"Good morning fellow Ghanaians, 100 years ago, a great son was born to our soil and today, together with the rest of the Continent, we are celebrating Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the Founder and first President of our dear nation.
This event is in fulfillment of a commitment I made that under my Presidency the Birthday of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah will be recognized on our national calendar as Founder’s Day.
Further to this, the African Union has adopted the centenary birthday celebration of our first President as a continental event to be included on the AU’s calendar of Special Events.
These two events are unprecedented and speak to the uniqueness and global stature of our own Kwame Nkraumah.
As a people, we must take collective pride in celebrating today, the 100th birthday of the man who led our independence struggle and lit the flame that blazed the liberation struggle of the African Continent.
Fellow Ghanaians, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of Mother Ghana, we are not celebrating our Founder for the sake of doing so; we are celebrating him because of what he stood for and what he gave the nation.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s contributions to the development of Ghana and Africa; to creating a vision for Ghana; nurturing and forming the life and spirit of our nation, are unsurpassed.
Kwame Nkrumah opened the doors of Ghanaian politics, previously the exclusive domain of the educated elite and wealthy merchant class, to the ordinary people of Ghana, market women, farmers, fisher folk, teachers, civil servants and the youth, derisively called by some, ‘verandah boys’.
Beyond this inclusiveness in our politics, Kwame Nkrumah broke down ethnic barriers in Ghanaian politics and everyday life, imbuing in us, a strong sense of oneness, national identity and pride.
In Kwame Nkrumah, there was no North, South, East or West; there was one Ghana.
Above all, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah bequeathed to Ghanaians a sense of self worth, national pride and dignity.
He embodied and promoted the Ghanaian identity far beyond the shores of the African Continent.
Attempts have been made, and attempts will continue to be made but the history of our independence struggle and the pivotal role Dr. Nkrumah played in giving us an independent Ghana cannot be wished away.
Kwame Nkrumah, the star of Ghana, projected Ghana as the true black star of Africa and emphasized our independence, our ownership of our resources, and our capacity to manage our resources and take charge of our future.
Dr. Nkrumah created the Ghanaian and African personality which resonated, and continues to resonate globally.
Fellow Ghanaians, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, let this day be the day we begin to breathe new life into Dr. Nkrumah’s vision of a strong and united Ghana.
Let us grab this opportunity and rekindle our sense of national pride and self worth.
We need to measure the greatness of this nation by the extent to which we are each others keeper.
Let us care for each other and so doing, we will care for Mother Ghana.
To the youth I say, the future belongs to you. Take control of your destiny and anchor yourselves to the virtues of life knowing that it shall profit you nothing if you gain the whole world and lose your soul.
There are no shortcuts to success. Hard work is what will bring you genuine success.
Fellow Ghanaians, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the land, this day hence, the 21st of September each year shall be known and called Founder’s Day.
It is our time to build on the legacy of our Founder so that individually and collectively, posterity will also position us properly in the history of Ghana.
Fellow Ghanaians, my brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the land, there are rays of hope flickering through the skies, and I know and believe that together, and with the right attitude that makes us unite behind the things that unite rather than divide us, we will build a Better Ghana.
My clarion call to you this morning as we celebrate the 100th birthday of our Great Founder is to please join me in building the Ghana we desire. The beginning may be rough but I know that just as the Great Osagyefo gave life to his dreams, we can also give life to our Better Ghana dream.
Kwame Nkrumah built Ghana; it is our time to build a Better Ghana.
Fellow Ghanaians, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of Ghana, arise and shine. I thank you for allowing me to share some time with you this morning and may God continue to bless our homeland Ghana and make us greater and stronger.
Thank you."
