To Whom It May Concern,
This is not just a letter—it is a cry of frustration, of outrage, and above all, of deep disappointment.
Ghana is a land blessed with some of the most significant historical sites on the African continent. Sites that should be preserved with pride, promoted with integrity, and protected with urgency. And yet, what do we see?
Neglect.
Decay.
Silence.
While officials from the Ministry of Tourism and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) travel the world, speaking eloquently about Ghana's heritage to international audiences, back home that very heritage is crumbling—ignored, abandoned, and slowly being erased.
Let’s name the truth plainly.
Cape Coast Castle and Elmina Castle—Ghana’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites—receive just enough maintenance to keep up appearances for tourism, and even then, the surrounding environments, including the 1824 War Cemetery and Victoria Park, are in appalling condition.
Fort Augustaburg in Teshie, the last European fort built in Ghana, lies in disgraceful ruin.
Fort Komenda, a monument of immense historical significance, is collapsing stone by stone—visited by pigeons more than by officials.
Fort Patience in Apam? Ignored.
The Dutch Upper Fort of Elmina and the two smaller upper forts in Cape Coast? Completely abandoned.
Sergeant Adjetey’s memorial—a symbol of Ghanaian resistance against colonial injustice—is left to rot, a national shame.
The colonial guesthouse at Aburi Botanical Gardens? Dilapidated.
German-era architecture in the Volta Region? Falling apart.
The Technical Museum in Accra? Still not operational.
The list goes on. And it begs one very serious question:
You sit in offices funded by public money. You hold titles that suggest guardianship of culture, history, and identity. Yet **your track record reveals something far worse than incompetence—**it shows a lack of care.
You promote Ghana abroad while allowing its heritage to die at home.
You speak of “cultural tourism” but seem uninterested in preserving the culture or maintaining the sites that would make such tourism meaningful.
You invite the world to “come and see,” while doing nothing to ensure there is still something left to see.
Let me remind you: these monuments are not just bricks and mortar. They are the physical memory of our ancestors, our struggles, our stories. When they are left to crumble, it is not just structures that fall—it is our identity, piece by piece.
You may blame funding. You may point to bureaucracy. But let us be honest—this is not merely about money. It is about priority, accountability, and vision. Other nations with far fewer resources maintain their historical sites with pride. Why can’t Ghana?
Why must private citizens, volunteers, and foreigners be the ones constantly reminding you of your responsibilities?
Enough is enough.
We demand transparency. We demand action. And we demand that you start treating our national heritage as if it actually matters—because it does.
Until then, we will continue to write. To document. To expose.
We will not stay silent while history is left to rot.
Signed,
A Concerned Citizen and Custodian of Memory
For the forgotten, the fallen, and the future.