‘Don’t distort history of Ghana’

A Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Koku Anyidoho, has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to concentrate on fulfilling his numerous electoral promises and not destroy the peace and harmony of Ghana with the fruitless attempts to distort the history of Ghana.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic on the attempt by President Akufo-Addo to change the Founders’ Day from September 21 to August 4,he said it was an established fact that Dr Kwame Nkrumah fought for the independence of Ghana and not Edward Akufo-Addo, or Dr J.B. Danquah.

Independence of Ghana

“There is no denying the fact that Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah brazed the trail and fought for the independence of Ghana. The fact that the African Union had also adopted September 21 as a special day on its calendar attests to the fact that Kwame Nkrumah brazed the trail for the independence struggle not only for Ghana but for the African continent,” he said.

According to Mr Anyidoho, Ghana’s history has been written a long time ago with the name of Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah solidly etched and so President Akufo-Addo and a small group cannot change that history. “Our national anthem enjoins us to resist the oppressor’s rule with all our heart and mind, as such the NDC and the Socialist Forum of Ghana, as well as all patriots and progressive forces shall resist any attempt to change the course of history.

Revisionist tendencies

Mr Anyidoho said the resistant movement shall not accept any revisionist tendencies. “It was Dr Nkrumah who on March 6, 1957 led the movement for the lowering of the ‘’union jack’’ (the flag of the United Kingdom) and the hoisting of the red, gold, black star and the green flag of the Republic of Ghana and nobody can take that away from him.

He commended late President Prof. J.E. Atta Mills for establishing the Founders’ Day, saying the opposition would, on September 21 embark on a solidarity march to commemorate "the Founders’ Day Celebration of the birthday of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the Founder and first President of the Republic of Ghana.’’

Historical records

Meanwhile, the NDC said it would use every available means to repel moves by President Akufo-Addo to alter the historical records of the country.

The party has ,therefore, decided to embark on a solidarity march on Thursday, September 21, “to commemorate the Founders’ Day Celebration and the birthday of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the Founder and the first President of the Republic of Ghana”.

A statement signed by Mr Anyidoho, said "the march, which will commence at 6 a.m., will move from Nima, through the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Farisco to UTC and end up at the Community Centre next to the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum".

Solidarity march

He said solidarity messages would come from leading personalities from the NDC, the Socialist Forum of Ghana and all progressive forces to once again establish the fact that Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah is the founder of the Republic of Ghana.