“Many in the diaspora viewed the initiative not merely as a tourist venture but as a respite from the pain of not knowing their ancestral origins.”
A landmark achievement of the Nana Akufo-Addo administration as far as Africans in the diaspora are concerned is the Homecoming policy initiated in 2019, says Osabarima Kwaku Adu.
According to Osabarima Adu, who is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Holland-based Black Restoration Foundation, the initiative saw many people of African descent flocking to Africa.
Speaking on a radio program, he explained that many in the diaspora viewed the initiative not merely as a tourist venture but as a respite from the pain of not knowing their ancestral origins.
He urged the John Mahama’s National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to continue the policy to enable Africans across the globe who wish to settle in their ancestral home do so in Ghana without tears.
“To help the returnees integrate into Ghanaian society, the government should implement measures that ensure they learn the culture and traditions of their ancestors. This includes understanding naming ceremonies, marriage rites, lifestyles, traditional governance, and more, all within a welcoming environment,” he said.
Osabarima Adu expressed concern over the noticeable lack of cultural norms and behaviours among tourist guides in the country and called for their proper training to effectively engage with the diaspora.
“Some of these guides instead of wooing the people to Africa, rather send them away with their lack of knowledge and misinformation”, he noted.
He added, “Every Ghanaian government – no matter the party in power – must ensure that the Homecoming policy is sustained for the benefit of all Africans; especially, the descendants of the enslavement.”
Historically, the Homecoming fulfils the dreams of Hon Marcus Garvey, Paul Bogle, Sam Sharp, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh Bunny Wailer, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, and the rest of our strong Africans who have Black man redemption in their hearts. The Homecoming is a template for Nananom to connect with the diaspora to repair every damage the black enslavement caused to erase ancestral beliefs and traditions.
The Homecoming serves as a wake-up call to reform African educational systems and reevaluate the economic and political structures established by colonial rulers.
Story: Kwabena Kyekyeku
