Minority Chief Whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh has called for a renewed debate on renaming the University of Ghana after the late statesman and scholar, Dr J.B. Danquah.
The proposal, initially advanced by former President Akufo-Addo during his tenure, was met with what Mr Annoh-Dompreh described as “stiff opposition” from segments of Ghanaian society who believed it was not merited.
The legislator expressed his dismay at the fierce resistance the earlier proposal encountered.
“I was struck when a call for the University of Ghana to be named after J.B. Danquah received a lot of apprehension and even condemnation,” he stated.
“It saddened my heart that such a personality would be treated the way he was treated.”
He further cautioned against the historical tendency to create divisions between the legacies of Danquah and Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
“Often times, we yield to this tendency of drawing a wedge between J.B. Danquah and Kwame Nkrumah, which in my view is totally unnecessary… They all [achieved] significant [achievements] in their right,” Annoh-Dompreh argued.
His comments followed a commemorative statement read in Parliament by Abuakwah South MP Kingsley Agyemang, who hailed Danquah as a figure whose legacy transcends political divides.
“When clerks of parliament, professional bodies, academic institutions… converge in the assessment of one man, then history itself has rendered its verdict,” Mr Agyemang said.
He described Danquah as “a man whose life and work are acknowledged with respect by those who oppose him politically.”
The statement also framed Danquah’s imprisonment under the Preventive Detention Act as a timeless lesson for the nation.
“The experience of Dr. J.B Danquah… reminds this house that the erosion of liberty rarely announces itself loudly,” it noted, concluding that “to honour him is not merely to remember his past but to ensure that the dark chapters he endured are never re-opened in our present.”
While supporting the recognition of Danquah’s contributions, NDC MP for Kwesimintsim, Fiifi Fiavi Phillip Buckman, urged for a broader celebration of other founding figures. He acknowledged Danquah’s pivotal role in naming the nation, noting, “He traced ‘Ghana’ from the ancient Ghana empire… this current Ghana was named Ghana because of what he proposed.”
However, Buckman emphasised inclusivity, stating, “We should not only cherish people according to their political sides.”
He specifically called for recognition of George Alfred Paa Grant, the financier of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), to which Danquah also belonged.
“I would call upon my brothers that… they should also celebrate United Gold Coast Convention’s financier, who was Dr. Paa Grant,” Buckman added.
As the debate resurfaces, Mr Annoh-Dompreh conceded that honouring forebears “should not reflect in monuments per se,” but suggested that “the Ghana Tourism Authority could make some amendments in terms of how we can cash in on the legacies of J.B. Danquah.”
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com