The Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, has described as palpable falsehood, claims that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah founded independent Ghana.
His comment revives the long-standing debate about the actual founder of Ghana especially after the president, Nana Akufo-Addo subtly also suggested so in the address he delivered at Ghana’s 60th independence anniversary parade.
The History Professor argued that the independence struggle was not championed by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah alone and the glory of independence could therefore not be attributed to him alone.
Speaking at the Institute of Economic Affairs’ (IEA) showing of a documentary of the political history of Ghana between 1844 and the Fourth Republican Constitution, Prof Mike Oquaye condemned the current history curriculum which credited Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as a founder of independent Ghana and said it was misleading.
“We are not searching apparently about anything including our GDP, Tema Oil Refinery debts, vital statistics that are simple to ascertain in many parts of the world. And this has been an unfortunate part of our history so much so that, today we celebrate one founding father which is palpable false, we have founding fathers. I’ll like to see Nkrumah celebrated by way of a holiday in his honour as the first President. A president who had a lot of vision in terms of education, health, African unity and so many area of our national development but definitely not as the founder of this nation because it is palpably false,” he said.
The erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government with the approval of Parliament declared Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday, 21st September as a statutory public holiday; thus Founder’s Day, to recognize Nkrumah for his tremendous contribution towards the independence of Ghana and Liberation struggle for the entire African continent.
But according to Prof. Oquaye, he expects that the country celebrates a founders’ day, which will honour all others who contributed to Ghana’s independence and not single out Nkrumah.
“It pains me particularly that we teach our children such false history. I look forward to the day where the founder’s day will be founders’ day and we shall all celebrate those who really together founded this nation, including Kwame Nkrumah,” he said.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)