AU Adopts Nkrumah's Birthday As Event For Entire Continent

Email story Print story AU Adopts Nkrumah's Birthday As Event For Entire Continent Dr Kwame Nkrumah The African Union (AU) has adopted the centenary birthday celebration of the founder and first President of the Republic of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, as a continental event. In a resolution passed at the end of the 13th Ordinary Summit of the African Union (AU) in the Libyan coastal city of Sirte, the African heads of state “unanimously agreed to celebrate Dr Nkrumah’s centenary birthday and put it on the AU’s calendar of Special Events”. A Deputy Minister of Information, Mr Samuel Okudzeto-Ablakwah, told the Daily Graphic on his return from Libya, that the leaders also accepted Ghana’s invitation to join President John Evans Atta Mills and Ghanaians to celebrate the anniversary on September 21, 2009. “At the summit, President Mills invited his colleague heads of state to join Ghana to mark the centenary of Dr Nkrumah, whose pioneering role in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) is unmatched” he said. Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwah said President Mills, in addressing his peers at the summit, lauded the role of Dr Nkrumah and recalled how passionate he was in ensuring that not only Ghana but the African continent as a whole gained independence. He said leader after leader took turns to praise Dr Nkumah’s visionary leadership, and expressed their willingness to participate in the celebration. Without any objection, President Mills’ colleagues at the AU summit agreed with him and passed a unanimous resolution to celebrate his centenary birthday and put it on the AU calendar of Special Events. Mr Okudzeto-Ablakwah said the summit consequently tasked the Executive Council of Foreign Ministers to draw a programme for the celebration. In a related development, some prominent sons of Africa have agreed to join President Mills to welcome the US President, Barack Obama. They are the leader of the Nation of Islam, Louis Farakhan, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr Mohamed Ibn Chambas, and the Chairman of the African Union, Jean Ping.