‘Nkrumah’ trends as Akufo-Addo sets social media on fire with controversial Founders’ Day speech
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Nkrumah, the surname of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, is trending on social media following a statement by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo ahead of the observation of the 2024 Founders’ Day on August 4, 2024.
In his statement, President Akufo-Addo dismissed the view that Kwame Nkrumah is the sole founder of Ghana and said that he would never accept that notion.
President Akufo-Addo noted that some persons and organizations were as important and crucial to the independence fight as Kwame Nkrumah.
“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.
“The formation of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society, the British West African National Congress, the United Gold Coast Convention, the work of countless unsung heroes, and the tenacious spirit of our people all played vital parts in bringing us to freedom and independence.
“Kwame Nkrumah, with his charismatic and visionary leadership, was undoubtedly a major actor in the final lap of our journey to independence. That is why, despite the several unfortunate things that happened after independence under his watch, Parliament in 2019 decided to memorialize his date of birth as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, the only Ghanaian so far to be so honored in our history,” he said.
The statement has expectedly generated huge discussions as supporters and opponents of Kwame Nkrumah debate the issue.
Those who hold dissenting views to that of President Akufo-Addo are calling him out for seeking to disrespect Kwame Nkrumah.
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