The flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama has stated that the party will resist attempts by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to re-write Ghana’s political history.
Addressing a durbar of Chiefs and people at Yarigabiisi in the Bolgatanga East Constituency on Monday, August 4, 2024, as part of his campaign tour, Mr Mahama said founding a nation requires the efforts of many but there is always one critical individual who sacrifices his efforts towards the attainment of the independence.
He added that Dr Kwame Nkrumah was the one who gave that critical spark to the independence struggle resulting in its attainment, hence the founder of Ghana.
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, I reject 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.
But in what appears to be a response to Akufo-Addo, Mr Mahama said if you ask South Africans 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.
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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.
He mentioned that South Africa’s situation is similar to Ghana’s since the 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.
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He added, “Indeed the UGCC was an obstacle to our independence struggle and cannot be part of it”.
