Retired Diplomat, Mr. K.B Asante has described the proposal by President Nana Akufo Addo's led New Patriotic Party (NPP) government to change the Founder’s Day date to August 4 as a ‘silly idea’.
The political historian known for his frankness averred that observing the birthday of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as Founder’s Day is a foregone conclusion and remains untouchable.
President Akufo Addo has suggested to Parliament to legislate 21st September Founder’s Day to August 4; thus September 21 would still remain a statutory public holiday but observed as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
The decision has however caused an uproar among historians, academicians, politicians and others. But K.B Asante who worked closely with Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is enraged by the President's intention.
"I don’t want to consider the idea of changing it,” he rejected the proposal in an interview with TV3’s Bright Nana Amfoh on Midday Live Thursday, September 21, 2017.
“If you don’t know your history that you have all these silly ideas that Nkrumah not being the founder and find other reasons to support [the proposal]. He was the founder, we have decided on it, and that is the end”, he stressed.
He charged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government led President Akufo Addo to busy itself with other important development in the country, rather than trying to change an idea accepted globally.
Proponents advocating for a change of date argued strongly that Nkrumah cannot be the sole founder of Ghana, insisting that the change would give due recognition to others who played critical role leading to Ghana’s independence.
Mr. K.B. Asante again indicated that August 4 in which the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was inaugurated cannot even be exhaustive as there are several other unrecorded heroes who were not part of the UGCC but contributed immensely to the country attaining independence.
Speaking onthe same network, Prof. Edmund Delle, Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), also stated that there is no doubt others played a significant role in Ghana’s independence, but like in other jurisdiction, the country has accepted that he [Kwame Nkrumah] is the founder, and that should end the debate.
He saw Nkrumah as a “unique” person who would forever remained great irrespective of what his critics do; adding “I find the debate needless”, warning that the CPP will with “immediate effect” change the date again when it comes to power without even batting an eyelid.
Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]
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These old men think we the younger generation are dumb, you find wisdom in satin that, even the 4th August, when UGCC was inaugurated, can not be exhaustive. Because there were other major players in our fight for independence before them, why then conclude that Nkrumah is the sole founder of Ghana? We don't care how closely you worked with him, thank those who brought him to ghana for you to get a job to do by working with him. You are an ungrateful bitter old man.
I thought KB Asante is old and wise enough that this matter does NOT merit any insults. Mr Know-all-KB Asante, Kwame Nkrumah is NOT the sole founder of Ghana, period!! Plse, stop the insults and respect yourself
It is going to be founders' day, period. No amount of insults from K.B Asante can change it. All those involved in the independence struggle should recognised. Now, look at NDC and Ayariga they want Mahama to be recognised for maritime victory. Mahama could have used his presidency to create better and lasting legacy and not awarding contracts to cronies and accepting car gifts.
You were never even a member of the CPP. Unfortunately all the people who knew are dead and gone and so for the past x years you've been riding the 'when I was working with Nkrumah' train. You never worked with him. You were s mere civil setvant at the ministry of education. You had no access to him. Have several seats, mister!
the kwame nkrumah's pantry boy?
THEY CAN EVEN SAY NKRUMA MANUFACTURED GHANA, WHO CARES bout stchuuupid ghost worshippers?
IT IS SILLY FOR YOU ALSO TO THINK THAT ONLY NKRUMAH WAS THE ONLY FOUNDER OF GHANA.MR ASANTE MAY I KNOW FROM YOU WHAT YOU ALSO HAVE DONE TO BUILD MOTHER GHANA? YOU ARE NOT THE ONLY HISTORIAN IN GHANA, SO DO NOT THINK THAT YOU ARE THE MOST SENSIBLE PERSON IN GHANA.
K. B Asante this is distortion of Intellectual Ingenuity. Argument of Nkrumah as founder of Ghana is abuse of intellectual ingenuity. Nkrumah was a good man. He has good intention for Ghana and Africa but he was destroyed by the people who surrounded him. They mislead him to make self-destructive policies which destroyed most of the good social and pyusical structures he established for Ghana. Today we still have the same manipulatorsss, who use the name of Nkrumah to exploit simple minded people. Nkrumah was not corrupt like NDC through Millsand Mahama regimes. Nkrumah did not create loot and share. Many Ghanaians jubilated at the overthrown of Nkrumah because the people who surrounded Nkrumah exploited his achievements to aaaabuse power to become corrupttt and loot the nation. It is very demeaning for Nkrumah to be identified with NDC. It makes Nkrumah, corrupt, vissionless and tribalistic. But we all know that Nkrumah was none of these. Shame to NDC, they have no credentials but corruption. Samia is very much aware of this and so she denounces any attempt by NDC to identify with Nkrumah. Nobody understand the intellectual and reasoning state of NDC. Ghana which was called Gold Coast was not founded at independence. Ghana was founded by Europeans putting Fantes, Ashantis, Gas and Ewes, Northerners and others together as a colony. Perhaps All Ghana would have Existed as Ashanti and others small states if the British had not colonised the region together. Now at some points in time these amalgamated indigenous people demanded for concessions for fair and better treatment and eventually for self rule which started before Nkrumah was born. Nkrumah was brought to join the leadership group fighting for self rule at a point in time. It is individuals who has no senseee in logic, lack wisdom of history and ability to follow and grasp the sequence of event would suggest that Nkrumah founded Ghana. He play a key role at his time and lead his party CPP to attain independence. The ignorance of NDC is reveal in the fact that the seem not to understand attainment of independence and founding a nation. the two are not the same. To found a nation is to create a nation from. To attain independence is to attain a self rule from colonial master who rule over an existing nation. In fact it is true that de3 owo okwaseaaa ombr3 s3 de3 otete no. NDCfuo mmo ma y3br3 wo Ghana dodo. We waste so much time talking and debating on uselessss arguments. Moagyimieee dodo. Momma yenwene and move forward to build the nation. Nkrumah will be happy to see a Ghana economically and socially well built than to be drawn into uselesss senseleees debates. Samia knows this so she does not allow herself to be drawn into NDC shamefullll politics of create loot and share. NDC only get into such ardument to confused the people in their propaganda and senselesss argument just to divert attention from their corruptionnnn and incompetenceeee.
I thank God I can read, write and can make my own deduction. I don't need KB Asante to educate me on who founded Ghana.
This old man should get out of our face. He seems to have outlived his usefulness. Let him use his "smartness" to revive the CPP. Aren't we tired of him?