Nkroful prepares for grand celebration of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s 116th birthday

Nkroful, the maternal hometown of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the Ellembelle District, is alive with activities and decorations as preparations intensify for the 116th birthday celebration of Ghana’s first President and Prime Minister on Sunday, September 21. The event is themed “Journey to Nkroful: Unite, Celebrate and Enjoy.”

President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana and President Ibrahim Traore of Burkina Faso are expected to join dignitaries at the occasion. Mr John Kwaw Nketiah, Chairman of the NKRUMAFEST Planning Committee, disclosed that the week-long celebration, which began on September 13, features communal labour, thanksgiving services, football galas, a local artistes’ night, and community assemblies.

The celebration will climax on September 21, declared as Founder’s Day, with a grand durbar, live performances, speeches, and the lighting of the perpetual flame at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Nkroful, his first burial site. A monument in honour of Dr Nkrumah will also be unveiled.

Mr Nketiah praised MP Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah for securing provisions for streetlights along the Esiama–Nkroful–Teleku-Bokazo stretch to enhance security. He also lauded President Mahama for reinstating Nkrumah’s birthday as a national holiday and adopting it as a festival under the Ghana Tourism Authority.