Seed money for Nkrumah celebration

THE Government has released an amount of GH¢ two million as seed money towards the centenary celebration of the First President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
This, the Chairman of the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Planning Committee, Prof. Akilagpa Sawyerr, said was less than the GH¢18,000,000 draft budget presented to the Government in the early part of July this year.
Prof. Sawyerr said this when he addressed the first press briefing on the committee's plans towards the celebration which is slated for September 2009 to May 2009.
He has therefore, called for public and corporate support for the celebration which is on the theme, "A life of Struggle, A Vision of Africa Unbound."
Prof. Swayerr said programmes towards the celebration had been planned in such a manner that would reflect the true national and international character of Dr Nkrumah.
He explained further that the committee had put in measures to ensured that not only did they have an effective programmes, but also meet all sections of Ghanaian society in its geographic and generational spread.
The chairman said the celebrations would be build around three clusters of activities and event, with each cluster reflecting the particular character of its climatic event.
The first clusters is the birthday of Dr Kwame Nkrumah which falls on September 21, 2009, the second will be the Independence Day celebration on March 6, 2010, and finally the Africa Liberation Day on May 25, 2010.
In addition, a series of activities and events reflecting all the various aspects of the celebrations, and spread over the country would be undertaken.
The committee also outlined four main blocks within which it would operate, the elements within the block include, the rehabilitating all centres of attraction relating to Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
There would also be public lectures and quiz competitions on the political and intellectual life of the First President.
The other element would be the re-enactment of various activities and events of Dr Nkrumah, prominent among them would be the commemoration of the 28 February crossroad shooting in Accra and in the regions.
The special feature of this event is the inclusion of the youth.The day had over the years been celebrated mostly by elderly persons in the country.
"What happens if these persons are no more with us ?" the Chairman asked.
Another member of the committee, Prof. Agyeman Badu-Akosa said members of the Nkrumah Foundation had begun the process of preserving all the legacies of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and called on the public to help retrieve these legacies.