Former President John Dramani Mahama has criticized the government’s decision to not recognize Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as the founder of Ghana, calling it an attempt to “rewrite the history of the country.”
“…One of the things this government wants to do is to rewrite our history, and we will not allow it.”
Mahama disagreed with President Akufo-Addo’s assertion that the fight for independence was a collective effort, stating that Dr. Nkrumah’s leadership and contributions stood out.
“Yes, founding a nation takes a lot of people but there is always that one critical person whose sacrifices and efforts led to the attainment of the objective that everyone is working for.”
He drew an analogy with South Africa, saying, “So, if you ask South Africans, who is the founder of modern-day South Africa, they will tell you, it is Nelson Mandela, but it was not Mandela alone…”
Mahama emphasized that Dr. Nkrumah’s role in Ghana’s independence struggle was unparalleled. “It is the same for Ghana, if you ask Ghanaians who gained Independence for Ghana, the majority will tell you Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah because it is he who gave that critical spark to the independence struggle that eventually got us independence.”
He noted that while the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) wanted independence, Dr. Nkrumah sought self-government now and fought for it. “And that is why Ghanaians recognised him as our founder and nobody can come and rewrite our history.”
Mahama accused the UGCC of being obstacles to the struggle for independence, stating that they did not support Dr. Nkrumah’s move for self-government.
He promised that when the NDC regains power in 2025, the right history of Ghana would be restored.
“July 1 is our Republic Day, and we also made it Senior Citizens’ Day, but they have come to take the holiday from July 1 and placed it on August 4, the day UGCC was formed. If we come to power, we will rectify all those things.” He said
