'Our history must become our strength' - Ahanta West MP

The Member of Parliament for Ahanta West, Mavis Kuukua Bissue, has made a passionate appeal for unity among the Ahanta people, urging traditional leaders, the youth and the diaspora to work together to preserve the kingdom’s rich cultural heritage and accelerate its development.

Delivering her address at the grand durbar marking the climax of the Ahanta Heritage Month Celebration, the legislator described the event as more than a cultural festival, calling it “a moment of reckoning” for the Ahanta people to reflect on their history, identity and collective future.

The colourful ceremony brought together paramount chiefs, divisional chiefs, queen mothers, members of Parliament, ministers of state, members of the diplomatic corps, opinion leaders and hundreds of residents and visitors who gathered to celebrate the history and traditions of the Ahanta Kingdom.

Bissue paid glowing tribute to the traditional authorities, describing them as the custodians of the kingdom’s identity, dignity and future.

She said the authority vested in traditional leaders was a sacred trust inherited through generations of sacrifice and should be exercised in the interest of unity and development.

“Our forefathers did not shed their blood so that their descendants would be divided. They endured slavery, colonial conquest and humiliation so that future generations would remain united and preserve the Ahanta Kingdom,” she said.

According to the MP, the greatest challenge confronting the Ahanta people today is not external aggression but internal division.

She warned that no society had ever been destroyed because its people loved one another too much but many kingdoms had collapsed when suspicion, pride and personal interests replaced trust, humility and the common good.

Bissue made a heartfelt appeal to the traditional leadership to embrace reconciliation and heal old divisions for the benefit of future generations.

She stressed that unity among chiefs would inspire investor confidence, create hope for the youth, and accelerate socio-economic development across the Ahanta area.

“The Ahanta Kingdom is greater than any individual, greater than any chief, greater than any family, greater than any political party and greater than any generation,” she stated.

She reminded the gathering that the present generation merely holds the kingdom in trust for those yet unborn and therefore has a responsibility to leave behind peace, unity and stronger institutions rather than conflict and division.

“Our children are watching us. History is watching us. Our ancestors are watching us,” she emphasized.

Turning her attention to the youth, the Ahanta West MP encouraged young people to take pride in their identity and cultural heritage while pursuing education and innovation.

She urged them never to believe that embracing modernity required abandoning their traditions or language.

“You are descendants of courageous men and women who refused to surrender their dignity. Walk with confidence, speak your language with pride, preserve your culture without apology, pursue education with excellence and embrace innovation without losing your identity,” she said.

She added that societies that understand and preserve their origins are better positioned to succeed in an increasingly competitive world.

Bissue also extended a warm invitation to Ahanta citizens living across Ghana and abroad, urging them to reconnect with their ancestral home and contribute to its development.

She called on members of the diaspora to invest in education, technology, healthcare, tourism, businesses and cultural institutions that would improve livelihoods and create opportunities for future generations.

“The land of your ancestors still calls your name. Come home not only to visit but to build. Bring your knowledge, your investment, your technology, your experience and your children so they will know the land from which they came,” she appealed.

The MP stressed that Ahanta’s rich historical assets, including its forts, castles, forests, coastline, Cape Three Points and traditional festivals, should be preserved and leveraged to drive economic transformation.

According to her, heritage should not merely be viewed as a reminder of the past but as a strategic resource capable of creating employment, attracting investment, promoting tourism and supporting research.

“Our history must become our strength. The world must know Ahanta not only for its painful past but also for its extraordinary future,” she said.

She advocated the teaching of Ahanta history in schools, the preservation of historical artefacts in museums and stronger collaboration among government, traditional authorities, civil society, religious organisations, the private sector and the diaspora.

“No single chief can build Ahanta alone. No Member of Parliament can build Ahanta alone. No government can build Ahanta alone. Only a united Ahanta can build a great Ahanta,” she declared.

Reflecting on the sacrifices of historical figures including King Badu Bonsu II and John Conny, Madam Bissue urged the current generation to ensure their legacy was honoured through unity, cultural preservation and sustainable development.

She expressed hope that future generations would remember today’s leaders as those who reunited the Ahanta people, protected their heritage and strengthened the kingdom for posterity.

She called for renewed commitment to unity, courage and service, praying that the Ahanta Kingdom would once again rise to prominence in Ghana, across Africa and throughout the world.

“Together, let us prove that although our ancestors were scattered, the Ahanta spirit can never be broken,” she said to loud applause from the gathering.