THE ALLURE OF THE ABURI MOUNTAINS By: Eric Kwame Amesimeku Bordering the Accra Metropolis on the eastern front is Aburi, a town in the Eastern Region of Ghana less than five minutes drive from Accra and perched beautifully on the mountainous Akwapim-Togo range. Due; to its proximity to Accra, a firstclass highway linking it to the capital, and a relatively temperate weather, Aburi, for years has offered a magnetic traction for those who want to escape from the noise and bustle of Accra. The town is home to Ghana’s Peduase Lodge, a Presidential getaway built by Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President. The Peduase Lodge, even till date, serves as a home for Presidential retreats and other highlevel executive events. Then there is the famous Aburi Botanical Gardens, a lush 12hectare garden reported opened by the British in 1890 during the colonial days and still filled with its greenery. A high number of Ghana’s, businessmen, glitterati and expatriates own properties in Aburi. Rita Marley, wife of Reggae legend Bob Marley, also resides in this town. For these and other tempting reasons, Aburi is fast becoming one of the most expensive towns in Ghana to live in. Though for the taste of exotic foods and the experience of real city life one would want to live in Accra, the beauty and comfort that Aburi offers are far more tempting.Standing on top of the mountain after a drive on the AccraAburi road which is itself an exquisitelydesigned construction, one can take in the breathtaking beauty of the city of Accra sprawled beneath. Land prices and rent charges compare with current prevailing rates in Accra. Samson Boafo, a local real estate agent in the town discloses that a twobedroom accommodation in Aburi could cost a prospective tenant GHC 450 or USD 200 and upwards per month. For those who want to own their own houses in the town, you should be ready to cough up a GHC 150,000 or USD 50,000 for a twobedroom house. Whilst some might consider these prices to be on the high side, some people find no problem paying this much to, as they put it “live in peace.” A sizeable number of people with their offices in Accra now reside in Aburi and drive to Accra to work. Emmanuel Acolatse, a businessman who runs his own shop in Accra lives with his family in Aburi. He finds it even less stressful than living in Accra because according to him “There is so much traffic in Accra these days that one gets exhausted before getting to the office.” He adds that “I made this conscious effort to relocate to Aburi because it is easier for me to get to my office than when I was staying in Accra, and more importantly, the place is so serene that you enjoy a healthy life here.” That obviously is the major attraction point for most people who hitherto were staying in Accra and are now living on the “Mountains”, as Aburi is popularly called. It is envisaged that, within the next ten years, Accra will virtually merge with Aburi as developments keep going the Aburi direction. Driving on the Accra-Aburi road, one is confronted with numerous real estate projects being carried out right at the foot of the mountain. Wednesday 19 March 2014
Posted on: Mon, 31 Mar 2014 20:48:54 +0000