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Reparation for the Slave Trade?
Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, is reported to have asked those nations that benefitted from the obnoxious Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to pay reparation to the victims.
Nana Addo said this when he took his turn to address the 78th session of the General Assembly in New York recently.
“No amount of money will ever make up for the horrors, but it would make the point that evil was perpetrated, that millions of productive Africans were snatched from the embrace of our continent, and put to work in the Americas and the Caribbean without compensation for their labour,” Nana Addo is quoted as saying.
Avid students of history know that America and some of its European partners advanced and developed on the back of slave labour. We know that in that time human beings, our forebears, became nothing more than commodities in auction markets.
These were Africans in their prime; weavers, fishers, farmers, craftsmen etc. The slave dealers looked out for able-bodied young men and women who could serve as good plantation labourers and studs and wenches to sire their own replacements as they aged in those faraway lands.
As I have written many times, the Church and the Crown took commissions on every slave that was delivered to the Americas. Their complicity in the despicable act cannot be pushed under the carpet. They knew that the black race was the progenitor of all races on earth, yet allowed them to be treated like garbage. It is unconscionable.
At a symposium that I was invited to in New York about a decade ago, the young African-Americans in the auditorium were palpably angry with those of us in Africa. Their reason was that they were sold into slavery by our chiefs and elders and so harboured a disdain for the remainder of us here. Apparently, they were fed this false narrative by their slave masters.
When it was my turn, I agreed that fratricidal and feudal wars among us at that time very likely made it possible to sell off war captives; and our chiefs were the commanders-in-chief of their armies.
I was also quick to say that more than sixty percent of them were abducted by Europeans who can be described as slave raiders. I made them aware that it was more profitable for these raiders or abductors to waylay the people than pay for them.
“You have fifty percent of our story because once you were taken away we did not know anything anymore; and we have the other fifty. Unless we bring these together, others will be in control of the narrative, so holding us in contempt does not help our cause as victims of this organized crime,” I concluded.
During question time, I pointed out that both Africans at home and in the Diaspora should be grateful to Alex Haley whose epic book, Roots, threw the light on our understanding of what might have happened after our forebears left our shores. The story of Gambian, Kunta Kinte, tells our ordeal more succinctly. The Gambia river is called Kambi by the locals.
But whichever way the narrative is, slavery by all standards is a crime against humanity. Up till today, blacks are discriminated against in almost all Caucasian societies. Argentina made it a state policy to not have Argentines of African descent. All blacks in that country after the slave trade was abolished were either exterminated or ‘exported’ from that country.
The call, therefore, for reparation is a good one. Before Akuffo Addo, many African leaders had made a strong case for reparation. To remind the world, Nana Addo stated that money cannot assuage the pain of a continent whose labour enriched the West.Our leaders must be relentless in asking for this reparation.
But first, how will this reparation be quantified? Which countries were most affected by the slave trade? At least, we know which forts and castles served as holding centres for slaves awaiting shipments. My understanding is that the slave ships had detailed manifests of their human cargoes, so getting a near accurate percentage may not be too difficult.
Secondly, what form will this reparation be? Are we asking for money, equitable economic opportunities as in the West or both? Sadly, our African Union cannot agree and speak with one voice, so how do we get started? Already, African leaders are taking different sides in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza conflicts. A typical African example.
Thirdly, who will manage whatever reparations that may be agreed upon is another matter altogether. If it is established that certain countries lost more persons to slavery, will the reparations come to the countries on a pro rata basis? The more slaves taken from you, the more your quantum of reparation.
The complexity of all this is that Africans were illiterate at the time of slavery and have no records of the families that lost their relatives to the human trade. So, do the respective countries become the beneficiary recipients of reparation on behalf of the people? This might be the plausible way out; and that is where I cringe.
I cringe at that possibility because Africans know too well that their present crop of leaders cannot be trusted to use proceeds from reparation to the benefit of the mass of their people; not by a long shot.
My personal recommendation is for the United Nations (UN) to put together a Trustee of Experts to, first, look at the priority needs of the beneficiary countries and, second, to administer the disbursement accordingly. The moment our politicians get their hands into the pie, zilch will be done for the people.
Then we want to think about our compatriots in the Americas and Caribbean. In the United States they are referred to as African-Americans. When I was a student in the sixties they were Afro-Americans. As direct descendants of slaves, will these blacks also be considered in the reparation package? Admittedly, many African-Americans have done well for themselves, some excelling in their various fields of endeavour.
