BY Nadia Ntiamoah
The Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) has strongly dismissed claims circulating on social media suggesting that traditional Ghanaian greetings displayed at the refurbished Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park have been replaced with an unfamiliar inscription.
A viral post on Instagram alleged that the Authority had swapped the words “Woezor” (a traditional Ewe greeting meaning welcome) and “Akwaba” (an Akan expression of welcome) with “Oobakɛ”, sparking public outrage and raising concerns about the erasure of cultural heritage at one of Ghana’s most iconic monuments.
In a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer of GTA, Maame Efua Houadjeto, the Authority categorically denied any involvement in altering the inscriptions.
“At no point has the Ghana Tourism Authority ordered or approved the replacement of the culturally significant greetings ‘Woezor’ and ‘Akwaba’ with ‘Oobakɛ’,” the statement clarified.
According to GTA, the greetings remain intact at the Park and continue to reflect Ghana’s diverse cultural identity.
The Authority further explained that any such decision regarding signage at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park could not be taken unilaterally but would require the approval of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture as well as other relevant agencies.
The GTA expressed concern over the spread of misinformation, stressing that the viral claims were “false and misleading.”
It urged Ghanaians and stakeholders in the tourism sector to disregard the reports and instead focus on supporting the Memorial Park as a beacon of national pride, unity, and cultural heritage.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, which was reopened in July 2023 after a major facelift under the Akufo-Addo administration, has since attracted thousands of both local and international visitors.
The Park was originally established in 1992 to honour Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and has become a central symbol of Ghana’s post-independence history.
