By Grace Zigah
The final chapter in the extraordinary earthly journey of Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka, one of Ghana’s most celebrated spiritual leaders, inventors, industrialists, technologists and philanthropists, will be marked this Saturday, August 8, with a grand National Thanksgiving Service at the Prempeh Assembly Hall in Kumasi.
The service, scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m., is being organised by the Kristo Asafo Mission in collaboration with the Kantanka family to offer thanksgiving to God for the remarkable life and enduring legacy of a man whose 113 years on earth transformed the spiritual, technological, industrial and socio-economic landscape of Ghana.
Organisers say the thanksgiving ceremony will serve not only as a celebration of Apostle Kwadwo Safo’s life but also as an expression of gratitude to God for blessing Ghana with a visionary whose influence continues to inspire generations of Africans to embrace innovation, self-reliance and indigenous technological advancement.
Throughout his lifetime, Apostle Kwadwo Safo consistently championed the belief that Africans possess the capacity to solve their own challenges through creativity, hard work and home-grown technology. His philosophy that “the African is the architect of his own destiny” became the foundation upon which he built one of the continent’s most remarkable indigenous industrial movements.
His contributions extended far beyond the pulpit. As Founder of the Kristo Asafo Mission and the Kantanka Group, Apostle Kwadwo Safo established the pioneering indigenous automobile manufacturing industry through Kantanka Automobile.
He also developed hundreds of engineering innovations and industrial machines, established manufacturing plants, promoted mechanised agriculture, invested heavily in education and vocational skills training, created thousands of employment opportunities and supported vulnerable people through numerous philanthropic initiatives.
His technological innovations and engineering achievements have become enduring symbols of African ingenuity and continue to inspire efforts towards industrialisation and economic transformation across the continent.
The thanksgiving service follows a historic series of funeral activities that attracted unprecedented crowds from across Ghana and beyond. Prior to his burial, tens of thousands of mourners gathered at the Black Star Square in Accra to pay their final respects to the renowned inventor, industrialist and religious leader in one of the country’s largest state-style funeral ceremonies in recent years.
He was later laid to rest at Gomoa Mpota, home of the renowned Kristo Asafo Technology Centre and Innovation Hub, where many of his groundbreaking inventions, engineering projects and industrial innovations were conceived and developed.
The choice of Gomoa Mpota as his final resting place was widely regarded as symbolic, reflecting his lifelong dedication to science, technology, industrialisation and the empowerment of Africans through innovation.
Saturday’s thanksgiving service is expected to attract another distinguished gathering of traditional rulers, government officials, industrialists, academics, business leaders, clergy, members of the Kristo Asafo Mission and thousands of admirers from across the country.
Several prominent Christian leaders have confirmed their participation in the service, including the Founder and General Overseer of the Believers Worship Centre (Philadelphia Movement), Rev. Stephen Adom Kyei-Duah; Founder and President of Eastwood Anaba Ministries and Senior Pastor of Fountain Gate Chapel, Rev. Eastwood Anaba; and Founder and General Overseer of Parliament Chapel International, Apostle Francis Amoako Attah.
Their participation underscores the enormous respect Apostle Kwadwo Safo commanded across the Christian community and reflects the national significance of the occasion.
