"KWƐ̃ KOKA!” — Withdraw Your Statements and Apologize to the GaDaŋme People Immediately

 

Osɔfo Nii Naate Atswele Agbo Nartey, Convener of the NPP–GaDaŋme Global Support Group, calls on Kwaku Osei Kurankye Asiedu (KOKA) of the New Patriotic Party to issue a clear and unreserved apology for remarks widely perceived as derogatory toward the GaDaŋme people.

Political disagreement does not grant anyone license to denigrate an entire ethnic group. One may legitimately question or critique the competence or performance of Dr. Ransford Annetey Abbey (Dr. Randy Abbey), Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD). That is acceptable within democratic discourse. However, to suggest that the Ga people “know only how to go to sea” is not only disrespectful but historically inaccurate and culturally offensive.

The GaDaŋme people are custodians of Accra. They are pioneers in trade, governance, culture, land stewardship, education, and agricultural development. Their contributions to Ghana’s national growth are enduring and undeniable. To reduce an entire ethnic community to a stereotype within partisan debate is unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of national unity.

Ghana’s strength lies in its diversity. Public figures must exercise responsibility and restraint in their commentary. Words carry weight. When they cause injury or division, leadership requires accountability. Commentary must always be grounded in fact, not stereotype. An apology is not weakness; it is maturity. In this matter, it would demonstrate statesmanship and commitment to preserving harmony among Ghana’s peoples.

We therefore call on KOKA to retract his remarks and offer an unqualified apology without delay.

The Role of GaDaŋme in Agricultural Development: Setting the Historical Record Straight

Beyond the Sea: Agricultural Foundations of GaDaŋme Society

It must be clearly stated: the GaDaŋme were never defined solely by fishing. While fishing has long been central to coastal Ga life, GaDaŋme communities historically cultivated millet, maize, cassava, and vegetables, maintaining extensive farmlands across the Accra plains and hinterlands.

Like the Fante, Axim, Wasaw, and Ewe — who combine fishing with farming and commerce — the Ga balanced sea and soil. To reduce GaDaŋme identity to the shoreline is to erase the farms of La, Teshie, Nungua, Tema, Osu, and inland settlements that fed Accra for generations.

Missionary Agriculture and Economic Transformation

When the Basel Mission arrived in the Gold Coast in 1828, its vision extended beyond evangelism. Missionaries promoted structured farming methods, crop diversification, and the cultivation of export crops such as cocoa, coffee, and oil palm. Mission stations like Akropong became centers of agricultural and vocational training.

These initiatives contributed to the transition from subsistence farming to market-oriented enterprise in southern Gold Coast. GaDaŋme landholders and farmers with inland holdings participated in this transformation, benefiting from expanding trade networks.

The philosophy was simple: economically self-reliant communities build stronger societies.

Early Cocoa Expansion: An Indigenous Enterprise

Cocoa later became the backbone of the Gold Coast economy. Tetteh Quarshie is rightly credited with introducing viable cocoa cultivation in 1879 at Mampong after returning from Fernando Po (now Bioko). However, cocoa’s expansion was not the achievement of one individual or one ethnic group.

Unlike plantation systems elsewhere, cocoa farming in the Gold Coast was overwhelmingly African-owned. Indigenous farmers — Akan, Ga, Ewe, and others — invested their land, labor, and capital. From Akwapim, cocoa spread across Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, and parts of the coastal belt. GaDaŋme farmers with access to inland lands were among those who embraced commercial agriculture as markets expanded.

By the early 20th century, the Gold Coast had become the world’s leading cocoa producer, not because of imposed plantations, but because Ghanaian farmers built a decentralized, indigenous enterprise economy rooted in land ownership.

Historical Truth and National Responsibility

Fishing is a proud part of GaDaŋme identity — but it is not the whole story. The Ga have been farmers, traders, educators, landowners, and nation-builders. They helped shape Accra into the capital that now belongs to all Ghanaians.

Ethnic stereotyping is intellectually lazy and politically dangerous. Ghana’s unity depends on recognizing that every ethnic community has contributed to the nation’s economic and cultural foundation.

Words matter.

History matters.

Respect matters.

Where they are violated, leadership demands correction and apology.

Osɔfo Nii Naate Atswele Agbo Nartey

Convener, NPP–GaDaŋme Global Support Group

Accra, Ghana