A statement to the effect that the contributions of persons of Akyem descent towards the formation of Ghana has been underemphasised is intellectually dishonest according the NDC’s Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says no part of the country can be excluded in telling Ghana’s history because everyone is part. However, if any group should be applauded for contributing most, it should be the Nzemas and not the Akyems.
Mr. Asiedu Nketia says the assertion held by some people that Ghana’s history cannot be written without the Akyems is an act of intellectual dishonesty since the two political parties that are linked with Ghana’s independence all have their roots in Nzema.
He was speaking as the Special Guest Speaker at the ‘Journey to Nkroful’ grand durbar on Saturday, September 23, 2023, to celebrate Nkrumah’s birthday and legacies, revealing the NDC’s intention to replace the Founders’ Day celebration on August 4 with Founder’s Day on September 21, which is the birthday of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
“I heard someone saying Ghana’s history cannot be written without the Akyems. It is true because the history of the country is for us all so we cannot take anyone out.
But to make it look like the history of Ghana is just about the history of the contribution of the Akyem intellectuals is intellectually dishonest. It is not true because the UGCC and CPP are all rooted in Nzema so if anybody could claim such right about Ghana’s history, it should be excused for the Nzemas,” he was emphatic.
He continued that, “if anyone gets to any of the radio stations to challenge what I’ve said here, call me and I’ll come and prove to the person with documents that were used to solicit for funds at the founding stage to form the UGCC. I have a copy and I can show it to the person” adding that, Paa Grant, a native of Axim and an Nzema, made the elephant share of the contribution, and if for anything at all, they (Nzemas) should be regarded as the pinaccle of Ghana’s history.
Talking about scrapping the founders’ day for founder’s day, he said the UGCC whose leaders the Akufo-Addo government wants to project was nonexistent at the time Ghana gained independence.
“I want to reemphasize that if we come to power, that 4th August that they want us to celebrate as founders’ day has no basis in our history and it would be one of the first holidays to be abolished.
And in it’s place, we will institute Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday as the founder’s day so that we’ll meet to celebrate founder’s day and not Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday,” he reemphasised.
He added that the Big Six had nothing to do with Ghana’s independence as being speculated.
“The Big Six they have been hailing for Ghana’s independence are all not true. It is not true that they gained independence for Ghana because their party had collpased in 1951 before we gained independence in 1957. How would the dead party be the ones to gain independence for Ghana,” he clarified.
