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Masters of Self‑Promotion: Geese Park, Asomdwee Park, and the Nationalism Park Hype - A Ghana Story
Satirical Column:
Accra has many stories to tell. Some are carved in forts, some whispered in cemeteries, some hidden in archives. And then there are the stories the Ghana Tourism Authority and the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board insist on telling — loudly, proudly, and often absurdly.
Take Geese Park. Once a modest patch of grass, it was rebranded with fanfare as a “leisure and recreational park.” Officials cut ribbons, posed for cameras, and declared it a “significant stride” in tourism. In reality, it is a handful of benches, a fishpond, and a playground. Yet brochures trumpet it as a top attraction, as though visitors will fly across continents to admire Accra’s geese.
Beside it lies Asomdwee Park, the resting place of President John Evans Atta Mills. A solemn grave, meant for reverence, now awkwardly packaged as part of a leisure complex. The irony is thick: mourners and tourists share the same space, one side grieving, the other side snapping selfies. Heritage and holiday, bundled together like a buy‑one‑get‑one deal.
“ GMMB extends its warm congratulations to all inaugurated members and looks forward to a renewed era of strong leadership, innovation, and dedication to safeguarding Ghana’s museums, monuments, and historical assets for present and future generations... ” GMMB
I say: "Congrats..."
Nationalism Park
And then came the Nationalism Park hype of 2024. With speeches about unity, patriotism, and heritage, the GTA declared it “a one‑of‑a‑kind space” to honor Ghana’s identity. The fanfare was immense: banners, cultural performances, endless rhetoric about national pride. But visitors found a half‑finished site, more symbolic than substantial, with little to justify its billing as a premier attraction..
Here we are. The final resting place of late president John Evans Atta Mills, locked up. Same as unofficially, officially the Geese Park. Visits are possible via... "Leisure and Recreational" Geese Park. Even as there is a separate gate, as seen middle background. Well, well....(c) Remo Kurka
Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and old Parliament, Court buildings! (c) Remo Kurka
The satire writes itself. Officials congratulate themselves, cameras flash, websites boast of “world‑class destinations.” Meanwhile, genuine heritage sites — forts crumbling on the coast, cemeteries with erased graves, monuments fading in weeds — languish in neglect. The erased soldiers of Osu Military Cemetery, stripped of their names and badges, receive no glossy press release. Fort Metal Cross, Fort Patience, Fort Amsterdam — all stand as silent witnesses to history, but they are not hyped as “top attractions.”
Instead, the spotlight shines on Geese Park, a playground beside a presidential grave, and Nationalism Park, a half‑built symbol of pride. It is not tourism. It is theatre. It is not heritage. It is self‑promotion.
View from overgrown playground "Geese Park" to the presidential grave of late president Atta Mills and behind: The "Castle" - Osu castle
Jamestown Lighthouse, as seen from Jamestown beach....(c) Remo Kurka
Geese Park, a playground beside a presidential grave
From a third‑person view, the spectacle is almost comic. Ghana’s heritage institutions have become masters of self‑celebration, mistaking ribbon‑cutting for preservation, mistaking press releases for progress. They advertise benches and slogans while history itself crumbles.
The irony is that Ghana has some of the richest heritage in Africa — forts that tell the story of slavery and empire, cemeteries that whisper of forgotten soldiers, monuments that carry the scars of independence. Yet these are overshadowed by shallow attractions, hyped into “top destinations” by institutions more concerned with applause than authenticity.
The column closes with a simple truth: heritage is not a playground, not a slogan, not a ribbon. Heritage is memory, dignity, and preservation. Until the Ghana Tourism Authority and the GMMB understand that, Geese Park and Nationalism Park will remain symbols not of pride, but of parody.
"Leisure And Recreational Park" - Says it all...
