Accra, July 7, GNA - The Convention People's Party (CPP) on Tuesday expressed its gratitude to President John Evans Atta Mills for inviting his colleague Heads of State to join Ghana in marking the centenary of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

A statement signed by Mr Ivor Kobina Greenstreet, General Secretary of CPP, said: "The unanimous resolution that was passed to celebrate this event and have it placed on the African Union's calendar of special events would not have been achieved without his kind intervention." It said the CPP hoped that the commitment would also rapidly translate into a bill being laid before Parliament for the institution of September 21 as a public holiday in remembrance of the founder of Ghana.

"On the 21st of September 1909 the greatest Ghanaian and African patriot was born. The year 2009 therefore marks the centenary year," it said.

"Voted African Personality of the Millennium by the African listeners of BBC, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah defeated other giants like Marcus Garvey, Dr Martin Luther King Jnr. and Nelson Mandela to win this prestigious accolade," the statement added.

It said the chief pride of Dr Nkrumah was the welfare of the people, saying: "We hope that it is by this same standard that a better Ghana seeks to be judged."