Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Obiri Boahen, in 2019 alleged that the first president of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who led the fight for independence from British rule was to be blamed for the misfortunes of the nation.

He explained that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his followers took some questionable decisions which he believed had led to the country's under-development and the economic woes.

He said “if the country had adopted private participation, today’s Ghana would have been a well-developed nation” adding that “they have always disturbed us with this economic liberation and socialism. They should give us a break”.

Read the full story originally published on August 6, 2019 on GhanaWeb

Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Obiri Boahen has blamed the first President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah as the brain behind the country’s economic woes and underdeveloped status after independence.

According to him, while the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) opted for private participation in building the country’s economic capacity, the former leader insisted he will adopt socialist system of government.

According to Lawyer Obiri Boahen, between 1962 and 1963 the Danquahs’ were telling Nkrumah “look don’t let us adopt the government system of the Russians and China let’s adopt the Japanese and South Koreans because private participation is the key”.

“At the time Kwame Nkrumah and his followers didn’t listen. Today most private institutions are doing better, he added observing that if the country had adopted private participation, today’s Ghana would have been a well-developed nation.

Commenting on the Founders’ Day celebration and its associate change in date, he laid the blame of the country’s economic challenges 62-years after independence to the Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

Daughter of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Madam Samia Nkrumah and other political entities mostly from the CPP and the NDC have however opposed the idea of a change in day.

The NDC has vowed to change the date to its original day when voted into power.

But Lawyer Obiri Boahen chided the critics saying “they have always disturbed us with this economic liberation and socialism. They should give us a break”. He told the NDC and the NPP in an interview with Kumasi based Nhyira Fm monitored by MyNewsGh.com.

President Akufo-Addo pushed a new Holiday Amendment Act in Parliament which proposed September 21 (Nkrumah’s birthday and Founder’s day) to be observed as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day instead of Founders Day which honoured him as the founder of the nation.

The President said August 4th will now be the new founders’ day.

According to government, it (August 4th) is “obviously the most appropriate day to signify our recognition and appreciation of the collective efforts of our forebears towards the founding of a free, independent Ghana.”