But the majority of them in the U.S. are under the radar of achievement, resorting to crimes of all shades, drug addiction, prostitution and many more vices. How do they benefit from the back-breaking toil of their ancestors? To exclude them will make them angrier than they ever have been.
What the country of Haiti has been reduced to currently is a case in point. Social order has been turned on its head by gangs in murderous abandon. This is the time to press the reparation button harder so that justice is seen to have been served. Whatever the case may be, our forebears must not suffer and die in vain.
Writer’s email address: akofa45@yahoo.com
By Dr. Akofa K Segbefia
Walk into any supermarket in Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale today, and you will see the modern Ghanaian diet packaged as ‘progress.’ You will see breakfast cereals with cartoon mascots, fruit drinks that are mostly sugar and colour, and snacks promising energy and happiness in bright fonts.
Even products loaded with salt and unhealthy fats often wear a health halo labeled as fortified or natural, while the real nutritional risk is hidden in tiny print on the back. This is not just a consumer inconvenience; it is a public health blind spot. Ghana is living through a silent surge of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like hypertension, diabetes, and stroke.
These conditions quietly drain household income and steal productive years. According to the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, NCDs are now responsible for nearly 45 per cent of all deaths in Ghana.
We cannot build a healthy nation on a food environment designed to confuse people at the point of purchase. Ghana must mandate simple front-of-pack warning labels (FOPWL) on high-sugar, high-salt, and high-fat packaged foods because consumers deserve truth at a glance, and industry must be pushed to reformulate.
Why Back-of-Pack Labels Are Not Enough
In theory, consumers can read nutrition panels. In reality, most Ghanaians shop under pressure, limited time, rising prices, and children tugging at their sleeves. The back label is a relic that requires a high cognitive load to interpret—essentially, the seller knows what is inside, but the buyer cannot easily tell.
This ‘information asymmetry’ is not fair. It is not consumer choice when the information needed to choose well is deliberately difficult to find.
Simple warning labels like the black octagons used in the Chilean Model act as a ‘stop-and-think’ nudge. They do not ban products but they simply tell the truth so people can decide.
Reshaping Our Food Environment
A generation ago, Ghana’s meals were mostly home-prepared, like kenkey and banku with soups and stews. Today, ultra-processed foods have become the norm, especially in urban areas. Children are growing up with sugary drinks and salty snacks as everyday items, not occasional treats.
If Ghana is serious about prevention, we must act where decisions are made—thus, the shelf. Warning labels protect parents from sugar traps and pressure the market to improve. When warning labels are mandatory, manufacturers start to compete to make healthier recipes to avoid the stigma of the label.
Addressing the Pushback
Industry will argue that labels create fear or that education alone is enough. However, health education is slow; labels work immediately. While the informal street food sector is a challenge, regulating pre-packaged goods is the practical starting point because the supply chain is traceable. We cannot wait until the whole system is perfect; we must start where action is feasible.
A 2026 Implementation Roadmap for Ghana
To move from talk to action, Ghana needs this 5-step plan:
- Issue mandatory regulation: The Ministry of Health, Food and Drug Authority (FDA), and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) must define the label format and nutrient thresholds for all pre-packaged foods.
- Simple, bold symbols: Use plain language and clear symbols, such as “HIGH IN SUGAR,” designed for busy families, not experts.
- Transparent thresholds: Adopt technically defensible standards adapted to the Ghanaian diet.
- Transition and enforce: Provide a 12–18 month period for manufacturers to reformulate, followed by firm enforcement at ports and retail centers.
- National literacy campaign: The Ghana Health Service must pair labels with public messages explaining why high salt or sugar increases disease risk.
Conclusion: Truth Is Not a Luxury
Prevention is cheaper than treatment. A warning label costs little compared to the price of dialysis, stroke rehabilitation, or lifelong diabetes complications. A black octagon on a box of biscuits is more than a label; it is a shield for the health of all Ghanaians. It is time to put the truth where we can see it, right on the front.
By Abigail Amoah Sarfo
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Natives of the Kenkey Kingdom were mad with joy. They were still recovering from the hangover of the kingdom’s loss of the African Cup when their spirits were rekindled. Their great warrior, Zoom Zoom, stormed Melbourne and made sure that every Australian refused food. And that was after he had drawn contour lines on the face of their idol, Jeff Fenech.
