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Cheddar explains how he’ll dredge the sea to Kumasi to boost the economy

Cheddar’s pledge involves extending the sea from Ghana’s coastline to the landlocked Ashanti Region, aiming to open up trade and transportation along the Eastern and Western Corridors of Ghana.

Drawing inspiration from examples like Dubai’s transformation from desert to a maritime hub, he envisions ships docking in Kumasi upon completion of the dredging project.

He argued that relying solely on road transport for importing and exporting goods to and from the Ashanti Region is outdated.

Instead, utilizing sea routes would offer faster and more efficient transport, potentially moving 500 containers in just one hour compared to the six-hour journey by road from Tema Harbour to Kumasi.

Despite Cheddar’s enthusiasm, his proposal has faced skepticism and even ridicule, particularly from the younger demographic in Kumasi.

However, during a visit to the University of Cape Coast, he passionately articulated his vision, citing his childhood fascination with maps and Africa’s geography.

He highlighted the untapped potential of waterways such as the Pra and Oti Rivers in unlocking new opportunities for the region.

He explained that “When I was checking the map of this country, I saw the rivers Pra and Oti. When you’re coming from Kumasi to Cape Coast, the big river is just there. It’s not connected.

“When I started this tour, I went to Techiman, then to Tamale, then to Bolga, then to Bogoso, then to Techiman. So every time I went to the room, I quickly studied the map of that region. Then I found out that there’s a river Tano in Techiman, and it goes all the way to the end of Takoradi, sharing the border with the Ivorian coast. Next to it is the sea,” he said.

Cheddar said he was going to leverage these rivers for transportation by connecting them to the sea through dredging.

“So what we have to do is just dredge our land, let the sea merge with the water bodies, the river, and the lagoon, and start to use it as a transportation. It’s been there, but we haven’t thought of it.

“You can look at the Manchester canal, all of you can google how they dredged the sea to merge with the river for it to become that,” he added.

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