The Coalition of GaDangme Pressure Group and the GaDangme Tahulɔi Kpee have appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to call some of his appointees to order over the controversy surrounding the inscription “Oobakɛ” at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
In a statement signed by Jonathan Armah, the groups said the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto, had issued a rejoinder that was dismissive of genuine cultural concerns.
They described her response as provocative, divisive, and insulting to the intelligence of the Ghanaian people.
The coalition insisted that the GTA could not shirk responsibility for developments at the park, since it had direct oversight.
They argued that ignoring the GaDangme culture on Ga land amounted to marginalisation and would not be tolerated.
The groups warned that if the president failed to act, they would resist strongly against what they described as an attempt to erase GaDangme identity under the guise of rebranding.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has denied allegations circulating on social media that it ordered the replacement of the culturally significant greetings “Akwaaba” (Akan) and “Woezor” (Ewe) with “Oobakɛ” (Ga) on signage at the newly refurbished Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
The Authority issued an official statement in response to a viral Instagram post and public backlash, clarifying that it did not approve or instruct any such change to the inscriptions on the Park’s signage.
“At no point has the Ghana Tourism Authority ordered or approved the replacement of the culturally significant greetings
“Woezor” (in Ewe) and “Akwaba” (in Akan) with “Oobake”. These inscriptions remain preserved and respected as part of Ghana’s diverse cultural heritage”, GTA stated.
