Africa-Press – Ghana. Members of Parliament (MPs) from both sides of the House have commended the United Nations General Assembly for adopting a resolution recognising the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity and calling for reparations for its victims.
Lawmakers described the adoption as a global acknowledgment of the injustices inflicted on Africans, who were forced into servitude and became “hewers of wood and builders of global economies.”
In separate statements on the floor of Parliament on Friday, Madam Emelia Arthur, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture and MP for Shama, and Mr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee and MP for Ablekuma South, praised the resolution as a historic milestone.
They lauded the contributions of Pan-African leaders and visionaries such as Marcus Garvey, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, former President Jerry John Rawlings, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, and President John Dramani Mahama, noting that their advocacy and leadership culminated in the UN General Assembly’s recognition.
Parliamentarians urged colleagues to set aside partisan politics and work collectively to give true meaning to the resolution.
They emphasised the need to channel efforts into strengthening Ghanaian businesses, boosting domestic investment, creating jobs, and enhancing national dignity.
The legislators stressed that the UN resolution should serve as a rallying point for unity and economic empowerment, ensuring that the sacrifices of those who suffered under slavery translate into tangible benefits for present and future generations.
