Features

Reparation for the Slave Trade?

Ghana’s President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo-Addo, is reported to have asked those nations that benefitted from the obnoxious Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade to pay reparation to the victims.

Nana Addo said this when he took his turn to address the 78th session of the General Assembly in New York recently.

“No amount of money will ever make up for the horrors, but it would make the point that evil was perpetrated, that millions of productive Africans were snatched from the embrace of our continent, and put to work in the Americas and the Caribbean without compensation for their labour,” Nana Addo is quoted as saying.

Avid students of history know that America and some of its European partners advanced and developed on the back of slave labour. We know that in that time human beings, our forebears, became nothing more than commodities in auction markets.

These were Africans in their prime; weavers, fishers, farmers, craftsmen etc. The slave dealers looked out for able-bodied young men and women who could serve as good plantation labourers and studs and wenches to sire their own replacements as they aged in those faraway lands.

As I have written many times, the Church and the Crown took commissions on every slave that was delivered to the Americas. Their complicity in the despicable act cannot be pushed under the carpet. They knew that the black race was the progenitor of all races on earth, yet allowed them to be treated like garbage. It is unconscionable.

At a symposium that I was invited to in New York about a decade ago, the young African-Americans in the auditorium were palpably angry with those of us in Africa. Their reason was that they were sold into slavery by our chiefs and elders and so harboured a disdain for the remainder of us here. Apparently, they were fed this false narrative by their slave masters.

When it was my turn, I agreed that fratricidal and feudal wars among us at that time very likely made it possible to sell off war captives; and our chiefs were the commanders-in-chief of their armies.

I was also quick to say that more than sixty percent of them were abducted by Europeans who can be described as slave raiders. I made them aware that it was more profitable for these raiders or abductors to waylay the people than pay for them.

“You have fifty percent of our story because once you were taken away we did not know anything anymore; and we have the other fifty. Unless we bring these together, others will be in control of the narrative, so holding us in contempt does not help our cause as victims of this organized crime,” I concluded.

During question time, I pointed out that both Africans at home and in the Diaspora should be grateful to Alex Haley whose epic book, Roots, threw the light on our understanding of what might have happened after our forebears left our shores. The story of Gambian, Kunta Kinte, tells our ordeal more succinctly. The Gambia river is called Kambi by the locals.

But whichever way the narrative is, slavery by all standards is a crime against humanity. Up till today, blacks are discriminated against in almost all Caucasian societies. Argentina made it a state policy to not have Argentines of African descent. All blacks in that country after the slave trade was abolished were either exterminated or ‘exported’ from that country.

The call, therefore, for reparation is a good one. Before Akuffo Addo, many African leaders had made a strong case for reparation. To remind the world, Nana Addo stated that money cannot assuage the pain of a continent whose labour enriched the West.Our leaders must be relentless in asking for this reparation.

But first, how will this reparation be quantified? Which countries were most affected by the slave trade? At least, we know which forts and castles served as holding centres for slaves awaiting shipments. My understanding is that the slave ships had detailed manifests of their human cargoes, so getting a near accurate percentage may not be too difficult.

Secondly, what form will this reparation be? Are we asking for money, equitable economic opportunities as in the West or both? Sadly, our African Union cannot agree and speak with one voice, so how do we get started? Already, African leaders are taking different sides in the Russia-Ukraine and Israel-Gaza conflicts. A typical African example.

Thirdly, who will manage whatever reparations that may be agreed upon is another matter altogether. If it is established that certain countries lost more persons to slavery, will the reparations come to the countries on a pro rata basis? The more slaves taken from you, the more your quantum of reparation.

The complexity of all this is that Africans were illiterate at the time of slavery and have no records of the families that lost their relatives to the human trade. So, do the respective countries become the beneficiary recipients of reparation on behalf of the people? This might be the plausible way out; and that is where I cringe.

I cringe at that possibility because Africans know too well that their present crop of leaders cannot be trusted to use proceeds from reparation to the benefit of the mass of their people; not by a long shot.

My personal recommendation is for the United Nations (UN) to put together a Trustee of Experts to, first, look at the priority needs of the beneficiary countries and, second, to administer the disbursement accordingly. The moment our politicians get their hands into the pie, zilch will be done for the people.

Then we want to think about our compatriots in the Americas and Caribbean. In the United States they are referred to as African-Americans. When I was a student in the sixties they were Afro-Americans. As direct descendants of slaves, will these blacks also be considered in the reparation package? Admittedly, many African-Americans have done well for themselves, some excelling in their various fields of endeavour.

But the majority of them in the U.S. are under the radar of achievement, resorting to crimes of all shades, drug addiction, prostitution and many more vices. How do they benefit from the back-breaking toil of their ancestors? To exclude them will make them angrier than they ever have been.

