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Institute holiday to celebrate ancestors — Traditionalists urge gov’t
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A legal storm is brewing over Ghana’s cultural identity.
Nana Obiri Boahen, a prominent legal practitioner, has vowed to sue the state if a national holiday is not instituted to celebrate the ancestors of the respective traditions in the country.
He insists that the omission is discriminatory, since Christians and Muslims enjoy public holidays while traditional worshippers are denied equal recognition.
“If Parliament will not take the matter up, I will be tempted to go to court,” he declared, stressing that the constitution itself upholds Ghana’s traditions and culture.
Nana Boahen made the call at a spirited programme organised by the National Association of Traditionalists and Ancestral Venerators (NATAV).
He lamented that repeated petitions for a national day have gone unanswered, though he expressed hope that the demand will eventually be met.
The programme was on the theme: “Reclaiming Our Ancestral Foundations through a Public Day: Our Heroes, Identity, Unity and the Future of Ghana.”
Painting a vivid contrast between Ghana’s neglect of its own traditions and the reverence shown abroad, Nana Obiri Boahen cited examples of Ghanaians travelling to Jerusalem to pray at a wall while ignoring pilgrimages to Pusigah, the seat of Naa Gbewa.
He also highlighted what he described as the erasure of cultural memory—students in Ahanta unaware of Badu Bonsu, who was beheaded by the Dutch and whose skull was returned in 2009; names like Obuor being discarded for ‘Peter’ at baptism; and the foundational role of Komfo Anokye in the rise of Asanteman.
He insisted that ancestral worship is not merely ritual but a reclamation of identity and dignity long eroded by colonial influence.
“Black people have become victims of atrocities and centuries of systemic brainwashing, but now we have realised the narratives were wrong,” Nana Yaw WI said, explaining that such gatherings are meant to awaken consciousness.
Shekhem Enen Tehuti Men Ab Bonsu, leader of the Ghana branch of the Ausar Auset Society, urged Africans to study traditional religion, insisting that “the power of the black man lies in the religion,” and stressed the importance of honouring the ancestors.
He argued that European systems discouraged such practices precisely because of their potency.
Baffour Asabere Kogyawoasu Ababio III, High Priest at Manhyia Palace and Patron of NATAV, echoed the call, urging Ghanaians to honour those who laid the foundations of civilisation.
Some of the advocates noted that the matter is not just cultural but constitutional, and that the threat of legal action by Nana Obiri Boahen could inject urgency into a debate that blends law, tradition, and identity.
They observed that if Parliament continues to delay, the courts may soon be asked to decide whether ancestral worship deserves its own day on Ghana’s national calendar.
FROM KINGSLEY E. HOPE, KUMASI
The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has taken note of public allegations of extortion and related conduct made against the Minority Leader of Parliament, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.
The allegations were made by the Chief Executive of the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod), Sammy Gyamfi.
In a brief statement, the OSP said it has also received a joint petition submitted by two persons, as well as two separate petitions from other persons, in relation to the same allegations.
“Given the nature of the allegations, the OSP will assess the case and determine whether it falls within its statutory mandate and whether further investigative action is warranted,” the statement said.
The development comes amid a heated public feud between the Minority in Parliament and the leadership of GoldBod over the operations of the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
The Minority, led by Afenyo-Markin, has accused GoldBod and the Bank of Ghana of causing a loss of over $1.7 billion, citing the International Monetary Fund’s August 2026 report. The Minority has vowed to pursue the matter as Parliament has reconvened for an emergency sitting.
GoldBod, on the other hand, has rejected claims by some NPP MPs, including Tano South MP Dr Gideon Boako, that it owes the Bank of Ghana GH¢1 billion in overdrafts, describing the claim as “false and malicious.”
In the latest twist, GoldBod CEO Sammy Gyamfi has accused the Minority Leader of extortion and related conduct, an allegation that has triggered petitions to the OSP.
The OSP is mandated under Act 959 to investigate and prosecute specific cases of alleged or suspected corruption and corruption-related offences involving public officers and politically exposed persons.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
