In an interview with talk show host KSM in February 2024, Kennedy Agyapong, the Member of Parliament for Assin Central, praised the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President.
During the interview, KSM asked Agyapong, “Is it the case that since independence we haven’t had good leaders, selfless leaders?” In response, Agyapong expressed his admiration for Nkrumah’s ideology and leadership.
“I believe in Kwame Nkrumah, although I am UP. Read my lips; you can say it until the next day: I believe in Nkrumah.”
Agyapong continued to extol Nkrumah’s contributions to Ghana, highlighting his forward-thinking vision and the lasting impact of his initiatives.
“You see, they did a lot of propaganda, and looking at Ghanaian’s behaviour today, we needed Nkrumah at that time. You can hang me, and I [will] still stand by what I am saying. Akosombo textiles; everything that Kwame Nkrumah did for this country. He was over 200 years ahead of his peers or time.”
Acknowledging potential criticism from his political base, he added, “I know where the criticism will come from, but that is me. I am not a young man anymore; I have done my analysis and my studies, and he is a great man,” he concluded.
Why the video has resurfaced
Although Kennedy Agyapong’s comment was made months ago, it has become a point of reference following Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s recent remarks about Nkrumah, which have sparked outrage.
The energy minister has come under intense criticism after he was accused of disrespecting Dr. Kwame Nkrumah at his unveiling as the running mate of NPP flagbearer, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
Addressing a gathering of party bigwigs and supporters on Tuesday, June 9, 2024, for his official unveiling in Kumasi, Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh emphasized that not even Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, comes close to President Akufo-Addo when it comes to spearheading development in the country’s history.
“It has never happened in the history of Ghana. If President Akufo-Addo retires, I can hit my chest and state that since the nation’s inception in 1957, there has not been a president who has helped the state more than Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“I am saying that from 1957 to now, whether you pick ‘your’ Kwame Nkrumah… there is nobody who has led Ghana and protected the country or developed Ghana more than Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” he stated.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com