Bono Manso (B/A), July 28, GNA - Mr James Kwabena Appiah-Awuah, Nkoranza District Chief Executive, has called on Ghanaians to let the celebration of the Emancipation Day promote love, unity, peace and understanding amongst them.

Mr Appiah-Awuah was addressing a durbar of traditional rulers and people from Nkoranza, Techiman, Kintampo, Nsawkaw, Sampa and Osu Alata in Accra, as well as some Africans in the Diaspora at this year's Emancipation Celebration at Bono Manso, near Nkoranza in the Brong Ahafo Region.

This year's programme was under the theme, "Our Heritage, Our Strength", with a sub-theme "Honouring our African Heroes". The District Chief Executive urged the people not to be divided by party politics, since before the emergence of political parties Ghana existed, as a state.

He reminded the people of the sweat and toil of the ancestors, who were taken into slavery and helped to develop other places to the neglect of their own country.

"Such bitter memories should bring us together to initiate development programmes that would bring improvement into our living standards", he said. Mr Appiah-Awuah paid special tribute to African heroes, such as Martin Luther King Jnr, Marcus Garvey and others, who spearheaded the fight against slavery and asked the youth to emulate such shining examples.

The DCE called on parents to invest a greater portion of their resources in the education of their children, so they would grow to become responsible citizens. The Nkoranza District Assembly and the Traditional Council would pool resources to develop the Martin Luther King Jnr. Village at Bono Manso to attract more tourists to the area, which used to be a slave market.

Mr Abeiku Dickson, Special Assistant to the Minister of Tourism commended the government for encouraging the celebration of Emancipation Day "in memory of our ancestors".

He called on Africans in the Diaspora to remember the sufferings of their ancestors in foreign lands and support the development of their ancestral homes.

The Special Assistant appealed to the people in the Nkoranza Traditional Area, especially citizens of Bono Manso, to come together and help in the development of the tourist centre. The Executive Secretary of PANAFEST, Mr Rahbi Kohain Nyanli Haleve, urged Africans in the Diaspora to allow the celebration of the emancipation day to bring unity among all African families. Mr Haleve asked them to be proud of originating from Africa and do well to visit the country on such occasions to support the development of the country.

In a welcome address, Nana Asante Nyako, Kaneasehene of Manso and a tourist guide, paid special tribute to the late Mr Effah Gyamfi, a citizen of Nkoranza and an archaeologist, whose scientific research brought to light that Bono Manso was once slave market centre. Nana Okofo Agyapong III, Adontehene of Nkoranza, who presided, called on the youth to be proud of their culture and practices, saying, it was wrong for them to adopt the cultures of other countries. Miss Felicia Obuobi, Executive Director for African Arts and Civilization (CAAC) identified replicas of the slave trade in Brong Ahafo, as the slave route at Haini, near Nsawkaw, Kunsu caves near Kintampo, the slave mass cemetery at Sampa and the Martin Luther King Jnr. Village at Bono Manso.

The Centre for African Arts and Civilization in collaboration with the Chiefs and people of Bono Manso and the Nkoranza Traditional Council organized this year's emancipation celebration at Bono Manso and were supported by the Ministry of Tourism, the Regional Coordinating Council, and the District Assemblies.

In attendance were the Omanhene of Techiman, Oseadeyo Akumfi Ameyaw and Queen mother of the area, Nana Afia Abrafi Koto, Chief of Osu-Alata, Nii Kwashi Aniefi, Nana Menka Ameyaw, Chief of Bono Manso, Nana Ofori Amisare Okofo, Akwamuhene, Nkoranza, Nana Kwabena Ohene Tetteh, Nifahene, Nkoranza and Nana Nuro Ameyaw, Chief of Buoyem, near Techiman.