A documentary on Ghana’s political history screened last Wednesday as part of the country’s 60th Independence anniversary has generated a heated debate between the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and producers of the film.
But the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Michael Aaron Oquaye, has said cocoa and education played a key role in mobilising the masses, as well as providing the needed funds to push the cause of the independence struggle.
While the Nkrumahists insist that some of the facts depicted in the film are selective and twisted to pursue a certain agenda, the film producer, Mr Paul Adom-Otchere, has discounted their claims and said the film is based on available facts.
The documentary, titled: “From Gold Coast to Ghana: A Glorious History of Self-Determination”, sets out to highlight the efforts of key individuals who laid the foundation for this country’s independence.
Broadly, the documentary provides a political history from the then Gold Coast to modern Ghana.
It was produced as part of activities marking Ghana’s 60th anniversary.
Key issues, including cocoa politics and players in the country’s anti-colonial struggle and latter-day leaders, including John Mensah Sarbah, James Kwegyir Aggrey, Casely-Hayford, Dr J.B. Danquah, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Paa Grant, Otumfuo Sir Agyeman Prempeh and J.J. Rawlings, had their roles dissected by legal luminaries and historians, including Prof. Emeritus S.O. Gyandoh, Prof. S.K. Date-Bah, Prof. Garth Austin of the University of Cambridge in the UK and a daughter of Paa Grant, Madam Sarah Grant.
Founders’ Day vs Founder’s Day
Earlier, Prof. Oquaye had stated that although he had a lot of respect for Nkrumah and would want a day set aside to celebrate him, it was wrong for the country’s independence to be credited to him.
“Nkrumah was a visionary with a lot of ideas for Ghana and Africa, but we should not teach our children that someone (Nkrumah) had the magical wand. It was also about a battle of the intellect, industry and skills,” he said.
He said when the history of the country was told that intellectual minds had a role in the struggle, Ghanaian children would be inspired to take their education seriously.
The former Political Science lecturer said he hoped for the a day the nation would celebrate Founders’ Day in appreciation of the numerous leaders who put their shoulders to the wheel even before Nkrumah arrived on the scene.
Inspiration
A Senior Research Fellow of the IEA, Dr Michael Ofori-Mensah, observed that the documentary “reminds us of the enormous sacrifices that have been made for us to experience our current freedom”.
“It also inspires us to shape our country for a better future, so that generations unborn may look back and say, ‘when it was our time we did our bit’,” he said.
Disputed
After the show, hosted by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), ended last Wednesday night, the Second National Vice-Chairman of the CPP, Ms Susan Adu-Amankwah, and the Director of Elections of the CPP, Mr James Kwabena Bomfeh, were livid over some aspects of the documentary which they said sought to downplay the achievements of Dr Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and founder of the CPP.
But the film producer insisted that the documentary was based on facts and evidence available and not concoctions, as its narrative depended on the various constitutions which had a sequence of events and were without the bias of the documentary maker.
While watching the film in the packed IEA Ambassador Birgit Storgaard Conference Room in Accra, the CPP stalwarts, as well as the Chairman of the party, Prof. Edmund Delle, shook their heads in disagreement with some of the narrations.
One of the disputed narratives was the fact that Dr Danquah, one of the country’s nationalists who were later to be known as the Big Six, had died for the country he created.
That appeared to have tickled the nerves of Mr Bomfeh, who accosted Mr Adom-Otchere outside with the question, “How can you say Dr Danquah died for a country he created? It is not true. This is a deliberate attempt to downplay Nkrumah and project Dr Danquah. You can’t twist history like this.”
Source: Daily Graphic
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You see , People turn to be biased without realizing that they are being biased and therefore missing equally important facts. Because they are too consumed or obsessed by their thinking and reasoning to express their appreciation when and where it is deserved. I accept Nkrumah was politically prepared in his own right and had made his mark before he came to Ghana per Invitation. And he was entrusted with fulltime secretarial and organisational position to persue the Idependence Course, a common Course shared by those who invited him. Therfore, there was no doubt that his intellectual cabability and his political acumen was not underated.It is equally important to note that, the inviters were intellectually and and politically aimful to appreciate that Nkrumah was fit for the Job.They were, however sidelined by Nkrumah, because Nkrumah was too ambitious and authoritative, regid in his Course to handle or be engaged in any intellectual discourse. He was stragetic , ambitious and not diplomatic that was why he some how along the line, failed in his Course. Indeed, he couldn't have just coped with Busia and Dankwa, because he believed he knew his audience when he came to Ghana, he spoke the language they understood, mobilized valander boys into politics and they voted him into power. Whilst Busia and Dankwa were enjoing their old good days in OXford(Kweison Sacky).Nkrumah never thought of working with those who invited him to Ghana, though they had the same goal, Independence for Ghana.
