City accolade of Kumasi where the
people will pride in the city’s beautiful plant and flower species that induce
pleasure living.
By
Kofi Adu Domfeh
The
Kumasi Children’s Park is begging for revival as the enclave turns into a den
of criminal activities.
