President Nana Akufo-Addo is at the Saltpond Methodist Church for a Memorial Service to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).
This is the first time a sitting president has visited the town, where the UGCC was founded to mark the anniversary.
The President was joined by leading members and the party faithful of the New Patriotic Party.
The UGCC disbanded after its poor showing in the 1951 elections where Kwame Nkrumah’s Convention People’s Party (CPP) won 34 of the 38 elected seats in the assembly.
The governing New Patriotic Party is a political descendant of the UGCC and the party has said it will be “eulogizing the founding fathers of the UGCC and for that matter the key architects of Ghana’s independence struggle for their legendary sacrifices in honour of country.”
The party said in a statement it wished to “extol the enviable virtues and sacrifices of these forebears of our national struggle including J.B. Danquah, Paa Grant, William Ofori-Atta, Obetsebi Lamptey, Hon. Edward Akufo-Addo, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, V.B. Annan, Oheneba Sakyi Djan, Hon. Akilakpa Sawyer, Hon. N.A. Ollenu, Councilor E.A. Bossman, K.B. Teko, Enoch Mensah, Q. Tagoe, Councilor W.Q.M. Halm, Quist Therson, Councilor Richard Akwei, E.C. Quist, Ben A. Tamakloe, Councilor G.N. Alema, Joe Myers, Dr. F.V. Nanka Bruce, E.C.A. Quarshie, Dr. J.E. Armah, Solomon Odamtten and many others.”
The party highlighted Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s role with the party, which he joined in 1947 upon invitation from J.B. Danquah to become the UGCC’s General Secretary.
“Nkrumah, who was at some point, invited to join the struggle by the UGCC leadership and appointed as the General Secretary of the party, undoubtedly, played a leading role in the struggle for self-government together with his compatriots in the UGCC and the CPP.”
Commemoration will be momentous
The NPP is collaborating with government, via the Ghana 60 Years on Planning committee “to make this commemoration, a momentous one.”
As part of activities earmarked for this event, there would be an anniversary lecture to be delivered by the Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye on the topic at the National Theatre 6 pm today [Friday].
President Akufo-Addo will also be at the lecture as a guest of honor.
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By: Joseph Ackon-Mensah/Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana