Hate speech directed at J.B Danquah must end – Akufo-Addo
The former president Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged that hate speech which aims to erase the contribution made by Joseph Boakye Danquah to the nation’s political history and development cease.
Speaking to the congregation of the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church in Kyebi, Eastern Region, on the 60th anniversary of J.B Danquah’s passing, Akufo-Addo declared that Dr Danquah’s political contribution to Ghana cannot be denied.
A commemorative anthology showcasing the legacy of J.B Danquah was also launched at the church service.
The former president called for an end to the arguments around Dr Danquah’s role in Ghana’s development, saying they were unnecessary.
“[Despite] Dr Danquah’s contribution to the development of Ghana, his name continues to elicit needless controversy in death as in life,” said Akufo-Addo. ”We recall vividly the inhuman conditions Kwame Nkrumah’s CPP government attached to the conduct of his burial in 1965, after his cruel death in solitary confinement in the dungeons of Nsawam Prisons.
“We are current witnesses, 60 years after his death, to the vicious name-calling that attends his mention by would-be responsible members of society.
“Those of us who love the work of this great champion of Ghanaian freedom and progress must take solace, in this matter, not just from the benevolence of our God in heaven, but also from the philosophic calm which Dr Danquah claimed for himself in the cells of Sekondi Prison.”
Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Minority Leader in Parliament, said that the memory of J.B Danquah reminds members of the New Patriotic Party to be watchful in order to ensure that Ghana’s democracy is not merely a theoretical concept but a lived reality.
“The memory of Danquah demands that we remain vigilant, ensuring that democracy in Ghana is not just a rhetorical idea but a lived reality.”
He said the pioneering role played by J.B Danquah not only reflects on the political tradition that he founded but also illustrates Dr Danquah’s fierce commitment to the political emancipation of the Gold Coast.
“As I stand before you today, I cannot help but reflect on the weight of Dr Danquah’s legacy,” Afenyo-Markin said. “His portrait in my office is more than a symbol. It is a daily reminder of the duty we bear as public servants, as citizens and as inheritors of democracy.”
Source: asaaseradio