What the country of Haiti has been reduced to currently is a case in point. Social order has been turned on its head by gangs in murderous abandon. This is the time to press the reparation button harder so that justice is seen to have been served. Whatever the case may be, our forebears must not suffer and die in vain.

Writer’s email address: akofa45@yahoo.com

By Dr. Akofa K Segbefia

Features

What booze can do to you

Ethanol, the chemical compound present in most alcoholic drinks, is a neurotoxin, that is, a substance that can damage or destroy the nervous system. Someone who is drunk is, in fact, suffering from a form of poisoning.

In large quantities, ethanol causes coma and death. For instance, among students in Japan, the practice of ‘ikkinomi, or alcohol chugging, causes deaths every year.

The body is able to convert ethanol into harmless substances, but this is not accomplished immediately. If alcohol is consumed at a faster rate than the body can handle, ethanol builds up in the system and begins to interfere noticeably with brain function. In what way?

Speech, vision, coordination, thought, and behaviour are all connected with an incredibly complex series of chemical reactions in the brains neurons, or key cells. The presence of ethanol modifies those reactions, suppressing or enhancing the role of certain neutrontransmitters chemicals that relay signals from neuron to neuron.

The stream of information in the brain is thus altered, preventing the brain from functioning normally. That is why when a person drinks too much, he or she develops slurred speech, blurred vision, sluggish movement, and weakened behavioural restraints and inhibitions, all common symptoms of intoxication.

EXPOSURE

With prolonged exposure to alcohol, brain chemistry adapts to counter the poisonous effect of ethanol and to maintain normal nerve function. This leads to tolerance, whereby the same amount of alcohol has less of an effect than it would have had previously.

Dependence occurs when the brain has adapted so much to the presence of alcohol that it cannot operate properly without it. The body craves alcohol to maintain the chemical balance.

When a person is deprived of alcohol, his brain chemistry is totally destabilised and withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, trembling, or even seizures, set in.

Besides causing modifications of brain chemistry, alcohol abuse can lead to cell atrophy and destruction, altering the brain’s very structure. While partial recovery is possible with abstinence, some of this damage seems to be irreversible.

Neurons that die are apparently never replaced, further affecting memory and other cognitive functions.

Damage to the brain is not just the result of long term exposure to alcohol.

Research seems to indicate that even relatively short periods of alcohol abuse can be harmful.

LIVER DISEASE

AND CANCER

The liver plays a vital role in metabolising food, combating infection, regulating blood flow and removing toxic substances, including alcohol, from the body.

Prolonged exposure to alcohol damages the liver in three stages. During the first state, the breaking down of ethanol slows the digestion of fats, causing them to build up in the liver.

This is called steatohepatitis, or fatty liver. In time, chronic inflammation of the liver, or hepatitis, sets in. While alcohol can cause hepatitis directly, it also appears to lower the body’s resistance to Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C viruses.

If unchecked, inflammation causes cells to burst and die. Compounding this damage, alcohol seems to trigger the natural system of programmed cells death called apoptosis.

This final stage is cirrhosis. The vicious cycle of continuous inflammation and cell destruction causes irreversible scarring. Eventually, the liver becomes humpy, instead of remaining spongy.

Finally, scar tissue prevents blood from flowing normally, leading to liver failure and death.

Alcohol’s effect on the liver has another insidious side effect -the liver is less capable of playing its defensive role in counteracting the effect of cancer-forming agents.

In addition to favouring the development of cancer of the liver, alcohol greatly increases the risk of cancer of the mouth, the pharynx, the larynx, and the oesophagus.

What is more, alcohol makes the mucous membranes in the mouth more easily penetrated by cancerous substances in tobacco, elevating the risk for smokers.

Women who drink daily are at greater risk of breast cancer. According to one study, the risk for those who drank three or more alcoholic beverages per day was 69 per cent higher than that of nondrinkers.

POISONED BABIES

A particularly tragic outcome of alcohol abuse is its effect on the unborn. “Alcohol is far worse for the developing fetus than any other abused drug,” reported by the ‘International Herald Tribune.’

When a pregnant woman drinks, her developing chin also drinks and the toxic effect of alcohol is especial, devastating at this format stage of the fetus.

Alcohol causes irreversible damage to its central nervous system. Neurons do not form properly. Cells are killed off. Other cells end up located in the wrong place.

The result, fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), is the foremost cause of mental retardation in newborns. Difficulties encountered by FAS children include intellectual impairment, language problems, developmental delay, behavioural dysfunction or deficit, slow growth, hyper activity, and hearing and sight disorders. Many babies are also born with characteristic facial deformities.-Credit: AWAKE

This article was first published on Saturday, November 5, 2005

Features

Islamic Position on Illicit Drugs (Part 2)

• Imam Alhaji Saeed Abdulai, the Author

In Ghana, the Narcotics Control Commission Act, 2020 (Act 1019), prohibits the possession, use, trade, or cultivation of narcotic drugs without lawful authorisation.

