The changes proposed by President Nana Akufo-Addo in the Founder’s Day Holiday observed every 21st of September is being greeted with massive criticisms.
Although some political stakeholders have seen nothing wrong with the adjustments, others, especially of the opposition New Patriotic Party have seen everything wrong with the changes.
Akufo-Addo, in a presidential statement dated Friday, 16th September, 2017, proposed a legislation to parliament to rule that the birthday of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, September 21, which is originally observed as Founder’s Day be observed as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, while commemorating August 4 as Founders’ day.
The President went ahead to issue an executive directive instructing that this coming 21st September be observed as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial.
These changes have however, sparked off public criticisms, and BuzzGhana has gathered some of the most prominent reactions you’ll certainly love to see.
The National Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Anita De-Soso made a nonsense of Nana Addo’s changes in the Founder’s Day celebrations, saying that nobody can ever rewrite Ghana’s history.
According to Madam De-Soso who aired her grievances on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, the incumbent president’s order can never stop all sympathizers of Kwame Nkrumah from celebrating him as the founder of Ghana every 21st September.
“Nobody can rewrite our history again for us… God has blessed our Founder who is Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. I have already said that whether Akufo Addo and NPP like it or not, we will celebrate Nkrumah’s birthday as a public holiday and this coming Thursday, many programmes are underway by Kwasi Pratt and other Nkrumahist to celebrate Nkrumah’s birthday as the Founder’s Day”, she hammered.
Also See: Mahama’s Stand on Controversy over Ghana’s Founder
Continuing, the furious NDC Vice Chairman said: “We want Akufo-Addo to know that whether he likes it or not, we will celebrate Founder’s Day on September 21 and if he wants to add another holiday on August 4 as another Founders’ Day, we thank him; already we have so many public holidays in Ghana. Nobody can compare himself to Kwame Nkrumah because he is peerless.”
A Senior Lecturer in the History and Political Studies Department of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Dr. Samuel Adu-Gyamfi speaking on Adom FM’s Burning Issues, described Nana Addo’s proposals as divisive and lacking basis in the history of Ghana.
“The move by the president will only create division among Ghanaians because the proposed celebration lacks the basis in Ghana’s history which will not bring national cohesion,” he stated.
For the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), it has been in the agenda of President Nana Addo to alter Ghana’s history since he assumed powers on January 7 this year.
Describing the recent holiday changes by the president as “lame and completely flawed”, the CPP Communications Director, Abdul Kadri Rauf told Joy News Monday that the president is only trying to protect his family.
“To the President, this is not about the history of Ghana…it is about his ancestry,” Mr Rauf said.
He concluded by saying, “we have only one founder”.
Controversy have over the years, continued to shroud the history of who and who actually brought about the emancipation of Ghana from colonial rule.
While New Patriotic Party loyalists who find their roots in the United Gold Coast Convention continue to argue the significant roles played by the UGCC founders in Ghana’s independence, National Democratic Congress supporters strongly hold unto the belief that only Kwame Nkrumah’s sacrifice gave Ghana self governance.
Read: Lesser Known Facts About Independence Roles of CPP and UGCC
This controversy has made the issue of “distorted history” a common topic of debate whenever discussions on Ghana’s independence comes into play. President Nana Addo’s speech during Ghana’s 60th Independence in March was also accused of the same offence of distorting the country’s history by promoting the roles of UGCC big heads in fighting for Ghana’s freedom to the detriment of Nkrumah’s contributions.
But, in what has been understood by some as a step to bring closure to the matter, Nana Addo wants September 21 to be exclusively dedicated to the celebration of Nkrumah and his contributions to Ghana’s independence, while the Founder’s Day be moved to August 4 to celebrate the country’s nationalists who fought in one way or the other to end colonial rule.
However, others have seen the move as a subtle way of removing the “Founder” crown from Kwame Nkrumah’s head, and dividing it among many small heads.
Howbeit, we’ll love to have your own take on this matter. Your opinions are welcome at the comment section below.
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