The Convention People’s Party (CPP) is dissatisfied with the recent comments made by President Akufo-Addo during his Founders’ Day address to the nation.
On August 3, President Akufo-Addo said he rejects the “notion that the country was founded by one man.”
According to him, the fight for Ghana’s independence was a collective effort and should not be credited to one individual.
These comments have not been taken lightly by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s party.
They described the comment as an “unfortunate gaffe” and argued that, the day is set aside to celebrate the nation’s founder.
According to the party, the president should have been more selective with his words.
“The whole world knows who the Osagyefo is, and that he founded this country and named it Ghana, after the old Ghana Empire, on the eve of our independence of 6th March 1957,” the party said.
This was contained in a press release signed by the chairperson of the party’s Independent Committee Patrick Nelson Sogbodjor on August 4.
The CPP added that, considering the party is in its last months of the current tenure, it should try to leave a legacy that will be remembered, rather than constantly trying to tarnish the legacy of a leader whom the Ghana and Africa hold dear.
“The whole world knows who the Osagyefo is, and that he founded this country and named it Ghana, after the old Ghana Empire, on the eve of our independence of 6th March 1957. This was after countless attempts were made by the antecedents of the NPP, made up of Dr. J.B. Danquah and other elements of the UP tradition, to stop Ghana from gaining independence,” the CPP said.
President Akufo-Addo in his 2024 Founder’ Day address on Saturday, August 3, Mr Akufo-Addo objected to the assertion that Ghana was founded by Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
In 2019, Parliament passed a law establishing August 4 as Founder’s Day to honour the collective efforts of those who contributed to Ghana’s independence struggle, while designating September 21 as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.