Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party Nana Obiri Boahen has advised the opposition National Democratic Congress, NDC, to focus on their party by showing respect to their founder, Jerry Rawlings, instead of meddling in matters about Kwame Nkrumah, something that the Convention Peoples Party should be dealing with.
The country is divided on a bitter ideological battle with elements of the Danquah/Busia/Dombo tradition asking for the inclusion of activists especially from the United Gold Coast Convention, UGCC, who, according to them, started the actual work before Dr. Nkrumah was invited and later left the group to form CPP which eventually won independence in 1957.
Late President John Mills’s administration gave official seal to September 21 as “Founder’s Day” which was vehemently protested by the then opposition NPP.
President Nana Akufo-Addo in his main address said it was about time the country started a dialogue on the matter to arrive at a conclusion.
“It is important for us to have a conversation on how we name things that are of national importance to us.” He said such matters do not inure to the benefit of the country especially when it has been reduced to political football.
But the NDC and those from the Nkrumahists stock have called the decision into question, and accused former President Akufo-Addo of attempting to use August 4th to honour his “ancestors.”
Speaking in a radio discussion, Obiri Boahen wondered why the issue should even be a subject of debate, especially when others played a role leading to Ghana’s independent.
“ This is something that we should not even be fighting over, he said. “Nobody is denying the fact that in Ghana’s history Nkrumah was the first among them. “ Obiri Boahen, however, questioned the NDC’s role in the debate especially when they subject has nothing to do with them but Nkrumahists.
“What exactly is their beef-this is not about NDC, it is about Ghanaians.”
He said the NDC should focus on their internal issues and deal with it and leave the issue to those who matter to talk about it.
Source: primenewsghana.com