Kojo Yankah, Founder of the Pan African Heritage Museum and the African University College of Communications (AUCC), has proposed making history a compulsory subject at all levels of education in Ghana.
His call emphasizes the need for rigorous research to support history, particularly Ghanaian and African history.
In a recent Facebook post, Yankah stated, “My humble suggestion is that Ghana/Africa history, authenticated by research, should be made compulsory at all levels of our education.”
Yankah’s comments come amid a heated debate over the founding of Ghana. During his Founders’ Day address on August 3, 2024, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, a key figure in this debate, rejected claims that Ghana was founded solely by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
The President underscored the importance of acknowledging the collective efforts of various figures and organizations in Ghana’s path to independence, a sentiment that unites us all in our national pride.
The debate, which has been ongoing since 2019 when Parliament established August 4 as Founders’ Day to honour the collective contributions to Ghana’s independence, has sparked controversy and engaged the public in a national dialogue.
This decision has sparked controversy. While some support the recognition of the collective contributions to Ghana’s independence, others advocate for Nkrumah’s singular recognition, arguing that his leadership was pivotal in the country’s journey to independence.
President Akufo-Addo highlighted in his address that Ghana’s journey to independence involved numerous contributions.
These included the efforts of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society, which fought for the rights of indigenous Ghanaians, the British West African Nation Congress, which advocated for self-governance, and the United Gold Coast Convention, a political party that played a significant role in the independence movement.
He acknowledged Nkrumah’s significant role in the independence movement’s final stages but stressed the struggle’s collective nature.
Yankah’s call for mandatory history education addresses gaps in understanding and ensures that future generations appreciate the full spectrum of Ghana’s historical journey.
