By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Paga-Nania (U/E), July 3, GNA – Professor Albert Luguterah, Vice Chancellor of the University of Technology and Applied Sciences (UTAS), has urged the Government and development partners to transform the historic Pikworo Slave Camp at Paga-Nania into a world-class Heritage Centre for Research and Healing.
He said the proposed centre, comprising a museum, library and clinic, would preserve the memory of enslaved Africans while serving as a hub for research, education, healing and reconciliation.
“Pikworo must not remain only a site of pain. Through joint efforts, we can transform Pikworo into a world-class heritage destination by establishing a Heritage Centre for Research and Healing so that this place serves the living while honouring the dead,” Prof Luguterah said.
He made the call at a durbar held in honour of Mrs Carol Ammons, Illinois State Representative for the 103rd District of the United States, at the Pikworo Slave Camp in Nania, near Paga.
The event, held on the theme, “Family Reunion: Claiming Our Roots, Restoring Our Bonds,” celebrated Mrs Ammons’ return to her ancestral home after DNA research traced her lineage to the Nania community.
Prof Luguterah said the Pikworo Slave Camp was more than a historical monument, describing it as a living archive that revealed the northern origins of many victims of the transatlantic slave trade.
He explained that scientific DNA evidence linking Mrs Ammons to Paga had reinforced oral traditions and physical evidence indicating that many enslaved Africans began their forced journey from northern Ghana before being marched to the slave forts along the coast.
Prof Luguterah emphasised that the reunion between Mrs Ammons and her ancestral family demonstrated how history, science and identity could work together to heal the wounds inflicted by the transatlantic slave trade.
“Today, the world is witnessing a powerful correction of history. Her ancestry is not distant; it is here. Her story is not foreign; it is ours. She is, in every sense, family,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor noted that the return of descendants of enslaved Africans presented an opportunity to reposition Pikworo as an international heritage and educational destination while advancing the global conversation on reparatory justice.
He proposed the establishment of a sister-city relationship between Illinois in the United States and the Paga-Nania community to promote cultural exchange, education, tourism, economic cooperation and enduring friendship.
Prof Luguterah said UTAS was strategically positioned to anchor the initiative through heritage research, diaspora education programmes, innovation partnerships, tourism development and policy research on reparations.
He said the university was ready to provide the intellectual foundation for stronger collaboration between Ghana and the African diaspora.
“In this way, Paga provides the history, UTAS provides the future, and together they provide a foundation for a partnership that honours the past while shaping a brighter tomorrow,” he said.
The Vice Chancellor further noted that transforming the slave camp into a global heritage destination would create employment opportunities for young people as tour guides, researchers, artisans and cultural ambassadors while promoting the cultural heritage of the region.
He said the initiative would deepen Ghana’s Year of Return and Beyond the Return programmes by strengthening ties between Ghana and the African diaspora and attracting investment in education, agriculture, health, technology and heritage tourism.
Mr Stephen Aeke Akurugo, District Chief Executive for the Kassena Nankana West District, described the Pikworo Slave Camp as more than a historical monument, saying it had become “a place of remembrance, education, healing and international friendship.”
He said preserving and developing the site would strengthen heritage tourism while creating opportunities for cultural exchange, investment, education and sustainable development that would benefit both local communities and descendants of Africans in the diaspora.
The DCE reaffirmed the Assembly’s commitment to protecting the district’s cultural heritage and encouraged members of the African diaspora to reconnect with their ancestral communities not only to rediscover their roots but also to become partners in local development.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Audrey Dekalu
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
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