If The President Feels That Ghana Was Not Founded By A Single Individual, It Is Up To Him To Make Amends

The Executive Director of Danquah Institute and a leading member of the opposition New Patriotic Party, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko has welcomed the categorical statement by President John Dramani Mahama in his Independence speech that, the �liberation of an entire nation or continent cannot rest solely on a single individual�. Though Mr. Otchere-Darko made it clear he was not privy to the full text of the President�s Independence speech, he stated that; �he is the President and was vice-President in the Government that decided to make one person the founder of Ghana. So if he did say that, if he is honest about what he said, clearly there is nothing stopping him from making the �founder�s, plural�. �He cannot say the country was not founded by one individual and leave it at that,� he stated. The Executive Director of the Danquah Institute made this submission in an interview with Peacfmonline.com after President John Dramani Mahama�s acknowledgement of the many other people who fought in the struggle for Ghana�s independence. President Mahama stated that no single person could have freed that country from our colonial �oppression and repression�. The statement was captured in the first paragraph of the President�s speech to the Nation on its 56th Independence anniversary. He stated that, despite the fact that �Kwame Nkrumah�s leadership was both committed and visionary; and one that extended beyond words into action. And even today as we celebrate, significant part of our national infrastructure that we still enjoy is as a result of the founder of our Nation, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah� The President was however quick to add that, �even after a goal has been established by the designated leader or founder, it takes dedication, focus and the work of millions before movement and progress can take place�. Gabby Otchere-Darko was of the view that, it is in the right direction that President Mahama is attempting to give recognition to every individual who played a role in the struggle for Independence but �to the Ghanaian, there are pressing issues. The pressing issues are that we have problems with electricity and water�. �Salaries are not been able to catch up with the widening cost of living, we have a huge deficit and we don�t know what to use the money for apart from using it to influence the elections. And these are issues that matter to Ghanaians,� he told Peacefmonline.com. He further told Peacefmonline.com that the issue of a founder or founders� is not the priority now but �if he feels that Ghana was not founded by a single individual or one person that is up to him to make amends�.