A Royal Traditional Leader’s Perspective: Nana Kwaku Egyir Gyepi III, Akyenpemhen of Cape Coast, Homecoming, Build an Appropriate Repatriation System, Reparatory Justice

Nana Kwaku Egyir Gyepi III, Akyenpemhen of Cape Coast

After attending the recent Town Hall Meeting, April 10^th, at the University of Ghana African Studies Department— “From Challenges to Citizenship: Building a Unified Black Agenda in Ghana”, which in the early phase of the program, Nana Kwaku Egyir Gyepi III Akyenpemhen of Cape Coast, provided insight and was the focus of several media outlets. I received communication from Nana Gypei III concerning Repatriation issues that needed to be brought to the attention of Ghana government officials and “real” Pan African community activists unselfishly concerned about fair treatment of all Noble Black/African people, families-- Repatriation.

Nana Gyepi III is the nephew of Honorable Kwesi Bart Plange (Nana Kweku Egyir Gypei II) a co-founder and helped Kwame Nkrumah to establish the CPP (Convention People’s Party), and provided land for Ghana National College.

I appreciate Nana Gyepi III for forwarding the following statement and allowing me to further interview him concerning the Repatriation issues in Ghana (Africa) of which the country needs to address most urgently, and not with just various Presidential executive orders and a “Door of Return entrance fee” of Ghc25,000 for Ghana citizenship. Such an exuberant amount is mistreatment and disrespect of the Ascendants as if they are commodities; and some in the international community have said impersonating money-hungry slave traders’ practices—their treatment of Africans they stole and sold away, but this time in reverse-- the Ascendents/Grandchildren of the stolen African Ancestors are sold.

Question is—why have the Repatriation of Ascendants been an issue for Ghana, a country that gained its independence via Pan Africanism and with the assistance of ‘Ascendants of Africans who were stolen from Africa’ (i.e., George Padmore, Marcus Garvey, Dr. W.E.B. DuBois, Dr. Martin L. King Jr., Elijah Muhammad, Malcolm X, Maya Angelo …).

There should not be any more “financial selection processes” of Africans and no more money collected to return where they were stolen from—no more than what “immigrants” --Ga, Akan, Ewe … --paid to venture into 28 Guan settlements/Guan lands in the 1200-1300s. And those ethnic groups/tribes immigrating did not speak the Guan language nor were they familiar with Guan cultures initially nor were they expected to report their means of investment.

STATEMENT
Nana Kwaku Egyir Gyepi III
Akyenpemhen of Cape Coast
12 April 2026
After over four centuries of chains and exile, the “Gateway to Africa” is struggling to gradually open for Ascendants of Africans as Ghanaians have begun to gain an understanding of the history mostly so far from rather what social media has had to offer and those who have travelled beyond Africa. Sadly, Ghana lacks great libraries and archives with scholarship of great Black/African Historians, Scientists, and Mathematicians from around the world.

Furthermore, fact is the history needs to be integrated into Ghana curriculum and textbooks, and teachers trained to research and present to our youth so they can understand the contributions Africans have given to the world.

Many of our youth also need to come to understand that Africa does not only belong to them because they were born on the continent, which is just as erroneous as calling Ascendants of Africans who were stolen from Africa “obruni” and “outsiders”.

All Black people are from Africa.
The African Diasporans/Ascendant of Africans who were stolen from Africa are returning. Africans from the diaspora—from Harlem, New York and southern cities, midwestern states, to California-- every hardworking African neighborhood in America, from the Caribbean islands to South America, North America, Europe, the Aborigines of Australia to the Blacks of Iran, Palestine— all have the right and many will try to Repatriate to Mother Africa to emerge themselves into Ghana or other parts of Africa, not as strangers as nobles. Dignity. Powerful. Great. A divine blessing in this 21st century. They trace roots through DNA, through pain, through blood that never broke.

European slave ships took them away; now they fly home. This is fate just happening. A miracle, we are not control of a thing. A Repatriation of their Ascendants deemed by our African Ancestors' spirit.

The Ascendants of Africans who were stolen, kidnapped, inhumane trafficking by whites/Europeans across the Atlantic Ocean and other oceans and seas –today, Africans determined to Repatriate and come with cultures, which their very foundation is built on resiliency. Ascendants of Africans who were stolen—they Repatriate, they are valuable, and bring knowledge, skills, inventions, Arts, ready to help nation build their Africa too.

Africans from the diaspora who are determined to find healing processes and further rise up out of the ashes of not only slavery, abuse and rape, but Black codes, Jim Crowism, Apartheid, direct and in-direct vicious white supremacy, and heal, forge ahead with Black upliftment-- in the spirit of the poetic words of Maya Angelou-- “Still I Rise”.

Please, let us take a closer look, many of Ghana immigration officers can sting. Lines at Accra (Kotoka) International Airport— some Ghanaian officers favor outsiders. Chinese nationals slide through. Lebanese nationals flash cash, whites/Europeans get VIP treatment. Our kin, our people, Ascendants of African ancestors having to confront and address demands for dash, smirks, “village behavior”, hostile questioning, rude whispers, and humiliation--what is your worth??? by certain airport security and airport personnel-- no sincere welcome as they Repatriate HOME. And those of us who happen to be born in Africa, supposedly representing what many refer to as “Nkrumah’s Ghana”—and yet, some are anti-Pan African or just are not taught, and not refined. However, much of this is due to a lack of customer service training and Ghana’s education system’s miseducation or undereducation of our youth.

President Addo launched "Year of Return" in 2019, however it was/is Ascendants ‘Right to Return’— hundreds of years since the first first white/European dominators of chattel slave packed Africans in the bowels of their ships. Next, a supposedly "Beyond the Return" rolls out and practically rolls off the scene unnoticed. And still without a proper system for Repatriation—no constitutional citizenship, can’t fully partake in the full political scheme of things.

How is it after a few hundred African Diasporans/Ascendants were “selected” for citizenship and sworn in and yet, some still feel like or are treated as outsiders, no African Diaspora representation in government??? It is shameful, the way the citizenship efforts (and for years) have been mishandled via African Diaspora Office, it does not reflect Pan Africanism nor an independent Ghana, especially after the UN Reparation Resolution.

@Ghanaians –please understand, there must be an attitude change, manners and polished behaviour. Clean it up! Equal treatment. Respect. Inclusion. Learn how to provide appropriate customer service for African Diasporans. Similar for all others.

In conclusion, Ascendants of Africans who were stolen are not immigrants, they are Africans, they are Repatriates. A Constitutional Repatriation Citizenship, and like other Ghanaian a charge for Passports and African Diasporan representation on the Parliament floor and other official government schemes. After reading this, do not cause Ghana any more embarrassment.

Close
Nana, thank you for those words of wisdom and instruction. Ase` “Forward ever …”.

Any questions or feedback contact Nana Gyepi at [email protected]

Reference
Kwame Ampene (2011) History of the Guan-speaking peoples of Ghana: The undisputed aborigines of Ghana. StarSpirit Press, Philadelphia, PA

Nana Gyepi III (2022) A 21^st Century Afrikan Chief & A repatriation message to African Diasporans. Amazon Publishing.

Dr. K. Makeda Muhammad is a ‘Repatriate’/returnee to Africa via Ghana in 2011. Dr. Makeda’s field of study is Black Studies; she is an author, independent researcher, historian, educator, columnist, recipient of Ghana’s Education Community (EDUCOM) Award, MACPRI Helping Hands Community Award, Abibitumi & Marcus Garvey Foundation Citation. Dr. Makeda is a Pan Africanist, Africana WoManist (C. Hudson-Weems), community volunteer, and social media activist.