Members of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) have been directed to disregard the observation of August 4 as Founders’ Day.
The party leadership believed that the August 4 celebration was an attempt to rewrite the country’s history as it sought to undermine the role of Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah in gaining Ghana’s independence.
The government in March, this year, passed the Holiday Amendment Bill to move Founders’ celebration to August 4 from September 21, Founder’s Day, which was on Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday as declared by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
But the Communications Director for the CPP, Kadr Abdul Rauf said the party would not recognise the August 4 Day.
“It is not an exercise the CPP will want to take delight in. For as long as the law exists, we are not going to recognise it and we will still take the opportunity to remind people that it is an imposition on us. We don’t find any merit in it.”
Meanwhile, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reiterated its intention to cancel the observation of August 4 as Founders’ Day.
According to the NDC, the new holiday is not a true representation of historical facts and was a deliberate attempt by the Akufo-Addo administration to rewrite the country’s history and give prominence to his President Akufo-Addo’s uncle, Dr Joseph Boakye Danquah who was a leader in the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).
The UGCC was the political party Dr Kwame Nkrumah broke away to form the CPP which won him the election to become Leader of Government Business and Prime Minister and eventually the first president of Ghana.
But President Akufo-Addo in commemoration of the Founders’ Day celebration emphasised the need for Ghanaians to recognise the collective efforts played by key stakeholders towards the liberation of Ghana.
The President in a Facebook post to mark the Founders’ Day called on Ghanaians to also rise above partisan considerations and set the records straight.
-Citifmonline.com
