President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, has paid tribute to some unsung heroes who contributed in diverse ways towards the attainment of Ghana’s independence.
Giving a speech at the Independence Day parade, at the Blackstars Square, he said the name Ghana after independence was meant to give the nation a fresh start and mark the break from colonialism.
It was also meant to give Ghana “a sense of our historical roots and the assurance that we have a history, culture and civilisation that preceded colonialism.
“We must remember, on a day like this, some others who are not listed among the forefront fighters for political freedom, but who fought equally hard for our cultural integrity and the identification of who we are as Ghanaians,” he said at the event, which marked the 60th independence anniversary celebration of the country.
“I pay homage to Ephraim Amu, ‘Tata Amu’ as he was fondly called. He was the composer of what easily passes as our unofficial National Anthem, Yen Ara Asase Ne.
He asked: “Is there a Ghanaian among us today who can sing or hear that song, in whichever language, without being moved?
“Ephraim Amu stood alone, most of the time, against what he saw as cultural domination. You did not have to wear a European-cut suit to be a scholar, you could wear a fugu, kente and above all, a locally woven fabric, and still be an educated person.
“He insisted you did not have to eat foreign foods because you were a scholar, and he insisted our music was as interesting and sophisticated as any around the world. Those were radical ideas for the time.”
President Akufo-Addo also paid homage to Philip Gbeho, the composer of the National Anthem, and Theodosia Okoh, the designer of the national flag.
“I pay homage to Kofi Antubam, the artist who first put Ghanaian art on the map. I pay homage to Saka Acquaye, the poet, writer, sculptor and musician, who wrote the first African folklore, ‘The Lost Fisherman.’
“I pay tribute to J. A. Braimah, the Gonja scholar and statesman who wrote insightful publications about the Gonja people.
“I pay homage to Apaloo, the poet who immortalised the philosophy and music of the Ewe language. I pay homage to E.T. Mensah, King Bruce, Jerry Hansen and the others who popularised highlife, which has become an enduring identity of Ghanaian music. I pay tribute to the great musicologist, J.H. Nketia, who is the great authority on African music.”
The president paid homage to Otumfuo Prempeh I, who waged a heroic, even if unsuccessful, battle against the British and retained his dignity even in exile.
“I pay homage to Yaa Asantewa, that woman of valour, who led the Ashanti resistance to British imperialism. I pay homage to Nana Ofori-Atta I, who saw the wisdom in investing in the education of the young.
“I pay homage to Professor Alexander Adum Kwapong, the first Ghanaian Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, who became an icon in the development of our educational system.
“I pay homage to Oko Ampofo, sculptor and physician, who encouraged confidence in our traditional arts and medicine. It is thanks to him that herbal medicine became a respectable subject of study and research in our country.”
The President also mentioned Dede Ashikisham and Akua Shorshorshor, famous market queens, who financed Kwame Nkrumah and the nationalist movement from their successful businesses.
He noted that they and many others, like them, contributed to the fight for independence and in moulding the Ghanaian that emerged on March 6, 1957, adding: “The world shared our excitement and wished us well.”
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