‘APAAK is an entire COMMUNITY in South Sudan’, very intriguing – Dr. Apaak

Deputy Minister for Education, Dr. Clement Abas Apaak, says he is intrigued after discovering a community in South Sudan that shares his surname.

Dr Apaak, who is also Member of Parliament for Builsa South, shared the discovery in a Facebook post on Saturday, describing it as an unexpected and fascinating connection.

“Interesting, I just discovered on Facebook that Apaak is an entire community in South Sudan,” he wrote, explaining that he came across a flyer by the Apaak Youth Association inviting members to a general meeting.

He noted that the theme of the meeting, “Finding Pride In Our Apaak Identity,” immediately caught his attention, but what deepened his curiosity was the location. “Guess what, the venue is the South Sudan Hotel in Buluk. I find this very intriguing too, given that my family name is Apaak and I’m a Bulsa from Buluk,” he stated.

The Deputy Minister said the discovery has sparked a personal interest in exploring possible historical or cultural links. “As head of the Apaak family here in Ghana, I want to know more about the Apaak Community in South Sudan,” he added.

Dr Apaak indicated that he may take further steps to investigate the connection. “I’m inclined to dig further and perhaps even arrange a visit to the Apaak Community in South Sudan,” he wrote, suggesting the discovery could open up new lines of cultural inquiry.

He also expressed curiosity about the broader meaning of the name beyond Ghana. “What else does Apaak mean or represent in other languages, other parts of the world, other cultures? I guess my research will reveal,” he noted.

The post has since drawn reactions from social media users, many of whom found the coincidence both amusing and thought-provoking.

“Ooh I love that, Buluk in South Sudan and named after my Deputy Minister of Education and MP for Builsa South,” wrote Asikisimi Anthony Abil.

Another user, JA Abaayiili, commented, “You’re a legend, Honourable. I can also see ‘Buluk’ there, could Apaak be a Builsa community in South Sudan?”

MP for Wa West, Toobu Lanchene Peter simply added, “Worth a visit.”

The discovery has sparks conversations about historical connections between communities across Africa.