Nkrumah deserves the fullest recognition for Ghana's independence — Prof Agyeman-Duah

Professor Baffour Agyeman-Duah, a former Senior Governance Advisor at the United Nations has waded into the debate on the founding of Ghana.

He has backed calls to fully recognize Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's role in leading the country to independence.

Prof Agyeman-Duah asserted that while others contributed to the independence struggle, Nkrumah stands out and deserves utmost acknowledgement for his leadership.

"No matter what you say, Nkrumah stands tall in our politics, and nobody can belittle his accomplishment," Prof Agyeman-Duah, told JoyNews in an interview Monday, August 5.

He noted that despite criticisms of some of Nkrumah's domestic policies, "even after discounting all those negativities, Nkrumah is a person that deserves the fullest recognition. After all, he was the man of the millennium, and that in itself says it all."

The UN advisor argued that while the United Gold Coast Convention brought Nkrumah into the struggle, he emerged as the undisputed leader who drove the country to finally gaining independence from Britain in 1957.

"After all, they [UGCC] brought Nkrumah; perhaps even if they had not brought him, he was going to come himself. Yet he was brought down to help them achieve independence. How can you take that away?" Prof Agyeman-Duah quizzed.

His comments come amid an ongoing debate over whether Ghana's independence should be attributed to Nkrumah alone or a collective of nationalists.

This has heightened after President Akufo-Addo in his Founders’ Day remarks, completely rejected the notion that Ghana was founded by Kwame Nkrumah alone.