BY DANIEL BAMPOE
The first anniversary of the passing of Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka has produced a striking development within his family, with two separate statues unveiled in his honour as his children commemorated their late father in separate settings.
Nana Kwadwo Safo Akofena, son of the late industrialist and founder of the Kristo Asafo Mission, has unveiled a statue in his father’s memory, shortly after a separate team associated with his sister, former Dome-Kwabenya MP Sarah Adwoa Safo, mounted a towering golden statue at Kantanka’s reported resting place at Gomoa Mpota in the Central Region.
The emergence of the two monuments has attracted attention because it comes against the background of the widely reported disagreements between the siblings over their father’s funeral arrangements, the handling of his remains and questions surrounding succession and leadership within the Kristo Asafo Mission.
At a remembrance ceremony held to mark one year since Apostle Kwadwo Safo Kantanka’s death, Akofena was seen standing beside a newly unveiled monument dedicated to his father.
Unlike the imposing full-body golden statue associated with Adwoa Safo’s side, Akofena’s tribute takes the form of a detailed bust of the late inventor and religious leader.
The sculpture captures Kantanka’s facial features, hairstyle and traditional appearance and is mounted on a large pedestal bearing an inscription referring to him as “Apostle Emeritus.”
Akofena and other attendees were dressed in white during the ceremony, which appeared to have been organised to celebrate the life, work and accomplishments of the late founder.
The monument provides another permanent representation of the late Apostle, whose public image became closely associated with traditional attire, religious leadership and his advocacy for Ghanaian innovation and local manufacturing.
The latest unveiling followed the mounting of a separate golden monument at Kantanka’s reported burial site at Gomoa Mpota.
The towering statue depicts the late industrialist in traditional cloth, with his right hand raised and his left hand holding part of the fabric.
Mounted on a tall black platform in front of the museum associated with the late Apostle, the monument has become a prominent feature of the reported resting place.
The statue was unveiled as relatives, friends, sympathisers and members of the Kristo Asafo Mission gathered to commemorate the first anniversary of Kantanka’s passing.
Its golden colour and imposing height have made it particularly noticeable, while the sculpture’s facial features and traditional appearance were designed to evoke the familiar public image of the late industrialist.
The simultaneous appearance of the two monuments has created an unusual chapter in the continuing story of the Kantanka family.
Rather than a single anniversary monument, two different representations of the late Apostle have now emerged from separate sides of the family.
