A candlelight procession and wreath laying ceremony have been held in reverence of heroes and heroines who perished in the days of slavery. The event happened according to the adage, “A nation that does not honor its heroes is not worth dying for”.
The parade started from the Mfantsipin junction to the forecourt of the Cape Coast Castle. It is a symbolic journey that heroes and the heroines of the continent embarked upon to the Western World in the days of slavery. The candlelight procession and wreath-laying ceremony are held annually, as part of the Emancipation Day Celebration. It is held to sensitive the citizenry about the dangers of slavery and caution them against never and ever to welcome it in any form.
At the dungeons of the Cape Coast castle, libation was offered and wreaths were laid to appreciate the ancestors and the deities in the Castle for protecting Africans across the globe.
A prayer was also said for protection against all sorts of diseases and baleful forces.
There were also music and concert displays mimicking various ordeals that African slaves went through.
The CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Akwasi Agyemang, disclosed that the event, quite apart from abhorring all forms of slavery is also aimed at honoring the late Dr. Efua Sutherland’s contributions to the Pan African Historical Theatre Festival ( PANAFEST).
The chairperson of the International Board of Trustees, Prof. Esi Sutherland-Addy, used the occasion to outline reasons for the origin of the PANAFEST celebration and the need for all to help make the celebration successful.
The Paramount chief of the Oguaa Traditional Area, Osabarima Kwesi Atta, and other dignitaries called on Africans to shun slavery and deeds that do not promote unity on the continent.
The Minister of Tourism, Art, and Culture, Andrew Egyapa Mercer, argued that the slave trade was inhumane and discouraged the people from any acts of mental slavery.
He also pledged the government’s commitment to ensuring the continuous celebration of Emancipation and PANAFEST to promote the rich Ghanaian and African history and cultural identity.
