Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum - A Bastardization or Renovation?

I feel the misplaced excitement of many who haven't really followed and figured out the motive of the NPP government that has culminated in the pomp and pageantry of today's ceremony at the Kwame Nkrumah memorial park in Accra.

On the face value, you could be misled into praising the NPP government for promoting Nkrumah-ism or Nkrumah inspired tourism in Ghana with this so-called renovation of the Kwame Nkrumah memorial park.

In fact, the original idea was not a memorial park. It was built as a Mausoleum - to permanently research, collect, conserve, interpret and exhibit the tangible and intangible heritage of Kwame Nkrumah in relation to the history of Ghana.

However, as part of the NPP's long game to water down Kwame Nkrumah's legacy since taking power seven years ago, and in their inordinate quest to prop up the non-existing image of their own political forefathers, the government has managed to create a ruse that requires a much deeper delving to expose the true charade behind the gimmick of a renovated memorial park.

Why? It is important to be mindful of the FACT, for those of you praising the NPP government for mere renovation, that this monument was conceived and constructed in 1991 by President Rawlings and the NDC government in recognition of Kwame Nkrumah as the founding father of Ghana and the main inspiration behind diaspora and Pan-African driven tourism. Therefore, if anyone government deserves praise for the monument, it is not the NPP government that has bastardized the monument in the cunning name of 'renovation'.

If you doubt me, just listen to the minister of tourism and other functionaries of this government. After that, make an effort to visit the 'renovated Kwame Nkrumah memorial park' and see for yourself the real reason behind the so-called renovation.

''Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal made it clear at the onset of this bastardization when he stated that ''the rehabilitated park would benefit the status of Dr. Nkrumah and also give apt recognition to the other founding fathers namely, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ako Adjei, Obetsebi Lamptey, William Ofori Atta and Dr. J.B Danquah''. Reference graphiconline July 20 222.

And today, if you visit the park, the words of the minister will come to mind. Kwame Nkrumah's name may have remained on the monument because it will attract tourists, yes. And yes, only Kwame Nkrumah and his wife remain buried in the mausoleum, but they have totally and utterly bastardized Kwame Nkrumah's memory/legacy, singular heritage by curating the park as a 'Founding father's memorial park'.

Without a doubt, this was all along their end game. If they truly believe that those political ancestors of the NPP are worth a memorial park that can attract tourism, let them just simply go ahead to construct for example a Danquah memorial park so that we can see how many tourists Danquah's legacy will attract to Ghana. Why try to ride on the bark of Kwame Nkrumah for historical relevance?

The NPP government can fool some of the people some of the time, but they can never fool all of the people all of the time! This was all about obliterating Nkrumah's singular legacy as the Founding father of modern Ghana.