Not only did the terrible warrior transform Old Boy Jeff’s face into a contour map useful for geography lessons, but he also accomplished the feat of retaining the much-envied super-kenkeyweight title against all odds. The warrior had not been eating hot kenkey for nothing.
The Fight Against Fenech
When Jeff Fenech bit the dust in the eighth round, I was tempted to consider if Adanko Deka could not have faced him in any twelve-rounder, title or non-title bout. Adanko has improved tremendously, and soon he would be facing Pernell Whitaker.
Sincerely, I was pessimistic about Azumah’s man, who the last time took him through twelve grueling rounds of rough boxing. I expressed my fears to my colleague Christian Abbew, alias Gbonyo, who surprisingly had total confidence that the Australian brawler would fall, predictably in Round Five.
Gbonyo gave reasons for his contention, all of which I counteracted using the age factor. Fact is, I didn’t know that contrary to the laws of nature, Azumah was all the time growing younger.
When Fenech fell briefly in round one, I asked my brother whether it was the same Fenech that fought Azumah in Las Vegas. Sure, it was the same Fenech, all out to beat Azumah before his countrymen.
But the African Professor had no intention of making the Australian a hero. As he spun round the desperate Aussie, dancing and stinging out his jabs, it was not too long before I realized that the end was near.
The Eighth Round Showdown
Two minutes into the eighth round, the African ring-master proved to the whole world that he was a true son of Bukom. He himself was cornered, but like the tough nut he is, he managed to break free before overwhelming the panting Australian with several blows that made him crash headlong.
Moments after, the referee, expressing fatherly sympathy, stopped the fight to prevent an obituary. After the ordeal, Fenech’s fairly handsome face was full of newly constructed hills, valleys, ox-bow lakes—whatever. I noticed that his nose was very tired and had a miniature volcano sitting restlessly on it. Obviously, Jeff’s wife will have to nurse that nose back to its normal shape—but I’d advise her not to use iodine, otherwise her dear husband will wail like a banshee.
Reflections on Boxing
Because Mohammed Ali was the kind of boxer kids liked, many school-going kids often entertained the wish of becoming like him. I remember one day when I told my father I wanted to become a boxer, and he advised me to first complete my education to the highest level. Then, if I decided to become a boxer and was knocked out a couple of times, I’d fall back on my degrees and make a living.
Boxing used to be interesting when bouts were fought more with the mouth and tongue than with gloves. You had to brag well, psychologically belittling your opponent before beating him up physically. Mohammed Ali became a very successful pugilist because he also managed to become a poet. He often blew his horn across America, calling himself the “pretty boxer” and opponents like Joe Frazier “the gorilla.”
Ali made a living fighting hard fists like Joe Frazier, Ken Norton, Jerry Quarry, George Foreman, Leon Spinks, and Trevor Berbick. Twice he came back from retirement to fight just for money. It was Larry Holmes who finally pensioned him, and since then the great Ali has never been himself.
The Path Ahead for Azumah
When Azumah nailed Jeff Fenech on the cross and barked almost immediately that he was after the head of Pernell Whitaker, I was happy but concerned. I would have been happier if he had announced his resignation there and then—he would have been more of a hero. Beating Fenech in Australia is more newsworthy than facing Whitaker in the States.
With Whitaker, it might be a little difficult. The “Sweet Pea” is agile, has a crooked body like a snake with diarrhea, and stands awkwardly as a southpaw. He is known for having the fastest pair of fists and the rare ability to dodge punches no matter how close they may be.
Much as I do not doubt that Azumah can take his title, I also don’t want him to retire beaten. I want him to retire as a hero and live a fuller, healthy life.
As Azumah himself said after dishing Fenech, he is now a professor and has something to show for it. Like a true professor, I think it is time he resigned and took up training young talents who could draw inspiration from him and become like him in the future.
Closing Thoughts
I must say that although ageing boxers like Larry Holmes and George Foreman are making a name for themselves, boxing is not like the Civil Service, where you can even change your age and retire at 74. Zoom Zoom has delighted the hearts of the natives, and Sikaman will forever hold him in high esteem—but only when he retires as a hero.
This article was first published on Saturday, March 7, 1992.
