Oobake and the Politics of Tribe

As a Ga, I can confirm without hesitation that I had no knowledge or understanding of the word Oobake until this controversy erupted. And therein lies the baffling, almost absurd heart of the matter. A word, lifted into national contention, is suddenly wielded as a weapon in the politics of tribe.

The dispute began with the “Welcome” signage at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park with disputes over the use of the words Akwaaba and Woezor—Akan and Ewe salutations. Then, in late August, the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) boss assured the public that nothing had changed. But within days, evidence surfaced that the words had in fact been replaced with the Ga equivalent, Oobake. A storm followed.

Calls are now being made to replace Akwaaba at Kotoka International Airport with Oobake. Images—some genuine, some fabricated with artificial intelligence—have circulated online, deepening suspicion and inflaming passions.

The Futility of Linguistic Battles

At the heart of this quarrel lies a sad irony. Just as artificial intelligence is on the brink of dissolving the barriers between languages—translating speech in real time, making communication across cultures nearly seamless—we are expending national energy fighting over which word should dominate a signboard.

It is worth remembering that Akwaaba has become internationalised, a word almost synonymous with Ghana itself. To replace it with Oobake—a term unfamiliar even to many Gas—feels less like inclusivity and more like folly. The rest of the world will not pause to learn our endless tribal quarrels over greetings. They will simply see confusion and parochialism.

The Spirit of Division

This is bigger than signage. What we are watching is the spirit of division manifesting itself in the most trivial of places. In a country already burdened by political polarisation, economic fragility, and environmental devastation, is this truly where we want to expend our national breath—on linguistic territorialism?

Tribal politics has long been Ghana’s slow poison. Every generation promises to cure it, yet every generation seems eager to sip from the cup again. If we continue down this path, we risk eroding the fragile project called Ghana.

Conserving Our Energy

Our energies are desperately needed elsewhere: fixing schools where children sit under trees, cleaning rivers poisoned by galamsey, restructuring an economy addicted to debt, and building a political system where accountability trumps party allegiance.

Against such monumental tasks, the quarrel over Oobake is an embarrassing distraction. As Ghanaians, we must learn to conserve our energies for the issues that truly matter. Language is meant to connect us, not divide us. Signs are meant to welcome, not to pit one community against another.

A Call for Maturity

Let us be clear: the Ga people deserve recognition. Every ethnic group in Ghana does. But recognition must be sought in ways that build rather than fracture. Elevating Oobake over Akwaaba is not recognition; it is tribal competition disguised as cultural assertion.

Enough of this petty tribalism that diverts us from our shared future. Enough of allowing politicians, bureaucrats, and activists to toy with our identity for short-term gain. Ghana will not survive on Oobake or Akwaaba. It will survive on unity, vision, and the hard work of its citizens.