By Francis Ntow
Accra, Jan 8, GNA – Mr. Ousmane Diagana, World Bank Regional Vice President, has urged Africans to use the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial and Mausoleum Park as a hub for learning and promoting Pan-Africanism and continental development.
He stressed that the vision and ideals of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, would keep inspiring future generations of Africans, making the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial and Mausoleum Park an important center for history, culture, and education.
Mr. Diagana made these remarks after touring the museum, which underwent renovations funded by a US$3.5 million grant from the World Bank.
The upgrades included the addition of a Presidential Library, Freedom Hall, an amphitheatre, an audio-visual tunnel, and a new water fountain.
“The museum is a unique place for Africans, but beyond Africans, for the entire world to come here to learn from the life, the accomplishment and the legacy of this great leader, Dr Kwame Nkrumah,” he said.
Encouraging other Africans to visit the tourist center, Mr. Diagana remarked, ” I will come back next time with my entire family, because this will be extremely important for many to learn from the life of this exceptional leader.”
He expressed the World Bank’s pleasure in being part of the museum’s expansion, emphasizing the bank’s ongoing commitment to supporting Ghana’s development.
Mr. Robert Taliercio O’Brien, the World Bank Country Director for Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, also noted, “It’s truly inspirational to visit here and learn about the life of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.”
“I’ve also been inspired by many of the quotes and writings of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, including the one where he talks about how to measure progress. And it’s really progress about the development of the citizens of Ghana,” he said.
Mr. O’Brien stated that development should be gauged by the number of citizens with access to clean water and electricity, the extent of road infrastructure, and the number of children receiving an education in schools.
“One of the aspects of his vision is very much in line with the mission of the World Bank, which is to end extreme poverty and promote shared prosperity on a liveable planet,” he sa
Originally commissioned in 1992, the mausoleum is situated on the former British colonial polo grounds, the site where Dr. Nkrumah declared Ghana’s independence on March 6, 1957.
It houses the remains of Dr. Nkrumah and his wife, Fathia Nkrumah.
GNA