The narrative about Kwame Nkrumah and the part played by JB Danquah in particular in Ghana politics cannot be the basis for JB Danquah creating Ghana and dying for it besides the narrative that JB Danquah created Ghana and died for the country he created is just political fake account and a travesty of justice and an attempt by his fore bears including Nana Addo Danquah the Ofori-Attah families abnd others from Kyebi to try and rehabilate the man JB Danquah ; I think people should be told the facts that the real people who really moved the independence of Ghana were key people like Paa Grant and other merchants who were financially sound ; this also included lawyers like JB Danquah who knew much about the law but were financially inadequate; politically they could talk but wre financially ill resourced ; Kwame NKrumah who was brought down from Europe was financed by these merchants; don't forget Kwame Nkrumah was well known in the US and UK for African emancipation activities besides he was already a politically motivated marketed product before he came to Ghana ; JB Danquah was not; in Ghana the UGCCC or the sponsors of Dr Nkrumah left or virtually left the political initiatives to DR Nkrumah who did all the political ground work before he was thrown into prison ;what they forgot was that managing a political party was an art not an of the law ; members were not interested in the political grassroot work to woe people because most of them including JB Danquah regarded themselves as the arrogant elite of the day ; they very arrogant and would not do the dirty work and left Dr Nkrumah to do everything and at onetime DR Nkrumah was called 'Nkrumah Show Boy'; he was politically popular very charismatic popular and clever politically than any of these UGCC founders including JB Danquah ;HOW COULD YOU COMPARE JB DANQUAH TO KWAME NKRUMAH ; nobody even knew JB Danquah politically; JB Danquah could not even win his own political sit at Kyebi and was never a political asset on the ground at the time ; when the UGCC realised their political folly Dr Nkrumah have already cleaned the political scene in Ghana ; JB Danqauh and other were no where in the tracks and were very naive ;history will anybody that the demise of JB Danquah was his own making politically because when he saw things were not going his way and the others he started spying for the US ; the Soviets had spies tailing Jb Daquah and knew he was been paid by the CIA ; Kwame Nkrumah was informed once and forgave JB Danquah but he continued and Kwame Nkrumajh locked him up again where he died ; to me if JB Danquah research the name Ghana for Ghana to be named after the Gold Coast that does mean he created Ghana ; I think Nana Addo SHOULD STOP THIS NUNSENSES OF ATTEMPTING TO REHABILATE HIS UNCLE JB DANQUAH because the man was the architect of his own political death ; why should you attempt to undermine Kwame NKrumah; to me anything about JB DANQUAH IS PROPAGANDA WHAT ABIOUT PAA GRANT AND OTHERS !!!!!!! .
CPP stalwarts can do whatever they want, Osagyefo was invited to join some group of people. The question what was the aim of that group? The answer is independence so why would any one with love and understanding will credit our independence to one person. We do not write history to suite a particular party, Ghana is there before a particular party id formed.
There were hand bomb throwing, school girl miming, cowardly terrorist in Ghana before the USA started designating Individuals as terrorist. J.B. if alive today will have been spoken in the same breath with Osama Bin Ladin!
Everyone knows that Nkrumah play a more honest, zealous and intellectual role in the final ten years prior to Ghana's independence. With the insipid leadership of J.B. Danquah, the independence struggle would have continued at a snail's pace. However, Nkrumah's vision was clear and sharp. The tea drinking, over bookish and british-friendly J.B. Danquah was looking to replace a white colonial government with an elitist African leadership. Nkrumah introduced the people's power in the struggle. Nkrumah is the father of Ghana. J.B. Danquah and his cohorts' love for the country can be best gauged and judged by their collaboration with the American CIA in the overthrown of a black government. long Live Ghana and long live the name of selfless Nkrumah.
NPP GO AND BURN THE SEA!! NKRUMAH IS THE FOUNDER OF GHANA!!!!!!
The story of our independence struggle can never be told without the mention of the Aggrey's, Hayfords, the danquahs and many more. Nkrumah was not a one man thousand. The job commenced long before he came and even that he had to be convinced and be paid by others to come back home to help with the struggle. Though i am a Nkrumahist, this effort by some to claim he was an alpha and omega of the independence struggle is crass and must be stopped by the hypocrites who have hijacked our very dear nkrumahism.