Founders' Day brouhaha: Kofi Adams, Obiri Boahene 'lower' debate to football terms

Two leading figures of the biggest political parties in the country, have resorted to using football terminologies to justify their positions in the raging debate over Founders’ Day.

National Organiser for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi maintains that Ghana’s Kwame Nkrumah’s role in the Independence struggle earned him the status of founder of the nation, Deputy General Secretary for the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) on the other hand argues, others who started the process ought to be given same recognition.

President Nana Akufo-Addo recently proposed a legislation to Parliament to designate August 4 as Founders Day, ditching September 21 as the commemorative day for Ghana’s liberation and independence fighter, Kwame Nkrumah. September 21 will now be observed as 'Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day'.

Both days – August 4 and September 21 -- will be observed as public holidays, according to a statement signed by the Director of Communications at the presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin.

But speaking on Okay FM Friday, September 22, 2017, Kofi Adams stressed his point by liking the subject to the game of football, which is followed by a majority of Ghanaians.

He said in the game of football it is the one who scores the goal who is credited with the goal although other teammates may have contributed by providing the most decisive move. or the assist which offered the striker the opportunity to hit the back of the net.

According to him, the decision by the former NDC administration to set aside September 21, the birthday of Nkrumah, as Founders Day is well grounded because “it was Kwame Nkrumah who scored the goal of independence for Ghana”.

But Nana Obiri Boahen cited evidence in support of the contributions of the six leaders – including Kwame Nkrumah - of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), the leading political party in the British colony of the Gold Coast who were detained by the colonial authorities in 1948 following disturbances.

The six men and leaders of the first political party registered in the then Gold Coast were: Edward Akufo-Addo – founding member and subsequently Chief Justice of Ghana and president of Ghana; Joseph Boakye Danquah – founding member; Kwame Nkrumah – Prime Minister of Ghana and first president of Ghana as well as Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey – founding member.

In Nana Obiri Boahen's view, beside the one who scored the goal, special recognition is accorded the team member who gave the most outstanding performance in a particular game commonly referred to as ‘man of the match’.

“We [NPP] agree that Kwame Nkrumah played a pivotal role in our fight for independence but that doesn’t mean others didn’t play any role at all,” he said.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy