Professor Naana Jane enskinned Queen mother of Sankana

Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, Vice-Presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been honoured by the Chiefs and people of Sankana in the Upper West Region.

The honour is in respect of the immense benefit she has brought the people of the area through her scholarly work that has contributed to uncovering and preserving the history, culture and traditions of the Sankana people.

The Paramount Chief and Traditional Council on June 15, 2024, enskinned her Queen mother of Sankana with the title Pagnaa Piirima (Mother of Rocks) and conferred on her an honorary member of the Sankana Traditional Council as part of activities celebrating the Kalibi Tigri Festival of the people of Sankana.

“Sankana holds sentimental value to me because some of my earliest research was done here. Later, under President Mahama, we improved the educational facilities in the area. I have been given the honorary title of Pognaa Piirima(Mother of the Rocks), a position I hold dear.

"I look forward to contributing even more to the progress of Sankana, and invite everyone to join me to celebrate these wonderful people,” Prof Opoku-Agyemang wrote in a statement after her enskinment.

The annual Kalibi Tigri Festival of the people of Sankana is celebrated in recognition of the sacrifices of its founders who went through thick and thin to ensure that Sankana survived and thrived as a polity.

Prof Opoku-Agyemang has done considerable research about the people of Sankana.

An example is her work slave trade in Sankana and Gwollu: “The Living Experience of the Slave Trade in Sankana and Gwollu-Literary Manifestations and Implications for Tourism” in J. R. Anquandah and N.J. Opoku-Agyemang, Eds. The Trains Atlantic Slave Trade: Landmarks, Legacies, Expectations, Accra: Sub-Saharan Publishers, 2008.”