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The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has urged the citizenry to reflect on the developmental agenda of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and use his records as basis to hold the government to account.
The party said Dr Nkrumah’s strategic investments in critical sectors of the economy and industrialisation drive put the country on the path of economic independence until his “painful” overthrow in 1966.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) ahead of the commemoration of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day on Thursday, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah, the General Secretary of the CPP, said Dr Nkrumah should be the “yardstick of good governance.”
She urged the citizenry to reflect on the current state of Ghana’s economy and juxtapose it with the achievements of Dr Nkrumah, who made a determined effort to make the country a great nation after gaining her independence in 1957.
“Ghana was on the road of gaining economic independence, but Nkrumah was painfully taken out of power.
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“Kwame Nkrumah developed and industrialised this nation. He created a good healthcare system for the nation and was very prudent with the resources that we had and used it to build a lot of infrastructure, including the Akosombo Dam and the harbour,” she said.
Nana Yaa Jantuah said the present state of the Ghanaian economy, which was characterised by higher inflation, weak local currency, and unattainable debts, reflected the extent to which the dream to achieve total economic independence had fallen apart.
“It is time for us to arise to make our government accountable. Ghanaians should let governments who come into power understand that they cannot do what they like, and that the yardstick should be what Kwame Nkrumah did,” she said.
Ghanaians yesterday, September 21, 2023, marked the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day, with a statutory public holiday.
The day is set aside to remember and honour Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who earlier was Prime Minister and Africa’s foremost champion of continental unity and liberation of the black race.
On March 6, 1957, Ghana gained independence after 83 years of British colonial rule – becoming the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve independence from Britain.
Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana as “free forever” from colonial rule, marking a historic turning point in the governance of the country.
Meanwhile, social media platform X, previously known as Twitter, went agog with celebratory messages as the nation marked the birthday of its inaugural President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Under the hashtag “Kwame Nkrumah Memorial,” Joynews reported that the micro-blogging site was flooded with messages from Ghanaians of all generations, expressing their admiration for Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s selfless leadership during his presidency.
One user, Enoch Essandoh , wrote , “Today is Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day. He’s been gone for over 50 years but his legacy still lives on. Good leaders can never be overlooked. One of Africa’s great.”
“Remembering Kwame Nkrumah: His vision, leadership, and dedication to Ghana’s independence continue to inspire us. Happy Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day,” wrote David Blankson.
