The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has dismissed reports suggesting that it replaced Akan and Ewe greetings on the welcome signage at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra with a Ga inscription.
Social media claims alleged that the greetings “Akwaaba” (Akan) and “Woezor” (Ewe) had been substituted with the Ga word “Oobakɛ.” The reports surfaced after some members of the Ga community previously called for their language to be represented on signages at the park.
In a statement, GTA Chief Executive Officer Maame Efua Houadjeto described the allegations as untrue.
“We wish to categorically state that at no point has the Ghana Tourism Authority ordered or approved the replacement of the culturally significant greetings ‘Woezor’ (Ewe) and ‘Akwaaba’ (Akan) with ‘Oobakɛ,’” she said.
According to her, the inscriptions on the park’s signage remain unchanged, reflecting Ghana’s rich cultural diversity. She further explained that any adjustment to the inscriptions would require approval from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture and other relevant agencies.
Mrs. Houadjeto emphasized that the GTA had no involvement in the alleged changes and did not authorize any alteration. She urged the public to disregard the misinformation and continue to uphold the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park as a national symbol.
The controversy stems from concerns among some Ga citizens, who argue that their language is underrepresented on national monuments located on Ga land. The debate has now extended to Kotoka International Airport, where campaigners are demanding that the popular inscription “Akwaaba” be replaced with “Oobakɛ.”
Circulating images appearing to show such signage changes have been identified as AI-generated fabrications.