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Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, has unveiled the Osagyefo Roundabout at Sanzule, near Eikwe, in honour of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The monument was unveiled as part of activities commemorating the 117th anniversary of Dr Nkrumah’s birth and celebrates his contribution to Ghana’s independence and the broader struggle for African liberation.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah, who unveiled the monument alongside Kenyan lawyer and Pan-Africanist Professor Patrick Loch Otieno Lumumba, said Nzemaland had produced a son who played a central role in leading Ghana to independence. He, however, noted that the area experienced more than three decades of darkness following Dr Nkrumah’s overthrow.
According to him, efforts were also made over the years to remove Dr Nkrumah from Ghana’s historical narrative, including the removal of his image from the country’s currency, but such attempts ultimately failed.
Mr Armah-Kofi Buah described the Osagyefo Roundabout as a symbol of self-reliance, stressing that Ghana could not continue to depend on those who had previously colonised the country.
He further announced that the government plans to renovate Dr Nkrumah’s residence in Half-Assini, the hometown of his father, next year as part of efforts to preserve the former President’s memory and legacy.
Prof. Lumumba said Dr Nkrumah had distinguished himself among his contemporaries and that his legacy remained relevant because his ideals, philosophy and memory continued to endure.
He praised Mr Armah-Kofi Buah for the initiative, noting that Dr Nkrumah deserved enduring recognition for his contribution to Pan-Africanism.
National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, also highlighted Nzemaland’s contribution to Ghana’s pre-independence political struggle.
He noted that two key figures in the independence movement; Paa Grant of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and Dr Nkrumah, founder of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) both hailed from Nzemaland, with Paa Grant coming from Axim and Dr Nkrumah from Nkroful.
Mr Asiedu Nketiah said previous attempts to erase Dr Nkrumah’s name from Ghana’s history had not succeeded. He added that, having been recognised as an African Man of the Millennium, it was fitting for Ghana to continue commemorating his contribution.
Dr Nkrumah’s daughter, Madam Samia Yaba Nkrumah, expressed the family’s gratitude to Mr Armah-Kofi Buah for honouring her father.
She said the family hoped to see more people in contemporary governance reflect Dr Nkrumah’s ideals of freedom, development, prosperity and self-reliance.