The 2025 Emancipation Celebration has been held at Assin Praso to commemorate millions of Africans brought from the hinterlands and transited through the Prah River before being sent to forts and castles in the Coastal communities for onward shipment abroad.
The day’s event began with a visit to the banks of the Prah River where slaves from the three northern and Ashanti regions were transported through the Prah River. A libation, a form of traditional prayer, was poured on behalf of the souls of hundreds of African ancestors who died before being shipped abroad. According to history, the dead slaves were buried in mass graves.
To pay homage to the deceased, wreaths were laid by government representatives, traditional rulers, Africans from the Diaspora, and the youth. Those present also paid a visit to various interesting places, including the Slave Gardens to see the ruins of a collapsed fort built in the area.
Nana Dr. Awudu Nseku and Odeefo Tsibu Darko Ampem II, the paramount chiefs of the host community and the Assin Atadansu Traditional area, respectively called on Africans never again to welcome any forms of slavery into the continent. They used the occasion to plead with the African descendants and the government to invest in the community to boost economic and physical development.
The Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Ekow Sampson, after giving the essence of this year’s Emancipation Celebration themed, “Unity and Resilience, Building Stronger Communities for Brighter Future”, called on Africans and Ghanaians, in particular, to emancipate themselves from physical and mental slavery.
The Central Regional Minister, Mrs. Marigold Assan, in a message read by the three Municipal and District Chief Executives, pledged the government’s commitment to the promotion of the tourism potential of the area.
