Emancipation Day marked in Central Region
This year’s Emancipation Day Celebrations has been held in Cape Coast in the Central Region. The Reverential Night Ceremony which came off last week Thursday saw many participants from Africa and the Diaspora join the chiefs and people from the Central and Western Regions in the Cape Coast Castle dungeons pay tribute to great ancestors who were shipped as captives to work on plantations in the Americas.
Advertisement
Under the theme, “Our Heritage, Our Strength, Reuniting the African Family for Development”, this year’s celebration saw wreaths being laid and candles lit in memory of the ancestors.
The Paramount Chief of Cape Coast, Osabarima Kwesi Atta, had earlier in a symbolic ceremony welcomed a candle lit procession of people, led by Rabbi Kohain to the cape Coast Castle.
The Central Regional Minister, Mr Aquainas Tawiah Quansah, in an address, said the slave trade was dehumanising enough but should not be an excuse for underdevelopment.
Rather, he said, the Emancipation Day celebrations should serve as a platform for all of African descent to re-strategise the emergence of the new African.
Dr Umar Johnson, who spoke on behalf of people from the Diaspora stated that Africans must not allow themselves to be divided by superficial differences but join hands to build a better Africa.
There were performances from some students ofthe University of Cape Coast, Young Gifted Black from the United States of America, Oiada Musical Group and the Pan African Youth Club.
On Friday, a colourful durbar was held at Assin Manso to climax the Emancipation Day activities. It brought together chiefs in colourful regalia, Africans in the Diaspora, domestic and foreign tourists, schoolchildren, among others.
Other Trending Stories
Also present was the President of the Central House of Chiefs, Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi. Many traditional dance ensembles also spiced the occasion with performances.
The Minister of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Mrs Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, said though the African continent suffered greatly from the slave trade, it was necessary that the continent and its people use the memories to create useful lessons that would help accelerate the development of Africa.
She noted that the constant inter-tribal wars that created fertile grounds for the slave trade to flourish must help Africa and all of African descent to resolve to live in unity irrespective of their religious and political differences.
Mrs Ofosu-Adjare said the ministry would stimulate the necessary investment in community tourism projects such as the Assin Manso Nnoko Nsou (Slave River) and also use the Explore Ghana Project launch to increase patronage of these sites.
The President of the Assin Apimanim Traditional Area, Barima Kwame Nkyi X, called for efforts to sustain interest in the celebration while working to build a united African family.