President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged Ghanaians to continually pay homage to forebearers of the country whose toil and struggle led to its independence in 1957.
In his address to Ghanaians ahead of the commemoration of this year Founders’ Day, president Akufo-Addo said the bravery and foresight of the forebears unlocked the doors to Ghana’s freedom and protected its resources from exploitation by the then colonial powers and thus, must be honoured.
“We must remember the sacrifices made some 126 years ago when a group of our forebears formed the Aborigines Rights Protection Society in Cape Coast on 4th August 1897 to resist the application and implementation of the 1897 Crown’s Lands bill which sought to sequestrate and expropriate our lands to the benefits of the British Crown as was done during the same era to the lands of our fellow Africans in the Eastern and Southern Africa”.
He continued, “The ownership of our lands was never an issue again during the rest of the colonial period. We should not then forget that we continue to possess our lands freely unlike the situation in Eastern and Southern Africa because of the bravery and foresight of the members of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society and we must continually pay homage to these patriots”.
He underscored the importance of 4th August in the country’s struggle for independence, describing it as a sacred day.
“4th August in the life and history of nation is one of utmost importance. It is indeed a sacred day”.
Founders’ Day is marked annually in recognition of the toil of those who led Ghana’s fight for independence. The day was initially observed on September 21, the birthday of Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah in his honour for spearheading the country’s quest for freedom.
However, in 2019, the Akufo-Addo government led the amendment of the Public Holiday Act, which saw the day change from September 21 to August 4 and the name to Founders’ Day from Founder’s Day, celebrating all those who contributed to the country gaining freedom.
The amendment, however, was not without controversy. Many Nkrumaists had accused the government of attempting to rewrite history and belittle the achievements of the country’s first president.
But 4 years on, president Akufo-Addo says he is happy that the controversies surrounding the celebration are dying out and Ghanaians are now appreciative of the historical importance of the day.
“4 years on, it is good to see that the needles controversy spared on by largely outdated political consideration that initially embroiled the celebration of this day is being gradually set aside and as more and more Ghanaians now come to appreciate the collective efforts made by our forebears to the process of gaining our independence”.
He called on Ghanaians to imbibe values that will put the country on the right path and ensure its rapid development.
