Nkroful: As the commemoration of the 116th birthday celebration of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, first President and Prime Minister of Ghana draws near, his maternal hometown, Nkroful in the Ellembelle District, is being marked with activity and decorations to herald the celebration which falls on Sunday, September 21.
According to Ghana News Agency, this year's celebration is on the theme, 'Journey to Nkroful: Unite, Celebrate and Enjoy'. President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso are among special dignitaries to grace the occasion. Mr. John Kwaw Nketiah, Chairman of NKRUMAFEST Planning Committee, made this known in an interview at Nkroful, the birth and burial place of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
The week-long celebration started on Saturday, September 13 with communal labor to clean the roadsides from Esiama to Nkroful through to Teleku-Bokazo. It will be climaxed on Sunday, September 21, which has been declared as Founder's Day and a national holiday. As part of the celebration, a special thanksgiving service was held on Sunday, September 14, to thank God and commit the program into his hands and care.
Other activities include a 'local Artistes Night' with live musical performances by musicians from the Nzema area, a football gala, and a people's assembly offering communities the opportunity to ask questions on pertinent national issues. The week will end with a grand durbar featuring speeches, live musical performances, and the lighting of the perpetual flame at the Kwame Nkrumah mausoleum at Nkroful, the first burial site of Dr. Nkrumah.
Mr. Nketiah mentioned that through the efforts of Mr. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Member of Parliament of Ellembelle, provisions were made for street lights to be installed along the Esiama to Nkroful and Teleku-Bokazo stretch to enhance night security. The road from Esiama to Nkroful has also been graded and improved.
He stated that this year's celebration would be outstanding with the erection of a monument in Nkroful in honor of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. Mr. Nketiah praised President John Dramani Mahama for reinstating Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's birthday as a national holiday and adopting it as a national festival by the Ghana Tourism Authority, acknowledging his significant contributions to the nation.
