Cape Coast, July 26, 2025 \u2014 Ghana\u2019s Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, officially opened the 2025 PANAFEST and Emancipation Day celebrations at Jubilee Park in Cape Coast on Saturday 26th July, 2025, calling on parents to involve their children in the event to help them understand the past and carry the legacy forward.
\nAddressing a vibrant crowd, the Vice President emphasized the importance of generational storytelling in preserving African history and identity. \u201cLet us ensure our children are part of this celebration\u2014not just as observers, but as keepers of our shared stories,\u201d she said. She also acknowledged the support of traditional leaders and pledged her continued commitment to PANAFEST, describing it as a cause deeply close to her heart.<\/p>\n
Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, in her opening remark urged Africans to liberate themselves from lingering legacies of colonial exploitation and psychological inferiority rooted in the transatlantic slave trade.
\n\u201cThis is not just a celebration; it is a call for reparative justice and a reawakening of African consciousness,\u201d she stated. She highlighted the enduring economic and social impact of slavery and colonialism on Africa\u2019s development and called for a unified rejection of dependency systems.
\nThe Minister also reiterated the government’s support for the Black Star Experience, describing it as a cornerstone of Ghana\u2019s cultural tourism strategy. \u201cWe envision Ghana not only as the gateway to the continent but also as the spiritual homeland of all people of African descent,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The celebrations drew participation from the Oguaa Traditional Council, the Central Regional House of Chiefs, and various members of the African diaspora, underscoring a collective commitment to honoring ancestral resilience and shaping a future built on dignity, justice, and cultural pride.
\nCentral Regional Minister Hon. Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah encouraged attendees to move beyond grief and embrace the opportunities that lie ahead. \u201cLet us draw lessons from our painful history and make our ancestors proud by building a stronger, more united future,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The event featured drumming, traditional dances, and vibrant performances, with speeches from diaspora group representatives, UNESCO officials, diplomats, and Osabarimba Kwesi Atta II, the Omanhene of Oguaa, all contributing to the event\u2019s solemn yet celebratory tone.
\nPANAFEST, established to celebrate the strengths and resilience of African peoples, continues to serve as a beacon for healing, remembrance, and unity across the African continent and its diaspora.
\nSource: Delassie Mabel Awuku-Public Relations Unit -MoTCCA<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Cape Coast, July 26, 2025 \u2014 Ghana\u2019s Vice President, Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, officially opened the 2025 PANAFEST and Emancipation Day celebrations at Jubilee Park in Cape Coast on Saturday 26th July, 2025, calling on parents to involve their children in the event to help them understand the past and carry the legacy forward. Addressing…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6414,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6415","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-updates","category-1","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6415","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6415"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6415\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6416,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6415\/revisions\/6416"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6414"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6415"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6415"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.motcca.gov.gh\/motcca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6415"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}