Adukromhene and Okerehene who doubles as Akuapem Nifahene Ahunuabobrim Osuodumgya Otutu Ababio V has urged diasporans to help build the future of okere through development and unity.

Speaking at the Okere/Akuapem Nifaman nationals living in the United Kingdom at London Landmark Hotel, he called on Adukrom Tufuhene Nana Ayisi Koranteng and okere nationals in diaspora to help him develop Okere,Adukrom and Akuapem as a whole.

According to him this year marks ten (10) years of his Kingdom as Adukromhene,he has since initiated several developmental projects which includes building unity amongst the chiefs and people of Okere as unity is a key drive towards attaining developmental goals of the area.

Through his initiatives of cultural preservation he has supported the state book programme where there is documentation of the history and traditions of each okere principal towns.

As part of his infrastructure and development, he has renovated the Adukrom market,constructed an ultramodern toilet facility at the market, renovated the Nifa Basic school and massive renovation of Nifa senior high school through some diasporans.

Finally he has he initiated the Osuodumgya educational fund where he support needy and vulnerable but brilliant students in the okere District.

He has therefore encouraged the Diasporans to have investment partnership with the traditional authority on local businesses such as tourism and agribusiness which is the economic drive of the local economy of Okere.

He used the opportunity to call for all to support the traditional authority of the celebration of the 10th anniversary of Ahunabobrim Osudumgya Otutu Ababio V ( Adukromhene & Okerehene / Akuapem Nirahene ) and the 200th anniversary of the Akuapem Odwira festival of the Katamanso War. This Historic milestones, marked by vibrant cultural, traditional and community activities, requires diaspora unity, participation and financial support to ensure a memorable event.

Filed by Odiyifo Yaw Charles.

President John Dramani Mahama has called on Africans and the global community to recognize the resilience, creativity, and achievements of African peoples, emphasizing that their inherent greatness endures despite centuries of oppression and injustice.

Speaking at a high-level event on reparative justice at UN Headquarters, President Mahama declared, “The greatness that is within us will always outweigh the injustices that have been vested against us. Despite what we’ve endured for centuries, our survival is a testament to that fact.”

The President highlighted the historical and cultural achievements of Africa, challenging narratives that have sought to diminish the continent’s contributions. “Our ancestors built magnificent cities, sophisticated drainage systems, and monumental structures,” he said, citing the cities of Benin and Great Zimbabwe. “These feats demonstrate ingenuity, organization, and civilization that contradict the myths used to justify enslavement and colonization.”

Mahama also stressed the importance of reclaiming African humanity and history: “We must always start by reclaiming racial equality, the dignity of Africans, and the humanity of our ancestors who were enslaved. In doing so, we also reclaim our own humanity.”

Reflecting on the legacies of slavery and oppression, the President noted, “Truth begins with language. When we absorb too much of the language of violence and erasure, our minds can become enslaved. But by speaking the truth about our history, we liberate ourselves and future generations.”

He concluded with a message of hope and collective responsibility: “A human compassion binds us to one another, not in pity, but as human beings who have learned to turn our common suffering into hope for the future. Let us stand united to acknowledge the full horrors of history, restore dignity, and celebrate the greatness within us all.”

President John Dramani Mahama has described the transatlantic slave trade as a deliberate system designed to strip African people of their humanity, calling for global recognition of its crimes and the restoration of dignity to the millions affected.

Speaking at a high-level event on reparative justice at the UN Headquarters, President Mahama said, “The entire transatlantic slave trade was designed to deny African people their humanity. That denial was premised on a racial hierarchy with no basis in fact or science, deeming whiteness superior and blackness inferior.”

He stressed that the atrocities committed were rooted in the perception of Africans as property rather than human beings. “The atrocities that were committed against enslaved Africans, and the injustices that were born of slavery and carried forward into successive social frameworks, took place specifically because those persons were considered objects, not human beings,” Mahama said.

The President recounted the brutal realities of enslavement: “When slaves were captured, they were stripped of their clothing, chained, and packed into cargo ships. Many did not survive the Middle Passage. Those who did were stripped of their names and given names like John, Jemima, or Mary, while others were branded with their owner’s insignia.”

Highlighting the global scale of the trade, Mahama added, “Roughly six million Africans were trafficked to Brazil, almost two million to Jamaica, half a million to America, and over 450,000 to Barbados. These are not just numbers—they are human beings, families, hopes, dreams, and futures stolen from them.”

President Mahama also warned against the modern-day erasure of slavery’s history. “Erasure begins with language. When black history courses are removed from curricula and books about slavery and segregation are banned, we are allowing this denial to continue,” he said.

He concluded with a call for collective action: “Reclaiming racial equality, the dignity of Africans, and the humanity of our ancestors is a matter of our own humanity. Let us bear witness, vote for truth, and restore the dignity of those whose lives were stolen.”