Pundits of the popular morning show on radio “Showbiz Agenda” on an Accra based Zylofon FM 102.1 have described as less priority, the government’s intentions to rename some public institutions after some founding fathers.

This follows attempts by the governing new patriotic party (NPP) government to rename some public institutions after some founding fathers of the country.

Discussing the topic on “Showbiz Agenda” on Zylofon FM 102 1 with Sammy Flex, host of popular social media celebrity show Vibes In 5 and link up reloaded Arnold Mensah Elavanyo stated that even though it is important to honour heroes of the country, but it isn’t a priority to Ghanaians following the hardships in the country.

According to him, there are challenges facing Citizens that he feels the government should first solve it before thinking about any different thing.

“Even though Ghanaians are aware they need to honour their heroes, the same Ghanaians are aware of priorities. The people are suffering from hardships and they want it solved. They are hungry so if they are not provided with jobs and all they wake up to hear is always renaming, then they will have issues with you. Provide them with good roads, health, portable water, and others because that’s all that they need. If they get all this and you happen to build and name it after yourself, they have no problem with you but if these things are not provided and all they hear is renaming then they will have issues with you. So the government must, first of all, provide the people with their basic needs before the renaming” he explained.

He further stated that it would have been better the government built new institutions and name them after the founding fathers rather than renaming already established institutions. “If the government wants to honour the founding fathers, then he should build and name them rather than renaming. They are already established and people get all the benefits they want from it so the renaming wouldn’t benefit them but when the government builds a new one, definitely people will benefit and he can name it after them. So I think he should build and name not to rename” he lamented.



Highlife artiste Dada Hafco also added that there are developmental projects citizens need which should be a priority to the government before the renaming of institutions. According to Dada Hafco, even though it is important to honour heroes of the country, but it shouldn’t be prioritized over the basic needs of citizens. “Sammy, there is a saying that a country which doesn’t honour its heroes is not worth dying for. Let’s put it in a box. It is important to honour our heroes but we shouldn’t prioritize it over our basic needs.

Social amenities should be provided for the people first before the renaming of these institutions. There are interchanges named after some heroes and if you think Busia needs one, just build and name it after him… if we want to honour our heroes, let’s put it on hold that we will build twenty schools each year to name after them rather than renaming already established institutions” Dada Hafco stressed out.

Explaining further, Chief Charles also pointed out that, it isn’t necessary for the government to rename the institutions because the cost will be pushed to the taxpayer. “Sammy do you know what I call this? I call it the fallacy of nomenclature and comedy of errors. The NPP seems culpable of renaming. It is a deliberate agenda. The taxpayer has to pay for the cost because everything has to be changed. I will say the government is not doing what the citizens need but what he wants to do. It will put much cost on the taxpayer and what is the benefit. It has no benefit to the citizenry” he narrated.