Ghana marked its 60th anniversary on Monday, March 6, 2017 at the Independence Square in Accra with colourful displays of the nation's rich culture.
The parade was graced by the three former Presidents of the country – Jerry John Rawlings, John Agyekum Kufour and John Mahama as well as heads of states and dignitaries from neighbouring countries.
It was also a sight to behold as students and contigents from the security services, performed a march past to salute the president, who doubles as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Delivering a speech to climax the event, President Nana Akufo-Addo stoked embers of the debate over whether Ghana should have founding fathers or just a founding father.
Commending the country's fore fathers for fighting a good battle to liberate the nation from the British colonial rule, the president noted that the independence struggle had been started by members of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) 10 years before it was granted.
"We are met here, today, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of our nation’s independence, to celebrate our freedom from the clutches of British imperialism, to celebrate the final achievement of the struggle of successive generations of Ghanaian patriots to establish a free, sovereign Ghana. Today is a celebration of our independence. Being independent means you have the freedom and ability to make informed decisions in life without having to ask other people for permission, help or money and you take full responsibility for seeing things through.
"Our founders chose this day, March 6, as the date of our independence, in order to repudiate the Bond of 6th March 1844, which led to our land becoming a British colony...The founders of the UGCC, then, met to demand independence from the British and 70 years after that event, one still marvels at the clarity of thought and the passion that they displayed. Some of the names of that momentous day have survived in our written history and folk memory...The speech, the Ghanaian colossus, Danquah, made on that day, deserves to be quoted liberally on a day like this," he said.
"...Danquah captured the mood of the time and set our country on the path to independence," the President added.
Touting the major roles played by Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, William Ofori-Atta, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, and his father Edward Akufo-Addo, the President pointed out that it was when the UGCC leaders decided they needed a full-time person to man the party’s affairs that they brought in the "dynamic" nationalist Kwame Nkrumah.
“Soon thereafter, on 28the February, 1948, the notorious and senseless killings of three ex-servicemen, Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey...which, undoubtedly, quickened the pace of the independence movement,” he said.
But some have accused the president of attempting to distort history in his speech.
Central Regional Chairman of the NDC, Bernard Allotey Jacobs believes Nkrumah's contributions were deliberately altered by the president, who sought to rather credit J.B Danquah for the change of the country's name from Gold Coast to Ghana.
“Step by step, paragraph by paragraph, the deceptive nature of his speech; it was like it was centered on J.B Danquah. It was centered on J.B Danquah. A statement the President gave (the name Ghana); who gave the name Ghana has been in dispute…It is giving recognition to J.B Danquah as the man who mooted the idea that should we have our independence, it means we should have the name Ghana. So, that is being credited to him and not to President Kwame Nkrumah” but to him, the question is “who gave Ghana independence? The credit goes to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. You can never run away from that fact”, he replied President Akufo-Addo and further begged him to accept that "the founder of Ghana is Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Period! Nothing else…” he said on PeaceFM.
Also addressing the issue on the station's flagship programme "Kokrokoo", Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako opined that the President perhaps exaggerated historical facts.
Kweku Baako told host Kwami Sefa Kayi that there's no other person who founded the country than Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
According to him, there are historical records that point to the heroic efforts by Dr. Nkrumah in achieving independence for the country.
Alluding to some historical records including Parliamentary Hansards to buttress his comments which wowed listeners of the show, the Senior Journalist noted that Dr. Nkrumah became the person to declare Ghana's independence for specific reasons.
"....Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah...the one that declared independence on March 6, 1957. Let’s be dispassionate. Let’s ask those questions. You’ll know that that is the reason why he has become and I’m being charitable first among equals. As an Nkrumahist, I’m biased. That’s the key man. I will go for him as the key founder of this country. (Kwame) he’s number one. There’s no dispute about it."
“There’s nothing the President said that wasn’t factual but sometimes, I remember I saw somewhere that says if you exaggerate the truth; you undermine the essence of the truth," he added.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi /Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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Some planted the tree, others watered it, still others tended it before maturity to provide shed and resting place for all. They all deserve credit. Countrymen, let's move the country forward from poverty quagmire in the mist of many natural and human resources. Ghana be ye yie!
