By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Zuarungu (U/E), Aug 6, GNA – Former President John Dramani Mahama has described the Government’s decision not to recognise Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, as the founder of Ghana as 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,” he said.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo acknowledged the significant contributions of Dr Nkrumah towards Ghana’s struggle for independence but believed that the fight was a collective one.
However, former President Mahama, while on a campaign tour of the Upper East Region, disagreed with that assertion, stating that although many others played key roles in securing Ghana’s independence, Dr Nkrumah’s leadership and contributions stood out and that made him the founder of Ghana.
“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,” Mr Mahama said.
“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…”
“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”.
Mr Mahama, the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2024 elections, noted that while the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) wanted independence within the shortest possible time, 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”, he stressed.
The former President accused the UGCC of being obstacles to the struggle for independence, stressing that proponents of the UGCC did not support Dr Nkrumah’s move for self-government and petitioned the Queen of England at the time not to grant independence to Ghana.
He noted that when the NDC regained 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 added.
GNA