Influx of foreigners to Tamale

March 28
THERE has been an influx of foreigners into the Tamale metropolis of late. Most of them are from Europe and the U.S. Some of them are tourists while others are students who come to conduct their research and to do their internship.
Majority of those the Daily Graphic spoke to explained that they chose to come to Tamale because of the friendly nature of the people, while others described the city as safe, serene and peaceful in spite of all the negative press the area had had since the Dagbon chieftaincy crisis occurred in Yendi in 2002, leading to the death of the overlord of the area, Ya-Na Yakubu Andani ll.
Others also said they enjoyed living in Tamale because of the rich culture of the people, which some of them have come to savour and learn at the Centre for National Culture.
Indeed, it may surprise most Ghanaians to learn that despite such disturbances between the two protagonists in the crisis - the Abudu and Andani - Tamale remains one of the safest cities in the country with the least crime rate, according to Police statistics.
As stated by a 21 year-old British lady, Josephine ‘‘all the negative stories I was told about this metropolis when I arrived in Accra turned out not to be true; the people are warm and welcoming and will smile and wave at you when you meet them.’’
She added that she and her colleagues sometimes stayed out in town up to 2 a.m. and returned to their respective abodes without anybody giving them any cause to worry.
A graduate student from the U.S, J. H. Peterson, who is on a short holiday, was full of praise for a taxi driver who returned his wallet containing $1,200 to him at his hotel when he dropped it in the cab on the first day of his arrival in Tamale.
The foreigners come in different forms: fat, slim, tall and short. While some prefer to sleep in hotels, others make friends with the indigenous and live with them in their various localities.
Some are not choosy in their foods and just like some of the indigene, they buy and eat foods such as ‘‘waatche,’’ ‘‘Koko and kosei,’’ ‘‘tuo zaafi,’’ fufu and other local delicacies like ‘‘Kulikuli’’ from the road side.
They often prefer to ride bicycles and are often seen gleefully riding on the bicycle lanes in pairs. Others prefer to walk and sweat it out in the March heat: perhaps to tan their bodies.
They are also often spotted at the numerous Internet cafe’s dotted around the nook and cranny of the metropolis. Others spend their nightlife at discotheques.