Retired Diplomat, Mr. K.B Asante has described the proposal by President Nana Akufo Addo’s led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to change the Founder’s Day date to August 4 as a ‘silly idea’.
The political historian known for his frankness averred that observing the birthday of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as Founder’s Day is a foregone conclusion and remains untouchable.
President Akufo Addo has suggested to Parliament to legislate 21st September Founder’s Day to August 4; thus September 21 would still remain a statutory public holiday but observed as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
The decision has however caused an uproar among historians, academicians, politicians and others. But K.B Asante who worked closely with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is enraged by the President’s intention.
“I don’t want to consider the idea of changing it,” he rejected the proposal in an interview with TV3’s Bright Nana Amfoh on Midday Live Thursday, September 21, 2017.
“If you don’t know your history that you have all these silly ideas that Nkrumah not being the founder and find other reasons to support [the proposal]. He was the founder, we have decided on it, and that is the end”, he stressed.
He charged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led President Akufo Addo to busy itself with other important development in the country, rather than trying to change an idea accepted globally.
Proponents advocating for a change of date argued strongly that Nkrumah cannot be the sole founder of Ghana, insisting that the change would give due recognition to others who played critical role leading to Ghana’s independence.
Mr. K.B. Asante again indicated that August 4 in which the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was inaugurated cannot even be exhaustive as there are several other unrecorded heroes who were not part of the UGCC but contributed immensely to the country attaining independence.
Speaking onthe same network, Prof. Edmund Delle, Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), also stated that there is no doubt others played a significant role in Ghana’s independence, but like in other jurisdiction, the country has accepted that he [Kwame Nkrumah] is the founder, and that should end the debate.
He saw Nkrumah as a “unique” person who would forever remained great irrespective of what his critics do; adding “I find the debate needless”, warning that the CPP will with “immediate effect” change the date again when it comes to power without even batting an eyelid.
I support Mr asente.Ghana pls permit me to say akufo addo you truly has silly ideas you can’t build up so don’t spoil the once that has already been done just stay there till your term of office is over.
When will CPP come to power again? That’s an illusion and daydreaming. It was an error to name Nkrumah as sole founder of Ghana.
We cannot name all the persons who struggle for freedom. We can only credit one person whose performance surpass all in the struggle and that person is Nkrumah. Those who know the story very well should help us understand the roles played by each individual during the struggle and lets see which of these men worked towards the freedom of Ghana. I saw pictures of the day independence was declared and i didn’t see any of the so called big six members except Nkrumah. And i ask the question, where were they?
Nkrumah played leadership role for Ghana to gain independence unlike the rest who were acting against the struggle out of jealousy, enviousness and hatred towards Nkrumah.