Excuse please! I have a question. The issue is, Moses was the one ,God started the movement and the coming out of Egypty with, but the whole thing was finally accomplished by Joshua. If so then , can someone tell me? Was Moses the one who brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt or Joshua who brought them out of the land of Egypt?
The hidden truth about ghana's independence
The hidden tuth about ghana independence
IN RACE, SAY 4 X 4, THERE ARE FOUR (4) RACERS FOR A GROUP. ONE PERSON STARTS THE RACE, AND THEN GIVES THE BARTON TO THE SECOND, AND THEN THE SECOND TO THE THIRD, AND THE THIRD TO THE FOURTH WHO FINALLY COMPLETES THE RACE AND WINS. OBVIOUSLY THE FOURTH PERSON WON, BUT HE EMERGED WINNER OUT OF A GROUP. THE CREDIT THEREFORE GOES FOR THE GROUP AND NOT THE LAST BARTON CARRIER WHO WON. FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Very civilized discussion. Both sides, for and against Kwaku Baako made good points. Other portals are full of insults. Thanks very much for this wonderful discussion. I have learned a lot.
The problem is how Nkrumah had been projected all these while. Is he the only one who won independence for us? obviously no. If no, why have we over the years neglected the rest? Yes our Prez may have exaggerated but he told the truth. Shamefully we have a founder day as holiday instead of founders day. Why have we done this to ourselves? Have we as a country been fair to the rest who started the fight? It was a collective effort. Nkrumah put the icing on the cake. Let's recognize the efforts of the rest as well no only Nkrumah.
I am convinced that Nana Addo the president did not intent to discredit his highest credibility and integrity as the first gentleman of the land by distorting history of nation interest. I believed he was just trying to highlight details of the history which fortunately gives credit to his family members. I am NKRUMAHIST from the same place like Nkrumah but will not begrudge the President so much because He knows beyond politics that GHANA means God Has Appointed Nkrumah Already. He is also aware that without Nkrumah, Ghana would never and ever had gained independence. One free advice to Mr President is that changing history is like altering the ancient landmarks which is abomination to God. The Father and the Founder of the nation Ghana is Kwame Nkrumah which is indelibly written in all books in the world and that of heavens and no man can change it. Every man can be jealous of the fact that Kwame Nkrumah gained independence for Ghana but can never change that fact. Mr.President, Ghanaian has forgiven your trespasses for attempting to distort historic facts. But please do not repeat it again. Remember you wouldn't have become president if you have not think like Nkrumah doing this last election. May God advice you never to distort historical facts about Kwame Nkrumah and His Ghana again.Amen.
Hahahaha, from plagiarism to over exaggeration. Our competent president. God have mercy
If Kwame Nkrumah was invited to head a party that was already in existence with pay, then he was an employee of that organization. Kwame Nkrumah wouldn't have come to Ghana if he was not assured of full time job at that time. Has anyone asked the question as to how money was mobilized to pay him? How many of the Ghanaians living abroad are willing to come to Ghana without being assured of a well paid job? Kwame Nkrumah took advantage of his position and achieved whatever he achieved; and tried to over-shadow all the forerunners of the independence agenda. Over the years all the credit has been given to him alone, which is not really fair. One person alone couldn't have achieved independence for Ghana, and so it is not right to continue to lavish all the praises on Kwame Nkrumah, so the historical facts must be straightened, and that was what Nana Addo sought to do. The other day, I heard the communication director of CPP saying that, J.B. Danquah and others wanted independence "as early as possible"; whereas Kwame Nkrumah wanted "independence now". He was exaggerating about semantics to score political points and to create disaffection for the president, and I am very disappointed in him! Expressing divergent view about such a big thing as independence, about a cautious approach to achieve it should not be construed as "tardiness" on those who taught going cautiously would do the trick. In any case, did Kwame NKrumah achieve the independence "NOW"? He came in 1947 and the independence came in 1957, was it a "NOW"?