August 4th passed quietly a few days ago for most Ghanaians.That is a shame. Besides independence, it should be the most celebrated day in our history.
That day, a group of Patriots, led by Paa Grant and J.B. Danquah, founded the United Gold Coast Convention at Saltpond in Central Region, a few miles from our first capital, Cape Coast.
Their goal was to attain independence for the Gold Coast.
They embodied, in that room, not just the hopes of a new nation but of a continent. They also carried the hopes of unborn generations. Yet, even they were not first to the task of founding Ghana.
They were standing on the foundations laid by the Fante Confederacy of 1868 and the Aboriginal Rights Protection Society of 1897. And they were inspired by the resistance of warriors such as Yaa Asantewaa.
And when they met at Saltpond, Nkrumah was not there.
That is why the idea of a FOUNDER is a lie.
Even after Nkrumah joined, the ex-servicemen and their agitation leading to the murders at Christianborg were crucial contributions.
We had founders, stretching over a century. That is the truth.
The Saltpond founders were true meritocrats. They recognised and welcomed talent. And when Nkrumah joined, they were an unstoppable force. Those were the days when Nkrumah admired Danquah's maturity and Danquah admired Nkrumah 's vigour and vision. These were the days when Danquah assured a crowd that Nkrumah would never betray them!
And when they went to prison, we knew they were true heroes and political prisoners. There days, we confuse hooligans for heroes.
In prison, before they were dispersed, they debated Ghana's future and agreed, with Danquah and Nkrumah leading the charge to name our new nation Ghana!
Why did they fall out?
I still imagine what might have been if we had gone to independence under a United UGCC, with Nkrumah, Danquah and all the others united, pulling for Ghana.
But Alas, the UGCC, in 1947, gave us and history, a brief glimpse of what might have been.
Let us celebrate the spirit of UGCC and the goal of a Ghana led by its best and brightest, not just in intellect, but in spirit.
Yen Ara yen Asase Ni!!
God Bless Ghana.