The Director of Diaspora Affairs at the Office of the President, Akwasi Awua-Ababio, has announced that Ghana will not be returning the Asante artifacts recently brought from a UK museum.
These items, including a gold-decorated ceremonial cap, were taken by the British 150 years ago and are now held in Ghana.
Despite initial claims that the artifacts were a loan, Awua-Ababio revealed that they are expected to remain in Ghana indefinitely.
He criticized the British for using their own laws to justify the prolonged retention of these items, which were originally acquired under questionable circumstances.
“We all know it is rightfully ours, and therefore I can safely assume that it is never going back again. It belongs to us as Ghanaians, we created those artefacts, nobody can take them away from us.”
He shared these insights during an exclusive interview with Kasapa News’ Akokoraba Nyarko at a high-level forum on global reparations and racial healing, organized by Justice and Repair (J&R) of the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) in Accra.
Akwasi Awua-Ababio emphasized that the government views the diaspora as a vital asset and aims to leverage their potential through this policy to drive national development.
Justice and Repair is a key initiative of the Africa Transitional Justice Legacy Fund (ATJLF) dedicated to advancing racial justice. This program focuses on advocating for global action against both contemporary and historical injustices affecting Africa and the Global African Diaspora. J & R functions as an intermediary grant maker, convenor, narrative builder, and a repository for research related to racial and reparatory justice and healing.
The mission of Justice and Repair is to bridge the gap between Africans and the Global African Diaspora, fostering unified advocacy for racial and reparatory justice. As an intermediary funder, J & R facilitates connections through grant-making, advocacy, convenings, and storytelling. The initiative aims to dismantle the barriers and structures of inequality that marginalize Africans and the Global African Diaspora.
Recently, J & R hosted a high-level consultation on global reparations and racial healing, organized by the African-America Institute from the USA. This forum included key stakeholders such as Maya Sahil-Fadel, Head of the Diaspora Division at the AU Commission, and Dr. Ahmed Zanya Bugre, Senior Coordinator for Reparatory Justice.
J & R also organizes events and programs that unite experts and practitioners to promote reparations. Notably, in 2022, it hosted the Accra Summit, where the Accra Declaration was adopted.