Osɔfo Nii Naate Atswele Agbo Nartey, Convener of the NPP–GaDaŋme Global Support Group, has called on Kwaku Osei Kurankye Asiedu (KOKA) of the New Patriotic Party to issue an immediate and unreserved apology over remarks widely perceived as derogatory toward the GaDaŋme people.
In a strongly worded press statement released in Accra, he described the comments as historically inaccurate and culturally offensive, stressing that political disagreements must not devolve into ethnic stereotyping or attacks on an entire community.
The statement further defended the historical and economic contributions of the GaDaŋme people, highlighting their longstanding role in agriculture, trade, and national development beyond coastal fishing traditions.
It also referenced figures such as Ransford Annetey Abbey, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board, and cocoa pioneer Tetteh Quarshie, to underscore the broader narrative of indigenous enterprise in Ghana’s agricultural transformation.
Below is the full statement;
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Accra, Ghana
25 February 2026
PRESS STATEMENT
*KWƐ̃ KOKA! , WITHDRAW YOUR STATEMENTS AND APOLOGIZE TO THE GADAŊME PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY*
Osɔfo Nii Naate Atswele Agbo Nartey, Convener of the NPP–GaDaŋme Global Support Group, calls on Kwaku Osei Kurankye Asiedu (KOKA) of the New Patriotic Party to issue a clear and unreserved apology for remarks that have been widely received as derogatory toward the GaDaŋme people. Please apologize before I break every bones in your body.
Political disagreement does not grant anyone the license to insult an entire ethnic group. One may question or criticize the competence and performance of Dr. Ransford Annetey Abbey (Dr. Randy Abbey), Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), that is legitimate in democratic discourse. But to suggest that the Ga people “know only how to go to sea” is not merely disrespectful; it is historically ignorant and culturally offensive. Charlie Koka, apologize
before I break every bone in your body.
The GaDaŋme people are custodians of Accra. They are pioneers in trade, governance, culture, land stewardship, education, agricultural development. and have made enduring contributions to national development . To generalize or stereotype an entire ethnic community within partisan discourse is unacceptable and contrary to the spirit of national unity. An attack on one individual does not justify the denigration of a whole people. So apologize immediately for your offensive remarks.
Ghana’s strength lies in its diversity. Public figures must exercise responsibility and restraint in their commentary. Words carry weight, and where they cause injury or division, leadership requires accountability. So they must always be grounded in fact, not stereotype. Sad to say, your words were unacceptable, so apologize without delay.
An apology is not weakness; it is maturity, in this matter it would not diminish anyone’s standing. Rather, it would demonstrate statesmanship, maturity, and commitment to preserving harmony among Ghana’s peoples. This is why Koka , you must retract your insults and offer an unreserved apology now.
That’s not all, also we wish to use this medium to tell educate the likes of Koka about *”The Role of GaDaŋme in Agricultural Development”: A Response To Historical Distortion*
*THAT’S BEYOND THE SEA* : The Agricultural Foundations of GaDaŋme Society is a trailblazer. It must be clearly stated: the GaDaŋmes were never defined solely by fishing. Yes, fishing is central to coastal GaDaŋme man’s life. But long before colonial contact, GaDaŋme communities cultivated millet, maize, cassava, vegetables, and maintained extensive farmlands stretching into the Accra plains and hinterlands. Like the Fante, Axim, Wasaw, and Ewe, who combine fishing with farming and commerce, the Ga balanced sea and soil.
To reduce GaDaŋme’s identity to the shoreline is to erase the farms of La, Teshie, Nungua, Tema, Osu, and the inland settlements that fed Accra for generations.
*MISSIONARY AGRICULTURE AND ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION:* When the Basel Mission arrived in the Gold Coast in 1828, its vision extended beyond evangelism. The missionaries understood that spiritual work required economic stability.
They:
(1). Introduced structured farming methods and crop discipline
(2). Promoted diversification beyond subsistence
(3). Encouraged cultivation of export crops such as cocoa, coffee, and oil palm
(4). Established mission stations like Akropong as centers of agricultural and vocational training.
These initiatives helped shift parts of southern Gold Coast agriculture from subsistence production to market-oriented enterprise. GaDaŋme landholders and farmers participated in this transformation, particularly those with inland holdings connected to emerging trade routes.
The Mission’s philosophy was clear: self-reliant communities would build stronger societies.
*EARLY COCOA EXPANSION:* An African Enterprise
Cocoa would later become the backbone of the Gold Coast economy.
Tetteh Quarshie is rightly credited with introducing viable cocoa cultivation in 1879 at Mampong after returning from Fernando Po (now Bioko). But cocoa’s expansion was not the achievement of one man or one ethnic group.
Unlike plantation economies elsewhere, cocoa farming in the Gold Coast was overwhelmingly African-owned. Indigenous farmers, Akan, Ga, Ewe, and others invested land, labor, and capital into its growth.
From Akwapim, cocoa spread across Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, and parts of the coastal belt. GaDaŋme farmers with access to inland lands were among those who adopted commercial agriculture as markets expanded.
By the early 20th century, the Gold Coast had become the world’s leading cocoa producer, not because Europeans imposed plantations, but because Ghanaian farmers built a decentralized, indigenous capitalist system rooted in land ownership and enterprise.
*HISTORICAL TRUTH AND NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY:*
Let history be balanced.
While fishing is a proud part of GaDaŋme’s identity, it is not the whole story. The Ga have been farmers, traders, educators, landowners, and nation-builders. They helped shape Accra into the capital that now belongs to all Ghanaians.
Ethnic stereotyping is intellectually lazy and politically dangerous. Ghana’s strength lies in recognizing that every ethnic community has contributed to its economic and cultural foundation.
Words matter. History matters. Respect matters.
And when they are violated, leadership demands correction and apology.
Osɔfo Nii Naate Atswele Agbo Nartey
Convener, NPP–GaDaŋme Global Support Group
Accra, Ghana
