Once again, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo don cause kasala afta im 4 August holiday speech wey im tok say im dey reject di tori say Dr Kwame Nkrumah na di founder of di kontri.
Dis no be di first time im dey tok say di African wey everibodi sabi as di founder of Ghana – Dr Nkrumah, no be di only one wey win independence for Ghana.
Bifor im become president for 2017, Ghana bin dey celebrate di birthday of Dr Nkrumah on 21 September wey di kontri dey mark am as founder’s day.
Dis na to observe di struggle for independence and to also celebrate wetin oda ogbonge pipo dem dey call ‘big six’ – for di effort to gain independence from di British.
But afta Nana Akufo-Addo become president, im shift di holiday from 21 September to 4 August, wia im also change di position of di apostrophe (from founder’s day to founders’ day).
Im goment now pass one law for parliament wey now make 4 August holiday to celebrate di pipo wey di president tok say bin dey part of founding fathers of di kontri.
For dis day 4 August 1897, dem form one movement – Aborigines Rights protection society wia on di same 4 August 1947, J B Danquah and George Alfred Paa Grant form di United Gold Coast convention (UGCC) wey begin to dey tink about independence.
Inside di president in recent holiday speech, im tok say, “I don reject completely di notion say one pesin be founder of Ghana.”
“While di contribution of Kwame Nkrumah to our independence dey undeniable, e dey important to acknowledge for our self respect say di struggle for di freedom of our nation, na collective effort ova several generations,” Akufo-Addo tok.
Im add say “Kwame Nkrumah wit im charismatic leadership na major actor for di final lap of our journey to independence – na so parliament for 2019, bin set Memorial Day to celebrate im birthday.”
As di president don meet senior citizens on 5 August for di seat of goment, im tok am again say no be one pesin be founder of Ghana.
“I sabi say pipo dey ask questions about dis 4 August ceremony as founders’ day, sake of di thinking say everybodi bin dey sleep for Ghana bifor Kwame Nkrumah and im party di Convention People’s Party (CPP) don arrive.
I don tok my own already. I no wan go ova dat mata.”
But many pipo bin dey bash di president say im dey try to “distort di history of di kontri”.
- Ghana authorities dey investigate report of ‘Paralympic team’ wey japa from tournament inside Norway
- Supreme Court delay judgement on injunction applications against anti-LGBTQ bill for Ghana
- Five takeaways from President Akufo-Addo state of di nation address
Wetin opposition leader tok
One of dis pipo na John Mahama wey be ex-president and now candidate for di opposition party for di 2024 elections.
John Mahama tok during one durbar for Bolgatanga sa,y “like di way if you ask South Africa pipo, who wey be di founder of modern day South Africa, dem go mention Nelson Mandela even though no be im alone wey fight for independence for dem, na so Ghana be.”
“Mandela im sacrifice wey im dey prison, all make im be di symbol of di struggle wey make am di founder.”
John Mahama add say, “di South Africa story bin dey similar to Ghana wia majority of Ghanaians sabi say na Nkrumah be di founder of di kontri, nobody fit to re-write di history of di kontri.”
Im also jab di president say im dey try to celebrate di UGCC as part of di kontri founders even though di party bin write to di British colonial masters at di time Dr Nkrumah and di CPP bin try to declare independence.
“For di time di British decide to grant Ghana independence, di UGCC wey di president dey try to recognise as contributing to dj independence, bin write petition to oppose am.”
Oga Mahama add say, “di UGCC na obstacle to our independence struggle and so dem no fit to dey part of it.”
Di UGCC dia motto at di time na ‘self governance at di shortest possible time’ wey di CPP under Nkrumah bin tok say dey want ‘self governance now’.
Kwame Nkrumah im pikin blast Akufo-Addo
One pikin of Ghana first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah wey im name na Dr Sekou Nkrumah accuse di president of “trying to manipulate Ghana history.”
