The Member of Parliament for Cape Coast North Constituency, Dr. Kwamena Minta Nyarku, also known as Ragga, challenged the prevailing notion that Cape Coast is a tourism hub, asserting that the area lacks sufficient tourist attractions to justify that designation.

He made these remarks while chairing the Cape Coast Metropolitan Assembly's (CCMA) conference on Preparation of the Medium-Term Development Plan High-Level Stakeholder Engagement, on June 16, 2025, at the Pempamsie Hotel in Cape Coast. He urged the participants to ensure the 8-year development plan for Cape Coast is geared towards achieving that goal.

In supporting his assertion, he argued that apart from the Cape Coast Castle, the city lacks any other iconic attractions to justify its reputation as a tourism hub of the country. Thus, he suggested to the participants that in drafting a development plan for the next 8 years for the city, that blueprint should be tailored to achieve that objective.

Regarding the Cape Coast nightlife, Dr. Nyarku observed that the city becomes inactive shortly after 10pm, which is detrimental to tourist retention. "There is no nightlife in Cape Coast. After 10 pm, the city becomes inactive with almost everyone in their rooms. What are they doing there?", he queried.

He emphasized that without a proper nightlife, most tourists would visit a few places in Cape Coast and depart to their points of origin. "We're practicing what is called the pull system, but rather we're engaged in the push system. We're driving them away," he stressed.

One astonishing observation he raised at that conference was the deplorable state of street lighting in the city, which exacerbates the already precarious night life. He added that most foreign tourists visiting the city come from countries with reliable electricity, only to experience power outages in Cape Coast.

"Anytime any government official is visiting Cape Coast, the malfunctioning streetlights suddenly work. How the assembly manages to achieve this is unclear, only they can explain", he stated, emphasizing that this practice ought to cease in order to allow government functionaries to experience the full extent of the problem, thereby enabling them to provide assistance. He urged all present to travel through the metropolis at night to appreciate the situation he was referring to.

Ragga, however, alluded to the fact that if such actions are taken merely to appease our nation's leaders, how can one effectively lobby the president to provide Cape Coast with improved street lighting?

Ragga emphasized the significance of the Oguaa Fetu Afahye to the development plan, querying the traditional council of tangible outcomes of the festival celebrations over the years. "Can anyone identify a school project, factory, or edifice constructed as a result of the festival within the last 5 years? To achieve our goals for the next 8 years, we need to adopt this mindset", he proposed.

Furthermore, Dr. Nyarku expressed disappointment regarding the educational state of Cape Coast, citing most schools' lack of a conducive teaching and learning environment, which should be incorporated into the development plan. Highlighting the plight of some schools, he complained about inadequate tables and chairs, forcing pupils to sit in pairs and threes. "Is that what we want for our people? The results at the SHS are satisfactory, but the basic education is subpar, and something ought to be done within the next 8 years," stated Ragga.

He was of the opinion that if Cape Coast is going to be a tourist destination, then we need to improve our educational infrastructure to attract foreign students from all over the world. However, in a situation where some schools are in a deplorable state and some kids have not seen a computer before, what education are we talking about? "If indeed we want Cape Coast to be the educational hub, all our schools should be top-notch to attract pupils from everywhere", he posited.

He took the opportunity to assure all participants that, to be able to take Cape Coast to the next level demands a lot of thinking through which this plan is a starting point. "What future do you envisage for your kids in Cape Coast within the next few years? That future starts today and the development of the plan," he concluded.