President Akufo-Addo acknowledges Ghana’s founding fathers for sacrifices, vision

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has paid homage to the nation’s founding fathers for laying a solid foundation for Ghana’s thriving society.

The sacrifices, resilience, tenacity of purpose and visionary leadership of the forebears had instilled in the citizenry the desire to succeed in all endeavours despite the challenges confronting the people over the years, he noted.

“Let us continue to revere those who fought for our union. Let us recommit ourselves to the ideals of freedom, justice and democracy,” the President advised in a message to commemorate the Founders’ Day.

President Nana Akufo-Addo, upon assuming office and based on the call to celebrate other members of the “Big Six”, proposed a legislation to Parliament to designate August 04 as a new date of the Founders’ Day celebration in order to widen the scope of the celebration to cover all people who played a key role in the liberation of the country.

The decision was also to purposely recognise two important events in the history of Ghana preceding independence in 1957.

On August 04, 1897, the Gold Coast Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society, led by John Mensah Sarbah, was formed.

The United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was also formed on August 04, 1947, by J.B. Danquah and George Alfred Paa Grant.

The President indicated that those two scenarios would later inspire Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, to form the Convention People’s Party, and subsequently lead the final lap towards independence.

“The contributions of the leaders before him were instrumental in shaping the political landscape that facilitated Nkrumah’s rise to prominence,” he emphasised.

The Founders’ Day, he said, ought to remind the people of the values that had guided the nation through the years, particularly the respect for the rule of law, human rights and pursuit of a free and democratic society.

“These values are the reflections of the vision of those who founded the Ghanaian nation, and have been crucial in shaping our national character,” he noted.

The President said in the political history of the nation, the Fourth Republic had proven to be the most enduring, elaborating that after the predictable initial turbulent decades of post-independence, “we have witnessed great changes in Ghana.”

“Our economy has grown, our infrastructure has improved, and our society has become more inclusive.

“We have made impressive strides in governance, education, healthcare and technology. And, we continue to build on the foundation laid by those who came before us,” he said of the gains made over the years.

The President highlighted the need for the nation to prioritise education, healthcare, inclusivity, agricultural and socio-economic development for the wellbeing of the people.

More importantly, the citizenry should embrace national cohesion and good neighbourliness to build a stable and prosperous society, he advised.