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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mahama vows to make July 1 public holiday again, says he will resist New Patriotic Party (NPP) attempt to re-write Ghana’s political history.
In what appears to be a response to President Akufo-Addo’s address last Saturday, marking the 2024 Founders’ Day, Mr Mahama said founding a nation requires the efforts of many but there is always one critical individual who sacrifice his efforts towards the attainment of the independence.
He said Dr Kwame Nkrumah was the one who gave that critical spark with the independence struggle resulting in its attainment, hence the founder of Ghana.
Durbar
Mr Mahama, who is the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was addressing a durbar of chiefs and people at Yarigabiisi in the Bolgatanga East Constituency on Sunday, August 4, 2024 as part of his campaign tour.
President Akufo-Addo in his 2024 Founders’ Day address last Saturday, expressed his disagreement with claims that Kwame Nkrumah solely founded Ghana.
“As I speak to you this evening, rejecting completely the notion that Ghana was founded by one man. While Kwame Nkrumah’s contributions to our independence are undeniable, it is important to acknowledge that the struggle for our nation’s freedom was a collective effort spanning several generations,” the president said in his broadcast.
He highlighted the contributions of groups including Joseph Casely Hayford and Thomas Hutton-Mills’ British West African National Congress among others.
Example
Citing an example, President Mahama said if you ask South African’s the founder of modern day South Africa, they will mention Nelson Mandela although he was not the only one who fought for the independence of that country.
He stressed that it was Mandela’s sacrifice for being in prison for about 27 years and being the symbol of the struggle making him the founder of the country.
Same with Ghana
He mentioned that South Africa’s situation is similar to Ghana since majority of Ghanaians are aware that Kwame Nkrumah is the founder of Ghana.
“That is why Ghanaians recognise him as the founder and that nobody can come and re-write our history as a nation” he said.
Recounting events leading to the attainment of Ghana’s independence, Mr Mahama said when the Queen of England agreed to grant the country’s independence the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) that President Akufo-Addo is “trying to recognise” as contributing to the independence wrote a petition to oppose it.
He added “indeed the UGCC was an obstacle to our independence struggle and cannot be part of it”.
He announced that the next administration under his leadership in 2025, July 1 would rectify and make a public holiday again.