The law now adopts a more public health-based model, emphasising rehabilitation and education while still maintaining punitive measures against trafficking and illegal possession.

This opens doors for religious and social actors to play key roles in prevention and healing.

How the Youth and General Society Are Typically Lured into Illicit Drugs;

One of the primary gateways to drug use is peer pressure. Many young people are introduced to drugs by friends who make substance use appear fashionable or as a coping mechanism for stress, boredom, or emotional trauma.

In urban slums and some schools, peer groups become influential in shaping behaviour, particularly when parental supervision is weak or societal structures have collapsed.

Another contributor is media influence—with movies, music, and social media sometimes glamorising substance use. Unemployment, poverty, broken homes, academic stress, and lack of religious education also contribute significantly.

Shaykh Abd al-Rahman al-Sa‘di explains that when faith weakens, individuals seek escape in destructive behaviours. Hence, strengthening iman (faith) is a critical defence against temptation.

Rescuing Victims: Rehabilitation and Social Support

Those who fall into drug addiction must not be condemned but rather supported with compassion and care. Islam emphasises mercy and hope:

“Say, O My servants who have transgressed against themselves [by sinning], do not despair of the mercy of Allah. Indeed, Allah forgives all sins.” (Qur’an 39:53).

Rehabilitation centres, faith-based recovery programmes, community counselling, and mosque-based interventions are all vital tools.

Imams and scholars should be equipped with basic knowledge in addiction counselling. Collaboration with the Narcotics Control Commission and health institution can create models where religious guidance and medical treatment go hand-in-hand.

Impact of Illicit Drugs on Society

Illicit drug use damages physical health, corrupts moral values, and leads to crime and unemployment. It depletes a nation’s human capital, as youths and adults become dependent, mentally unstable, and economically unproductive. It also leads to violence, theft, and domestic abuse.

The Qur’an declares: “And do not throw yourselves into destruction with your own hands.” Qur’an 2:195)

Impact of Illicit Drugs in Schools

In Ghana, the increasing prevalence of drug abuse in schools has led to absenteeism, violent behaviour, academic failure, and mental health issues.

Some school dropouts have become part of gang culture, especially in urban areas, threatening future national development. These environments must be purified and protected with strong policy, parental involvement, and faith-based education.

UNICEF, Ghana Health Service, and Other Reports

UNICEF (2019) highlighted the correlation between substance abuse and early childhood trauma, noting that youth exposed to abuse, neglect, or poverty are more susceptible to drug use.

The Ghana Health Service’s 2022 report showed a 17 per cent rise in mental health cases linked to drug abuse, with youth between 15–35 years most affected.

Narcotics Control Commission Statistics

According to the 2022 Annual Report of the Narcotics Control Commission, over 8,000 arrests were made for drug offenses.

Cannabis remains the most abused drug, with growing concerns about synthetic drugs and pharmaceutical abuse, especially tramadol and cough syrups with codeine.

Islamic Law and Maqasid

al-Shari‘ah

The five universal objectives of Islamic law (maqasid al-shari‘ah)—preserving religion (deen), life (nafs), intellect (‘aql), lineage (nasl), and wealth (maal)—are all endangered by drug abuse.

Any initiative that protects these objectives is not just legally encouraged but religiously mandated.

Imam Al-Shatibi, in al-Muwafaqat, asserts that laws are designed not for hardship but to preserve human dignity and collective wellbeing.

Therefore, illicit drugs threaten the very fabric of what Shari’ah seeks to protect:

1. Preservation of Religion (Hifz ad-Deen) – Drug use weakens a person’s sense of religious duty. Addicts often neglect prayer, fasting, and remembrance of Allah, falling into sin and heedlessness.

2. Preservation of Life (Hifz an-Nafs) – Drugs increase the risk of premature death through overdose, suicide, or violence. Islam strictly forbids self-harm: “And do not kill yourselves.

Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful” (Qur’an 4:29).

3. Preservation of Intellect (Hifz al-‘A9ql) – One of the clearest reasons intoxicants are forbidden. The mind is the seat of moral judgment. Losing one’s intellect means losing the capacity for faith and responsibility.

4. Preservation of Lineage (Hifz an-Nasl) – Drug addiction often leads to moral decay, fornication, and broken families, harming future generations.

5. Preservation of Wealth (Hifz al-Maal) – Addicts squander wealth on drugs, harming families and communities. Islam commands us to be custodians of our resources.

These objectives guide the Islamic legal position that drug abuse is not just a sin, but a social threat that must be collectively confronted.

By Imam Saeed Abdulai