President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the fifth president under the Fourth Republic, has celebrated Ghana's first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
He did so at the annual gathering of world leaders in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, UNGA, which started on September 19 with the 2022 meeting being the 77th General Assembly.
Akufo-Addo in presenting his address on September 21, reserved special mention for the Osagyefo whiles underlying the need for African unity in the face of recent global challenges.
He also stressed the significance of making the statement on September 21, given that it marked the birthday of the first president.
"Mr President, I am contributing to this debate on a date that has special significance for us in Ghana. 21st September is the date we mark the birth of our first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
"He would have been one hundred and thirteen (113) years old today, and it is worth recalling on this day the driving force of his political career, which was to contribute to the birth of a united Africa, i.e., a United States of Africa.
"We recognise today, more than ever before, the importance of the strength in unity of Africa, and we are working to shed that image of a helpless, hapless continent," Akufo-Addo stresed.
The president harped on the increasing need for Africa to embrace industralization and economic integration to drive collective progress.
"There is a renewed commitment towards an inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and economic integration and the intensity of the challenges we face today is only matched, like never before, by the immensity of the opportunity before us.
"We, the current leaders of Africa, should be determined not to waste the crisis that confronts us," he added.
Watch Akufo-Addo full address below:
September 21, 2022 observed a national holiday
The Minister of the Interior, Ambrose-Dery, declared the September 21 holiday since it marks the birthday of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Parliament in 2018 passed the new Public Holidays Act, 2018, to amend the Public Holidays Act, 2001.
The Act replaced three public holidays, including September 21 and introduced two new holidays, January 7 (Constitution Day) and August 4 (Founders' Day).
According to the government, the real fight for Ghana's independence started on August 4, 1947 (the day the United Gold Coast Convention, UGCC was formed), which is why it replaced the September 21 holiday.
