Edward Quao, a tour guide at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum has shared the story behind the tree-trunk-designed edifice situated at the park, explaining how it came to be.
Speaking exclusively with GhanaWeb’s Ernestina Serwaa Asante, Quao explained that the concept of the tree-trunk-designed edifice was created to symbolise the unfinished work of the late founder and former president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah before his overthrow by a military regime.
“The mausoleum has a particular concept behind the way it is designed. So, it looks like a trunk of a tree, which represents the fact that he could not finish what he was doing for us before his overthrow. So more or less, it kind of represents Dr. Nkrumah's unfinished work,” he shed insight.
According to him, the edifice also symbolises how many farmers take a rest from their long day’s work on the farms, enjoying a moment of relaxation under the shade of trees.
He added that the structure was inspired by this concept, which is why Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was buried beneath the edifice, symbolising him resting under the shade.
“And often also in Ghana and other parts of our continent, when our farmers are from their farms and they find themselves tied, they will look for a shady tree and then take a rest. So, he's buried down there, and the belief is that he's also taking a rest under the shade of a tree,” he added.
Quao further disclosed that the architect responsible for the design of the edifice, Dr. Don Abba, is still alive.
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