FOUNDER'S DAY: IS KWAME NKRUMAH THE ONLY FOUNDER OF GHANA? - MR. DANIEL FENYI (EDUCATIONIST/COUNSELLOR)

*Press Release🇬🇭*

*Friday, September 21 (National Holiday)*

*FOUNDER'S DAY: IS KWAME NKRUMAH THE ONLY FOUNDER OF GHANA? - MR. DANIEL FENYI (EDUCATIONIST/COUNSELLOR)*
==========================

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was born on September 21, 1909 and every September 21 is instituted as a National Holiday in memory of him. But the long standing controversy has been whether he's the only one who founded Ghana or not. The answer, I think, lies in this simple question: Was the independence struggle a *process* or an *event?* Many will admit that the struggle didn't happen in a day, but rather through many gradual processes where different people played different roles to ensure Ghana's independence.

Briefly; UGCC, the first political party in Ghana was formed in August, 1947. The chairman of UGCC was George Paa Grant and other leading members were Ernest Ako Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi Lamptey and William Ofori-Atta

Later, Ako Adjei proposed the employment of an energetic young man he had met in England, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, as General Secretary of the party, whose return to the Gold Coast costing ₤100 was paid for by Paa Grant.

Note, all the leading members of UGCC were "part time politicians" and so they needed a "full time person" and that's why they employed Nkrumah who was paid as a full timer.

In February 1948, barely two months after he took office, Kwame Nkrumah and five leaders of the UGCC – Edward Akufo-Addo, Emmanuel Obetsebi Lamptey, William Ofori-Atta, Ernest Ako Adjei and Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah – were arrested and sent to prisons across the country. (They were later nicknamed *"The Big Six".*)

After their release, Nkrumah broke away from the UGCC and formed the Convention People’s Party (CPP) on the 12th of June, 1949 carrying with him most of the young people he had so successfully mobilised.

In 1952, the position of Prime Minister was created and the Executive Council became the Cabinet. The Prime Minister was made responsible to the Assembly, which duly elected Nkrumah as Prime Minister.

Nkrumah rose to become the first president of the independent republic of Ghana and J.B. Danquah suggested that the Gold Coast be renamed Ghana.

*For more educative discussions, contact;*
*Mr. Daniel Fenyi*
*(Educationist/Counsellor)*