Bono-Manso (B/A) Aug. 27, GNA - Madam Aisha Abdul-Mumuni, Nkoranza North District Finance Officer, has commended the Center for African Art and Civilization, an NGO, for its contributions towards the development of the ancient Bono-Manso Slave Trade Market Center to boost eco-tourism.

She was addressing the chiefs and people of Bono-Manso in Nkoranza North District, to commemorate the 121st birthday of Marcus Mosaih Garvey, father of Black Nationalism, whose statue has been erected at Bono-Manso, in appreciation of his role in the fight against slavery in the United States of America about 80 years ago. The programme was organised by the NGO with support from Universal Negro International Association and the Diaspora African Association Mission.

Madam Abdul-Mumuni noted that the Bono-Manso slave market tourist center had gained international recognition and would help promote the development of the community and the district as a whole. She called on the youth in the area to demonstrate unity of purpose and to initiate development programmes that would attract tourists to the area and gave the assurance that the District Assembly would offer the necessary support towards the development of the center. Madam Abdul-Mumuni advised the people to pay their taxes promptly and regularly to enable the Assembly to generate enough revenue for development.

Nana Kwabena Opoku Prempeh, Asafohene of Ghanaians in the Diaspora expressed appreciation to Okatakyie Agyeman-Kudom IV, Omanhene of Nkoranza and Nana Menka Ameyaw II, Chief of Bono-Manso, for releasing tracts of land for the development of the tourist center. He called on the youth to collaborate with the traditional authorities for the accelerated development of the centre in order to attract more tourists.

Madam Felicia Obuobi, executive director of the NGO, commended Ghanaians in the Diaspora for acknowledging the importance of the celebration of the emancipation day by supporting the organisation of the event.

She said the late Marcus Garvey was born on the August 12, 1887 and died on June 10, 1940 and his birthday was celebrated in August every year.

Okatakyie Agyeman-Kudom described the creation of the Bono-Manso slave trade tourist center as unique, noting that the center would continue to recall the memory of the sufferings of ancestors who went into slavery.

He called on the youth to emulate the country's past heroes and offer selfless and dedicated services towards the development of the country.

Nana Menka called on his people to render active communal labour as their contribution to the development of the center.