By Lawrence Odoom/Phalonzy
Vice President Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has issued a resounding call for the preservation of history, national unity, and accelerated development as traditional leaders, government officials, and residents converged to commemorate the 2026 Kalibi Festival in Sankana, Nadowli-Kaleo District, Upper West Region.
Addressing a vibrant durbar, the Vice President described Sankana as a community steeped in profound personal and historical significance, recounting her enduring academic and cultural ties to the area. She underscored that the festival’s essence of unity and the safeguarding of heritage , must be zealously upheld, particularly by transmitting ancestral knowledge to younger generations.
“People who are grounded in their history are better equipped to shape their future with clarity and purpose,” she noted, urging schools in Sankana to incorporate local history into their learning.
Prof. Opoku-Agyemang illuminated Sankana’s distinguished place in African history, especially its legacy of resistance against enslavement, asserting that such narratives dismantle misconceptions that Africans did not defy oppression.
She referenced the growing global acknowledgment of the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, framing it as a pivotal moment for communities like Sankana to preserve and project their heritage onto the world stage.
She reaffirmed government’s commitment to development under President John Dramani Mahama’s “Big Push” agenda, highlighting ongoing road projects, plans for 24-hour markets, and enhanced educational infrastructure, including improved sanitation and targeted support for girls’ education.
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Sumana K. Bagbin, in his remarks, pledged concrete government support for the area, repudiating the perception of detached governance from Accra. He spotlighted the Shea Park Industrial Hub as a transformative initiative for the Upper West Region’s economy.
According to him, the project backed by international partners including the United Nations Development Programme and the Global Shea Alliance aims to restore 100,000 hectares of degraded land and plant 3.5 million shea trees.
He further disclosed that the European Union has committed €4 million to support Ghana’s shea industry, with implementation arrangements underway.
The Speaker also announced plans to dredge the Sankana Dam to bolster irrigation, expand potable water supply, and strengthen climate resilience in the area.
Renowned Pan-Africanist scholar P. L. O. Lumumba, in his address, implored Africans to resist what he termed “cultural enslavement,” warning that while traditional slavery has ended, new forms of domination persist.
He welcomed recent international recognition of slavery as a crime against humanity but insisted that Africa must demand unequivocal apologies and restitution, stressing the primacy of cultural identity.
“He who has no culture is a slave,” he noted, calling for continental unity to restore Africa’s dignity.
Celebrated annually, the Kalibi Festival serves as a hallowed platform to honor Sankana’s storied past particularly its legacy of resistance while galvanizing unity and development for future generations.