By Hafsa Obeng/Emelia Nkrumah
Accra, July 30, GNA – Odeneho Kwafo Akoto III, Paramount Chief of Akwamu Traditional Area has urged Ghanaians to cultivate the custom of unity and resilience to overcome mental slavery.
This, he said would help in achieving true freedom and building a brighter future for all.
The Paramount Chief made this observation at a wreath-laying ceremony at W.E.B Du Bois, George Padmore, and Dr Kwame Nkrumah, as part of activities lined-up to commemorate this year’s Emancipation Day celebration.
The theme for the celebration is “Unity and resilience: Building stronger communities for a brighter future.”
He said our forebears during their era went through slavery under their colonial masters, adding that due to their perseverance and unity, they took over and gained the freedom.
He said to be mentally free as Africans, they must be collective and purposeful in shaping future in all aspects of development.
Professor Esi Sutherland-Addy, Chairperson of the International Board of Trustees of the PANAFEST Foundation said, “Emancipation has not been achieved and so to build strong community for the future it must be based on awareness on sacrifices made so far.”
She added that “We are being emancipated for something, and we must remember what that thing is and pass it on to the next generation.”
Prof Sutherland-Addy appealed to the government to fulfill its agreement to invest in the partnership with W.E.B Du-Bois Centre and ensure its continued progress and success.
“The partnerships that we create, like the one created to re-develop the W.E.B Du-Bois Memorial Centre, we must look closely at and ensure that it is entirely fair to all stakeholders, particularly the Ghana Museum and Monument Board.”
She said PANAFEST sought to build on reclaiming the African family and on creating the safe place for developing and renewing dialogue through the arts, saying “the next step in 2025 as PANAFEST is to speak out on Justice on Pan-African artistic work.”
Mr Akwasi Agyeman, CEO of GTA condemned social media conversations that devalued Africa and what it represented.
“We have a lot of work to do as Pan Africanists, if the young people that are supposed to grow and take up leadership positions feel that they will rather get a Dutch passport to clean toilets, then possibly the work done by our forbearers is not finished” he said.
GNA