Deputy Education Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has rebuffed claims by members of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) that Ghana’s progress has stagnated after the death of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

According to him, such claims are disingenuous and do not reflect the truth on the ground.

“When the Whiteman was here as governor general, we had only 156 doctors and dentists but Kwame Nkrumah took over and said this is appalling, so he increased the number from there to 500.

“Now by the official records of the Medical and dental Council, there are 2,615 doctors in this country; is this not progress?” the former deputy Information minister wondered on Radio Gold’s 'Alhaji and Alhaji' Saturday.

He continued: “Now if you go to the communication sector, by the time the colonialist were moving, we had 7,383 fixed lines in the whole country. Osagyefo increased it to 25,488 during his tenure for a population of 7 million by the time he was overthrown.

“Now under President Mahama we have a population of 24 million and we have 27 million mobile phones. How can one say that the country has not made progress?”

Dr Nkrumah was overthrown 49 years ago in a military coup led by Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka and the National Liberation Council. He was ousted while on a trip to North Vietnam and China.