Tema indigenes visit ancestral home
After 58 years of residing in their present location at Tema Manhean, indigenes of Tema have at long last undertaken a maiden walk to their ancestral home.
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Led by the chiefs and elders and accompanied by traditional drumming, singing and dancing, the indigenes walked a distance of about two kilometres to a place now called the Meridian Enclave, where the people were known to have originated from. Once at the Meridian Enclave, libation was poured and traditional prayers offered to pacify ancestors and ask for good fortune in the years ahead.
Historical background
According to history, Tema was a village that nestled around a baobab tree where the now defunct Meridian Hotel is sited.
Records indicate that in the early 1950s, the then Gold Coast Government took a decision to build a new seaport in what is today the modern city of Tema, to ease the heavy seaport activities at the Takoradi Harbour, which was constructed in 1928.
Under those circumstances, the land on which the indigenes of Tema lived at the time was taken over by the government for the harbour project.
History indicates that the people of Tema fought back with the intent of retaining their land but eventually had to give in to settle at present-day Tema Manhean.
Significance
The Paramount Chief of Tema, Nii Adjei Krakue, said the walk was meant to excite feelings and passion over the relationship between the people and their ancestors. He dispelled the misconception held by many that Tema was founded by Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Nii Adjei Krakue noted that Tema existed about 400 years before the construction of the harbour, industries and the estate housing projects.
He advised the residents to unite and contribute their quota to making Tema a better place to live in.
Vision by Dr Nkrumah
In February 1962, at the opening ceremony of the Tema Harbour, the President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, expressed gratitude to all who had contributed to the success of the seaport project and said Tema was the signpost of the future of Ghana and that it represented the purposeful beginning of the industrialisation of the country.
That vision led to the takeover of about 63 square miles of land area from the traditional authorities of Tema, Kpone and Nungua.
Nii Shipi Armah, a member of the Tema Traditional Council, said the homecoming programme would be observed annually as a prelude to celebrating Homowo in the area.Indigenes of Tema from all over the country and elsewhere joined in the walk to the ancestral home.
The Member of Parliament for Tema East, Nii Kwatei Titus Glover, an indigene of Tema, was among the dignitaries who joined in the walk.