Sekou tok say, “we sabi say di UGCC wey later become di UP tradition, na di first political movement wey open di way for political independence. We also sabi say Nkrumah don break away from di UGCC to form di CPP, so Nkrumah don change di dynamics.”
Im add say, “di president still bin dey live for di emotions of di past. We all agree say Nkrumah na di pesin wey lead Ghana to independence, some pipo go tok say oda pipo bin dey part of di struggle, but na Nkrumah capture power. Im lead di kontri to independence.”
“Dis tin na petty. I tink we get to rise above dis kind tin and understand our history,” Sekou Nkrumah tok local media channel TV3.
Oga Sekou Nkrumah add for im social media page say “since Nkrumah break away from di UGCC wey im form di CPP, political rivalry don dey between Nkrumah and di rest of di ‘big six’. Di president still dey caught up for dat history wia im neva want to move on.”
Dr Nkrumah im party di CPP react
Di convention peoples party (CPP) accuse di president say im dey “massage facts about di independence of Ghana and di pesin wey be di founder.”
According to di party, di whole world sabi say na Dr Nkrumah be di founder of Ghana.
For one statement, di CPP say “to reject Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah as founder of Ghana, na unfortunate gaffe. Afta im fight for independence, im also give Ghana im current name – Ghana, sake of at di time, di kontri bin dey called old Ghana empire.
“Di goment and di new patriotic party (NPP) wey dey formed from di UP tradition, always dey tok tins wey neva dey accurate wwy dey massage facts for all fronts.”
Di party add say, “no amount of rejection of dis fact by di president go change di history of di kontri. We go continue to defend Dr Nkrumah and im vision and legacy.”
Political historians tok about di history
One ogbonge historian Frimpong Anokye wey also be lawyer bin tok say di history dey in favour of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
According to oga Frimpong, “Kwame Nkrumah na di pesin wey give Ghana dia national flag. Di first president of di kontri tell di designer of di flag madam Theodosia Oko say make we maintain only one star inside di flag.”
“For di national anthem, na Kwame Nkrumah wey bin commission Philip Gbeho to compose di current anthem togeda wit di national coat of arms wey Amon Kotei don create.”
Im tok say from di literature and history books, JB Danquah and di oda pipo wey di goment dey tok say dem contribute to di independence struggle, no play any role for di declaration.
Oga Frimpong explain say, “one 6 March wen Kwame Nkrumah declare independence – JB Danquah no dey dia to give support, Dr Busia wey be opposition leader at di time also neva show up to support.”
Indeed inside one of Kwame Nkrumah im books wey im write about di struggles im go through during di independence fight and wen im become president till 1966, Nkrumah tok how some political figures bin dey against im agenda for independence at di time.
One of dis pipo wey Nkrumah mention inside im book apart from JB Danquah, na Kofi Abrefa Busia wey become prime minister for Ghana from 1969 to 1972 afta Ghana chop independence wen dey overthrow Nkrumah for 1966.
“Busia wey lead di opposition delegation to London actually appeal to di British goment say make dem no grant independence. Im tok say di kontri neva dey ready for it, we still need you (di British) for di Gold Coast”, Nkrumah write inside im book.
Dis, oga Frimpong Anokye di historian tok say show say na only Nkrumah bin lead di independence fight wey im be di founder of di kontri.
Anoda governance analyst Prof Baffour Agyeman Dua tok say, “no matter how you look at am, Nkrumah dey stand tall for Ghana politics and nobody fit to belittle im accomplishments.”
Im add say “afta 1950s, di politics of di UGCC be say make dem oppose everitin Nkrumah tok for di independence struggle. So if Nkrumah still fit attain independence for di kontri, we get to celebrate am, na so dem judge am as di African of di millennium.”
- Ghana parliament pass affirmative action bill wey go increase women participation for governance and decision-making
- Four major tins Ghana finance minister talk for mid-year budget presentation
- Dengue fever outbreak in Ghana – Wetin we know
