Butre: Residents of Butre, a community in the Ahanta West Municipality of the Western Region, have appealed to the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) to help develop Fort Batenstein, located in the area.
According to Ghana News Agency, the development of the Fort would help boost the tourism potential and spur local economic growth in the community. The GNA observed during a visit to the area that the monument had been abandoned and taken over by weeds, reducing its attractiveness to potential tourists.
Mr. Francis Eshun, a resident and local tour guide, told the GNA that the place had been left in ruins and needed attention from the authorities. He said: "We have taken it upon ourselves not to let the Fort be completely destroyed, so we take some small fees from those who come here to enable us to at least weed the place occasionally."
He stated that Fort Batenstein, when developed, would not only boost tourism but also enhance economic activities in the small coastal village of Butre. "We are appealing to the government and all stakeholders in the tourism industry to come and develop and preserve this historic monument for us because we cannot allow it to continue to be in this state," Mr. Eshun said.
Fort Batenstein was built by the Dutch on a steep high hill at Butre in 1656 for their trading activities, although that did not materialize. It, however, served as a hub for ship repairs and plantation activities and was later acquired by the British in 1872. In 1979, it was listed as a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) World Heritage Site because of its historic importance to European trade and exploitation in the colonial era.