The Socialist Movement of Ghana (SMG) says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will not succeed in its attempt to re-write Ghana’s history.
According to the SMG, the NPP wants to alter the country’s history to take away Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s credit and give it to Dr. J. B Danquah.
In a statement signed by the General Secretary, Kwesi Pratt, ahead of the Founder’s Day celebration (September 21), the Group claimed that the NPP in an attempt to position Dr. J.B Danquah as the founder of Ghana, has resulted to spreading falsehood.
“President Akufo-Addo has spared no opportunity to lionise, particularly the middling role of his grand-uncle and tribal icon, Dr. J.B. Danquah, in national history. Akufo-Addo has falsely claimed that Dr. Danquah originated the notion that the Gold Coast should be renamed Ghana. The record shows that Danquah favoured the name Akanland (reflecting his ethnic bias),” portions of the statement read.
The SMG cited a number of instances in which the Akufo-Addo led government had try to belittle Kwame Nkrumah to the advantage of Dr. J.B Danquah.
The movement also fingered the NPP’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh for making “disrespect for Nkrumah a central pillar of his campaign.”
“This attack on history has taken many forms – speeches, changes to school textbooks, alteration of guidebooks at museums and historical sites, and even crass redevelopment of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum from a place of sober reflection to a gaudy entertainment centre.
First, it has sought to trivialise 21st September as a personalised celebration of Nkrumah’s birthday – not in his historical role as “Founder” of Ghana… it has designated 4th August 1947 founding of UGCC as founders day…the Act demoted “Republic Day” and “African Union Day” (itself a disrespectful re-naming of “Africa Liberation Day”) from “national holiday” to mere commemorative days,” it added.
