PANAFEST & Emancipation 2025: GTA observes day two in Northern Region with calls for heritage preservation

The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has called on stakeholders, including traditional authorities, academic institutions, community leaders, and the diaspora, to partner with it in preserving resistance heritage sites and promoting historical significance.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Operations at Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) Ekow Sampson, delivering a speech on behalf of the CEO of Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA), Maame Efua Houadjeto on Friday, July 18, 2025, at a public lecture to commemorate Day two of PANAFEST and Emancipation 2025, held at Tamale Secondary School, emphasized the need for collective effort in investing in research, site preservation, education, and storytelling, to preserve the historical sites in the Northern Region.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, may we use this occasion to call on all stakeholders, traditional authorities, academic institutions, community leaders, and the diaspora to partner with us in this journey. Let us invest in research, site preservation, education, and storytelling Let us preserve not just monuments, but memory so that future generations understand where we come from and how far we have risen,” he declared.

The Deputy CEO in charge of Operations further rallied all stakeholders in a clarion call when he said “Let us also remember that the theme of resistance is not just historical. It speaks to our present struggles for justice, equity, and reparations. The Ghana Tourism Authority stands with the global call for reparative justice, for truth-telling, healing, and the righting of historical wrongs”

Mr. Ekow Sampson also highlighted the relevance of the theme of resistance to contemporary struggles for justice, equity, and reparations, affirming the Ghana Tourism Authority’s support for global calls for reparative justice.

“We are because they resisted,” the Deputy CEO echoed, urging the preservation of the legacy of Northern Ghana’s resistance as a living flame that can fan unity, pride, and progress.

“Distinguished and esteemed students, in closing, may I echo the words of our ancestors “We are because they resisted.” The legacy of Northern Ghana’s resistance is a living flame.
May PANAFEST 2025 fan that flame into a fire of unity, pride, and progress” he concluded

As part of its commitment to heritage tourism, Ekow Sampson noted that Ghana Tourism Authority is working to document and develop resistance heritage sites, such as the Salaga Slave Market and Pikworo Slave Camp. These initiatives he explained are aimed at boosting local tourism and ensuring that the stories of resistance are told with pride.

Guest lecturer Professor Felix Longi, Associate Professor of History, Department of History, Faculty of Social Science at University of Development Studies, Nyankpala backed the call for reparative justice, urging countries that have been affected by the Trans-Atlantic slave trade to maintained the momentum until those who “perpetrated the crime of enslaving our forefathers, pay for their crimes”

Although he fell short of calling for monetary payment to the affected countries, Professor Felix Longi suggested sincere apology would suffice.

“It’s time for the momentum to be maintained so that those who perpetrated the crime of enslaving our forefathers, pay for their crime. It may not be money but there must be a sincere apology from them,”

“It will restore dignity to those who have been affected, and also bring peace” he added.

Professor Felix Longi also believed that another way that the ‘slave masters’ could pay reparation is “Spreading development projects across the African countries that have been affected by the slave trade. The countries can be identified and gradually, all of them can be satisfied with projects”

The public lecture, part of PANAFEST 2025, is aimed to promote historical awareness, cultural heritage, and unity among Ghanaian students and people of African descent, with the theme: Narratives of Resistance to Slavery in Northern Ghana.