Spread the celebrations - K. B. Asante

A cabinet member in the CPP administration of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Mr. K. B. Asante has advised the government to spread the activities marking the independence across the country.

Mr. Asante, an experienced diplomat and politician bemoaned the over concentration of activities in the capital, Accra. Speaking to the dailyEXPRESS on a number of issues connected to the celebrations, he urged the Ghana@50 secretariat to tap the required expertise and organize programs in other parts of the country to make the celebration a meaningful one.

In an interview conducted at his La (a suburb of Accra) residence, Mr. Asante expressed displeasure with the reported deplorable state of facilities at Nkroful, the home village of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

According to him, though the properties are currently under the jurisdiction of the Nkrumah family, government should take the responsibility of rehabilitating them not only to boost tourism, but to serve as national assets worthy of preservation for historical purposes.

This was in reaction to concerns about the neglect of Nkroful and potential tourist attractions and the response of the Chief Executive of the Ghana@50 Secretariat Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey that the facilities are private properties that should not become government responsibility.

The retired diplomat however argued that apart from Nkrumah, the nation should also celebrate the role of others who joined in the struggle for independence, but added that “Nkrumah did a lot at the dawn of independence to see to it that we got independence. After independence he did a lot to establish this nation as a unitary, vibrant state with self confidence.”

He dismissed suggestions that Nkrumah’s body should also be returned to the family if his other properties are being classified as private. Mr. Asante is advocating the refurbishment of the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum inaugurated by the NDC administration in 1992. Defending Dr. Nkrumah’s decision to establish a one party state, which has been used to deride him as a dictator, Mr. Asante said Ghana would have today become like Ivory Coast if Nkrumah had not succeeded in disbanding parties formed either on ethnic or religious grounds.

This he said was especially because of the conditions existing at the time.

“Without his efforts and foresightedness Ghana and the rest of Africa would not have been free at the time it was free,” he said with pride.

“He was a good leader, a great boss to work with. He has no time for trivialities. He liberated your energy to work. He achieved African policy by rallying around people to work. He believed in the Ghanaian. He could work with standard seven people and they work magic,” he said happily.