A former National Chairperson and leader of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Madam Yaba Samia Nkrumah, has argued that the “Founders debate is a sterile debate.”
“I would imagine Kwame Nkrumah would not like to see the country divided over this matter. We should rather engage in Nkrumah's revolutionary ideas and policies,” he told the Daily Graphic in an interview in Accra on Tuesday.
Sharing her position on the attempt by President Akufo-Addo to change the Founders Day from September 21 to August 4, Madam Nkrumah said it was most unfortunate that the founders debate which had already been settled was being used as a New Patriotic Party (NPP) versus National Democratic Congress (NDC) game to score cheap political points and divide the nation for their own parochial interests at a time when there was consensus about Kwame Nkrumah's valuable contribution to nation-building.
Background
President Akufo-Addo is set to propose legislation to Parliament to designate 4th August as Founders Day, and 21st September as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, both of which will be observed as public holidays.
A statement from the Presidency and signed by the Director of Communications at the presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin on Sunday said the President has to this end issued an Executive Instrument to commemorate this year’s celebration of Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day as a public holiday.
Nkrumah’s policies
She postulated: “Dr Nkrumah laid the foundation for industrialisation. Where are we today? He laid the foundation for economic emancipation. Where are we today? Under Nkrumah's guidance in the sixties, we began controlling our economy, our resources, our national production, our gold and foreign currency reserves, today where are we? These are the issues we want our youth to be talking about.”
According to Madam Nkrumah, if truth be told, both parties - the NPP and the NDC - are not interested in Nkrumah's policies but only in capturing votes.
In her view, no amount of legislation or decrees could change the facts of history, stressing that the debate had already been settled.
According to Madam Nkrumah, historical records by Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians alike had documented the long journey towards independence, the birth of the new nation Ghana as well as efforts at nation-building.
She said the three national elections in 1951, 1954, and 1956 the successful campaign to unify the four territories under one nation, including the 1956 plebiscite; and the Independence, Motion in our Nation’s Assembly all attested to Nkrumah’s towering role in founding the nation Ghana.
“As for nation-building we can't begin to count: free education from primary to university and free textbooks; the 100 factories and industries established as part of economic planning, Black Star Shipping line (18 vessels in all), 29 trawlers, Akosombo Dam, Tema township and harbour, as well as all the institutions that made Ghana a strong and hopeful nation in the sixties,” she recalled.
Multiparty dispensation
Madam Nkrumah pointed out that since the country returned to multiparty dispensation under the Fourth Republic, the country had had NDC and NPP governments that oversaw the sale and privatisation of national assets - many to themselves and de-industrialisation and growing unemployment.
Under both NPP and the NDC, she said, Ghana had progressively lost control over her resources rather than nationalise them.
“Can we imagine Kwame Nkrumah pursuing these policies? Bringing our economy under the control of foreign interests? Nkrumah consistently spoke about economic independence as an objective and cautioned us against allowing ourselves to be exploited,” she asserted.
It is telling that our 1992 Constitution upholds all military decrees, including the one that renamed Accra International Airport after a coup leader, as well as other NLC decrees criminalising Nkrumah, she stated.
In effect, she said since 1966, the political elite had suppressed Nkrumah's ideas and policies constitutionally to the detriment of the welfare of the people of Ghana.
So it was insincere to be initiating a debate on founder or founders when the real issue was suppressing Nkrumah's policies that held the key to the country’s progress and development and to power going back to the people of Ghana, she underscored.
“Our focus today is on bringing Kwame Nkrumah's policies to every Ghanaian and African. Our focus is on revisiting Nkrumah's ideas and adapting them to the changing circumstances of today. Our focus is on educating ourselves, Ghanaians and Africans on Nkrumah's empowering philosophy and ideology for decolonisation to produce that strong energy that will put a seriously nationalistic, Pan-Africanist government in place that will put the welfare of the people at the top of the list of priorities. That is the Nkrumah Revolution we want to see,” she declared.
Way forward
On the way forward, Madam Nkrumah said she was very serious about making Nkrumah's ideas available to the Youth of Ghana.
“That is why the Kwame Nkrumah Pan-African Centre (KNAC) of which I'm a founder is organising, together with a number of youth organisations, a programme on September 21 to launch the African Edition of Kwame Nkrumah's books beginning with Dark Days in Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah Dialogue Series.”
“This week we are beginning with a Youth Dialogue on Nkrumah's ideas and policies. And we will continue with the books and the dialogues,” she stated.
Source: Daily Graphic
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Ndc has no message so has taking to Nkrumah to take away the credit to use the few followers for their own th*eving interest. When did Nkrumah became an ndc man? If they are calling Nkrumah's name in the ndc because they call themselves Nkrumaists then they are greedy and selfish because cpp is still there why don't you join to better it? They are stomach politicians no wonder they are ste*ling in the ndc as ND when they go into opposition make themselves CPP surrogates shame on you ndc.Fred what are you talking about? She has no right to brag about her father's achievement but ndc has? Are you people crazy? Ndc has been in office more than any other party from independence but has nothing to show than make unnecessary argument about Osagyefo who started his rule from 1960 when Ghana attained republic but built more than 350 factories which ndc have sold all. Ndc tell us about your achievement for about the 16 years of democratic rule and 11 years of so called revolution? What extraordinary did you bring to Ghana to benefit the people? Adapaafuo! Ndc made ***barred word*** of all those years with nothing to show,than st*aling upon ste*ling,corruption and disunity in the country. How can you rule a country by tribal lines and then go back to those you used that against to bring you back you people think Ghanaians are ***barred word***? Ndc it's over,never again and Samia Nkrumah is telling you thanks no thanks. It is unnecessary to mention Osagyefo's name when you don't walk his walk and talk his talk. Shame on you ndc! Think of the next generation not the next elections shame on you ndc. Thank God I'm not an ndc fo*l I would have bowed down my head in shame because of what Samia Nkrumah has said but ndc has no shame. Ndc are mourning more than the bereaved.
YOU SAID IT ALL-HISTORY ON THE BIG 6 WILL SETTLE THIS DEBATE ONCE AND FO ALL: "FOUNDERS DAY" OR "FOUNDER DAY?" MY TAKE IS IT SHOULD BE "FOUNDERS"
Nkrumah was overthrown because he drove the economy of this country to total disrepair.Let us also not forget the one party state,President for life and the hundreds of Ghanaians who were thrown into detention without trial and hundreds who lost their lives because of his disrespect for human rights.Ghana could have been much better without him.
samia pay pollen agents and stop bragging with your father's achievement, if you are truly the daughter of your father
I agree with joe cra*zy, lets go back to history and know more about the big six
Samia is protecting her father's legacy and Nana Akufo Addo is also protecting his family's legacy. How do we settle it? Let's go into the history books. The answers are all there. No one can run away from history !!!
I dare say here that Madam Samia is confused about the issue at hand. What did she say when NDC through Late President Mills instituted the Founder's Day? Who is she expecting to talk about the proposed change of the day to another thing? I think she just want to make her voice heard because the media sought her thought. Her argument is not cogent.
Lets all try to ponder over this question: Who are the Big Six and why are they refered to as Big Six? Maybe if we are able to answer this question corectly we will be able to find out if it should be Fonder's day or Founders day that we as a Nation should celeberate. Case Closed.