President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has rejected the notion that Ghana was founded by one man.
Addressing the nation on Saturday, August 3, ahead of the 2024 Founders’ Day, the president said it is important to acknowledge the contributions of others who fought for Ghana’s freedom besides 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 for ourselves that respect that the struggle for our nation’s freedom was a collective effort spanning several generations.
“The formation of the Aborigines Rights Protection, the British West African Nation 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,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He further defended his government’s decision to designate August 4 as Founders’ Day to celebrate the collective efforts of those who contributed to the nation’s fight for independence while establishing September 21 as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
“Kwame Nkrumah with his charismatic visionary leadership was undoubtedly a major actor in the final lap of our journey to independence and that is why despite the several unfortunate things that happened after independence under his watch, Parliament in 2019, decided to memorialise his date of birth as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, the only Ghanaian so far to be so honoured in our history,” he added.
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The decision to designate this day as a public holiday was part of a broader initiative by President Akufo-Addo, who proposed amendments to the Public Holiday Act in 2018.
The Public Holidays Amendment Bill, 2018, presented by Minister of the Interior Ambrose Dery, led to the cancellation of three existing public holidays and introduced two new holidays.
As a result, Founders’ Day was designated on August 4, while September 21 was set aside as a memorial day for Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, in recognition of his significant role in the fight for Ghana’s independence on March 6.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP), have indicated that they might consider scrapping the holiday if they come into power.