The National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding the role of Akyem intellectuals in Ghana’s history, dismissing the notion as “intellectually dishonest.”
During his address as the Special Guest Speaker at the ‘Journey to Nkroful’ grand durbar on Saturday, September 23, 2023, where the celebration of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday and legacies was commemorated, Asiedu Nketia expressed his perspective on the matter.
Nketia responded to claims that Ghana’s history cannot be documented without acknowledging the contributions of Akyem intellectuals.
He acknowledged the importance of recognizing the contributions of various ethnic groups in Ghana’s history.
However, he emphasized that attributing the entirety of Ghana’s history to Akyem intellectuals is misleading.
“I heard someone say 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 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 a right about Ghana’s history, it should be excused for the Nzemas,” onuaoline.com quoted the NDC chairman.
He argued that historical contributions from groups like the Nzema, whose roots are connected to the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP), should also be acknowledged.
“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 funds at the founding stage to form the UGCC. I have a copy, and I can show it to the person,” Asiedu Nketia declared.
He further highlighted the significant role played by Paa Grant, a native of Axim and an Nzema, in the formation of the UGCC. Asiedu Nketia asserted that, if anything, the Nzema community should be regarded as a pivotal part of Ghana’s history.
In addition to his commentary on the historical debate, Asiedu Nketia revealed the NDC’s intention to replace the Founders’ Day celebration on August 4 with Founder’s Day on September 21, marking Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday.
He stated, “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.”
Instead, he proposed celebrating Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday as Founder’s Day, underscoring the NDC’s commitment to this change if they assume power.
Source: ghanaweb.com
