General News of Sunday, 9 October 2022

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

How Kwame Nkrumah vacated his official residence for Queen Elizabeth II for 17 days

Kwame Nkrumah had to vacate his residence for the queen Kwame Nkrumah had to vacate his residence for the queen

The Ghana Times reported on Thursday, April 2, 1959, about the itinerary that Queen Elizabeth II was to use during her visit to Ghana in November of that year. With the headline, “Itinerary of Queen’s visit out,” the report detailed all the things the monarch was to do in the country. One of those activities was for her to participate in the State Opening of Parliament in the morning of November 13, but the most intriguing aspect of this report was on how Ghana’s president, Kwame Nkrumah, would vacate his official residence at Government House (the Christiansborg Castle) for the queen. This was announced by Kojo Botsio, Chairman of the Planning Committee and Minister of External Affairs when he met the press. “Disclosing this at a press conference at the Ministerial Conference Room..., Mr. Kojo Botsio, Chairman of Planning Committee and Minister of External Affairs, said that the Queen, accompanied by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, will be in Ghana from Thursday, November 12 to Saturday, November 28. “Mr. Botsio said the Prime Minister, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, is personally in charge of the whole arrangement for the Queen’s visit. He said that the Queen had informed the Government that the expenditure in connection with her visit should not be too expensive. “During Her Majesty’s 17-day visit, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah will take up residence at Flagstaff House, while the Queen occupies Government House, Osu,” the newspaper report said. Watch this week's E-Forum below. AE/PEN