UNITING BEHIND NKRUMAH'S CENTENARY (SEPT 12, 2009)

ACTIVITIES to mark the historic celebration of the centenary birthday of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, were launched in Accra yesterday amid pomp and pageantry.
The ceremony, which took place at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, in Accra, also witnessed the sod cutting for the renovation of the park, as well as the unveiling of the logo for the celebrations.
Inasmuch as the celebration of Dr Nkrumah’s centenary birthday is most significant, the Daily Graphic finds the presence at the launch of political heavyweights across the political divide, members of the diplomatic corps, traditional leaders, among other dignitaries, as most refreshing.
That is because their presence gives a huge national and international recognition to Dr Nkrumah’s stature and the need to celebrate him in a most befitting manner.
Furthermore, the presence of the Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr Peter Mac Manu, and the party’s flag bearer in the 2008 elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for instance, is a clear indication of the unity of purpose that Ghanaians will accord this historic occasion.
The Chairman of the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Planning Committee, Prof. Akilagpa Sawyerr, emphasised that unity of purpose when he said in his welcoming address at the launch that in developing the programme of activities, the committee was guided by the need to make the celebration assume a national character, involving all sections of the Ghanaian society.
The DAILY GRAPHIC believes that such an approach would go a long way to not only ensure the success of the celebration, but also that honouring the memory of such a great personality revered in many parts of the world is not diluted with our own internal wrangling and differences.
This is the time for all Ghanaians, irrespective of their political or ethnic affiliations, to bury their differences and rally behind the planning committee to make the celebration as grand as a man of Dr Nkrumah’s stature deserves.
It is in this respect that the DAILY GRAPHIC applauds Mr Mac-Manu endorsing the decision taken by the Mills administration to organise the celebration and also declare a holiday in Nkrumah’s honour.
Although Mr Mac Manu is from the Busia-Danquah stable, he acknowledged that Dr Nkrumah was a visionary leader who had worked to unite the country, adding that “this is a national celebration and we must all get involved”.
That is the kind of spirit the DAILY GRAPHIC wishes all Ghanaians to bring to bear on the celebration of the centenary birthday of Dr Nkrumah. Undoubtedly, his personality is bigger than Ghana and under no circumstance must an event meant to celebrate him be made to divide us.
But beyond the celebration, we counsel all Ghanaians to accord all national events the same unity of purpose.