General News of Sunday, 12 March 2017

Source: kasapafmonline.com

Founder’s Day debate a distraction from our developmental needs – PPP

PPP Policy Analyst, Kofi Asamoah Siaw PPP Policy Analyst, Kofi Asamoah Siaw

The Progressive People’s Party(PPP) said the debate about the role of Ghana’s First President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and other freedom fighters is a disincentive to the country’s development.

The confusion on the independence struggle, according to the party will sway the country’s attention on the critical developmental needs of the nation should the controversy persist.

The President’s Independence Day speech has sparked raging debates on whether Founder’s Day celebration should focus on President Nkrumah as the Founder of modern Ghana or include other key past leaders in the independence struggle.

In an interview with Accra-based Citi FM, the Policy Analyst of the PPP, Kofi Asamoah Siaw said a resolution ought to be reached as soon as possible to enable the country focus on its growth and development.

“I think this debate is going on and its an unfortunate distraction from the important things we need to tackle. If putting the apostrophe after the ‘s’ will make sure that all of us are included in the process, and that we will put things behind us and focus on illiteracy, poverty and joblessness and so on, then so be it! Let us do it. Or if its important we recognize that the processes towards Independence was not a one man’s effort. So all the people who got the idea and who sponsored, played different roles as far as the Independence struggle is concerned must be recognized. If we have to recognize them by putting an apostrophe after an ‘s’ we should do so, so that we have the space to focus on joblessness, illiteracy and the poverty that has engulfed us. So we should solve it once and for all and make sure that we have space to focus. “