‘Ghanaians see a hero in a man who infringed on their human rights’ — Prof Mike Oquaye on Kwame Nkrumah

Former Speaker of Parliament Professor Mike Aaron Oquaye has waded into the debate regarding who founded Ghana, criticising Dr. Kwame Nkrumah over his human rights record.

Speaking at a event held by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to educate youth on its political tradition, Prof Mike Oquaye asserted that Ghanaians paradoxically see Nkrumah as a hero despite his infringement on citizens' human rights.

He highlighted that Nkrumah's Preventive Detention Act allowed for the indefinite detention of people without trial.

“Under Nkrumah, you could be detained almost indefinitely. Why? First of all, PDA allowed your detention of the 1958 law for 5 years. When it got to 1964, he amended it and said after that, you could be given a renewal for another 5 years, almost indefinite," Prof Oquaye said.

The former Speaker commended the late President Edward Akufo-Addo for introducing a human rights chapter in Ghana's 1969 constitution.

But according to the astute politician, Ghanaians rather ”see a hero in the man who perpetrated it against the people of Ghana, it’s a contradiction."

This comes on the back of recent debates as to whether Ghana was founded by only Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

In his address on Founders’ Day, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo rejected the notion, indicating the country was founded by collective efforts.

But many deem this as an attempt to discredit Kwame Nkrumah, arguing his overall contribution to independence outweighs issues around his rule.