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Real reparations requires structural transformation, not gestures – Mahama
President John Dramani Mahama says the UN resolution affirming the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity must lead to structural transformation of the global system.
“We thank every nation that voted for justice, and I am deeply grateful to our brothers and sisters in the African Union, CARICOM, CELAC, and our partners across the Global South,” President Mahama said at the 81st UN General Assembly in New York today.
“That resolution was not a mere gesture. It was adopted because the structural legacies of those historic crimes continue to fuel systemic racism, economic marginalisation, and a global financial architecture weighted against Africa and people of African descent,” he stated.
He welcomed positive overtures since the passage of the resolution, noting that the Netherlands, Germany and France have made moves to join the conversation on reparatory justice and restitution.
“But real repair demands structural transformation. It requires dismantling the persistent engines of exploitation: unfair global trade regimes, predatory resource extraction, discriminatory credit ratings, unsustainable debt burdens, and the continued export of raw materials from Africa while real value addition and job creation occur elsewhere,” he said.
On global governance, President Mahama said the injustices of the past remain embedded in today’s power structures.
“Africa is home to 1.5 billion people, over 18 per cent of humanity, and constitutes the largest regional voting bloc in this General Assembly. Yet, Africa remains without a single permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. This is fundamentally unacceptable in the 21st century,” he said.
“Africa must be granted permanent representation on the UN Security Council, complete with all the rights, responsibilities, and veto powers of such membership. We cannot credibly champion the sovereign equality of nations while preserving a global governance structure designed for the post-war geopolitical realities.
Security Council reform is not a favour to Africa; it is an imperative for the legitimacy, credibility, and survival of the United Nations.”
President Mahama said the same systemic inequality permeates the international financial architecture, with developing nations borrowing at interest rates up to eight times higher than industrialised nations.
“African and Caribbean nations struck by climate disasters are forced to take on crippling debt to rebuild from floods and droughts they did not cause. Governments are forced into a tragic choice: to service predatory debt or serve their people. We demand reform. We need long-term, affordable, and accessible concessionary financing that enables developing economies to invest in human capital, industrialisation, and climate adaptation,” he said.
“Africa does not seek charity. Africa seeks equal partnership anchored in mutual respect. Our continent possesses the world’s youngest population, vast arable land, unparalleled cultural vitality, and the critical minerals required to drive the global green energy transition.
But Africa will not remain a passive arena for a new scramble for resources. Critical mineral extraction must not replicate colonial-era exploitation. We will process our minerals at home, build local industries, create dignified jobs for our youth, and retain the value of our natural resources.”
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
News
GES directs Ashanti Regional, Obuasi Municipal Education Directors to step aside over Obuasi SHTS scandal
The Management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed the Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Dr. William Amankrah Appiah, and the Obuasi Municipal Director of Education, Mr. Kwamena Owusu-Nketiah, to step aside with immediate effect.
The directive forms part of ongoing investigations into allegations of sexual misconduct involving the headmaster of Obuasi Senior High Technical School (SHTS), Mr. Zakaria Abdulai.
According to GES, the decision is intended to ensure that the investigations proceed without potential interference, nor the perception of it.
The two directors are to hand over their offices and all state property in their possession to the Deputy Ashanti Regional Director of Education, Mr. Thomas Kwame Boateng.
Management added that the headmaster, Mr. Zakaria Abdulai, also remains interdicted and therefore urged the public to ignore any news circulating that he has been cleared.
Management is calling for calm, support and cooperation as thorough investigations into the matter continue.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has joined the family of the late Professor Jason Atta Kwei Arday, the Ghanaian community in the UK, and other dignitaries for a memorial service in Southwark, UK.
In a post, Mr. Ablakwa described the service as deeply moving and unforgettable, held in honour of the late professor’s memory.
According to him, in keeping with the government’s pledge, he joined the family, Ghana’s High Commissioner to London, British MPs, Ministers, the Mayor of London, Cambridge scholars, Prof. Arday’s students and loved ones to pay respects and honour his inspiring legacy.
Mr. Ablakwa noted that Prof. Arday’s accomplishments as the youngest Black professor appointed at the University of Cambridge and his widely appreciated charitable contributions will continue to inspire generations.
“The Government and People of Ghana will continue to stand by our compatriots everywhere they are in the world. As we do so, we profess our commitment to justice, equality and the creation of a new world,” he said.
He prayed for fortitude for the family in what he described as an extraordinarily difficult time.
“We shall always remember Prof. Arday for his response when asked what he will wish to do to change the world: ‘I would take a thread and a needle, and I’d interweave love into our society’,” Mr. Ablakwa added.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
