A 67 year old Ghanaian Scientist based in Germany has told Asempa News that he is the original author of the Ghana National Anthem.
Dr. Michael Kwame Gbordzoe told Asempa News in an interview that it is his lyrics God bless our homeland Ghana which has been adopted as the National Anthem and wants to be given due recognition.
According to him, the current recognition given to the late Philip Gbeho as author of the national anthem is improper since Dr. Gbeho only composed the song from his (Dr. Gbordzoe's) lyrics.
Dr. Gbordzoe maintains the anthem authored by Dr. Philip Gbeho is the Lift high the flag oh Ghana which was used for sometime before the nation adopted his, which is God bless our homeland Ghana.
He acknowledged though, Dr. Gbeho's enormous contribution to music in Ghana when he was Director for Institute of Arts and Culture during Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's regime, and the National Symphony Orchestra.
Asked why he has since time not claimed his due, Dr. Gbordzoe noted that the tumultuous changes Ghana went through during several military interventions made it difficult for him to pursue the matter.
He also recalled his attempts to 'right the wrong' through a former Director of State Protocol, whom he recalled as Blavo, but could not succeed.
He believes the current democratic dispensation makes it appropriate for him to come down to ensure that history is properly documented.
Dr. Gbordzoe who claims to have documentary evidence to prove his claim, has already petitioned President Mills and the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General, as well as the Chieftaincy and Culture Ministry, for proper documentation.
Dr. Gbordzoe who is a Research Scientist at the Institute of Physics, University of Wuerzburg, told Asempa News' Jerry Tsatro Mordy that he has no intentions of diminishing Dr. Gheho's contribution but wants history to be documented correctly.
He said apart from getting history properly documented, he is pursuing the matter to inspire creativity among the Ghanaian youth since he composed the lyrics when he was a young boy. He believes if he is duly recognized, it will serve as a motivation for students.
Story by Jerry Tsatro Mordy/Asempa News
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Comments
If the so-called scientist is 67, when was "Lift high the flag of Ghana " replaced with " God bless our homeland Ghana "? He was 15 years old when the National Anthem was composed and first sang around the country. Where is the logic for him wanting to claim credit? Even if the change was made in 1966, when Nkrumah was overthrown, he should have been 24 years old AND WRITING A LOT OF LYRICS, so does he want to tell us Ghanaians that the words of the anthem are ALL his? But better still, g...