'Craft Ghana As Hub of Pan Africanism'

By Cliff Ekuful

The Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Thomas Kwesi Quartey, has called for a concerted effort at crafting Ghana as the hub of Pan Africanism.

According to him, the role of Ghana and Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah in championing the African Personality, which had been battered, mutilated and decapitated as a result of the Triangular Slave Trade cannot be overemphasised.

"Apart from our traditional heritage and beautiful spirit of welcoming people, we possess the links with our brothers in the Diaspora and we must create the environment where every black person will find to at least visit Ghana once in his or her life," he emphasised.

Mr Quartey made the call when he delivered the 7th Pan African Writers Association (PAWA) annual lectures in Accra last Friday.

This year's lecture was on the topic: "From the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to the African Union: Quo Vadis?" and was attended by a cross section of the public including; Academics, Writers, Journalists and Poets.

Mr Quartey noted that even though the concept of Pan Africanism was birthed by the late Macus Garvey in the Caribbean, the role of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was what catapulted it into a world phenomenon that reawakened the consciousness of the black race.

He said the bonds that unite Ghana and the people of the diaspora in terms of historical past, culture, common experiences and common aspirations were more than what divided them.

Mr Quartey stated that even though Ghana's economy continued to improve steadily, it was important that Ghanaians embraced their uniqueness as a people to improve their activities with the comity of nations.

"The Gold Coast was more or less the emporium of the slave trade and the evidence of that are the castles and forts that we find along our coast. This is unique in the sense that it cannot be copied by anybody. The dungeons are already there but the dungeons form the beginning of globalisation," he added.

According to him, the roots of globalisation were in the foundations of the Cape Coast, Elmina and all other castles, stressing that "because slaves are caught, kept there and exported somewhere and it was these slaves that was used in building the global economy as we see it today."

The commissioner noted that the topic on Slave trade was as relevant as the abolishment of the practice for it remained the most sorrowful and sordid history of mankind.

Recounting the history of slave trade, he said an attempt had been made to make the world believe that the trade was carried out with the tacit approval of Africans themselves.

However, facts available prove that Africans resisted the trade and in some cases people had to lose their lives due to the fire power carried by the European perpetrators of the trade.

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