Following its inauguration and a significant facelift, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum — the last resting place of Ghana's first President— has been the subject of media attention this week. The garden had not received any facelifting attention in the thirty years or more that the facility was built by former President J. J J Rawlings had been in existence. Last Tuesday, President Nana Addo Dankwa officially opened Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, which had recently undergone renovations.
All Ghanaians and all Pan Africanists were glad of the occasion, which was not only warm and magnificent. It was historic, especially because a government that has its roots in the United Party( UP) tradition initiated and carried it out. Politically and ideologically, the UP and the Convention People's Party( CPP), founded by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, have historically been thought to be diametrically opposed.
It is important to note that the government, led by President Akufo-Addo, did something admirable with the help of World Bank financing that might have caused Dr. Nkrumah to pass away. The adage "Nkrumah never dies" has in fact been given meaning by it. We take advantage of the occasion to tell the park's management agencies to project and market the legacy, even as the Daily Graphic joins many Ghanaians in praising the government for doing so.
This is due to the fact that the park's existing characteristics will help the nation bring in more money from tourists from around the world. Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's reputation as an iconic Ghanaian and Pan-Africanist has come to life as a person who more or less stood and fought for the complete release of the African continent from colonial rule, giving Ghanaians the chance to relive his exploits.
A national library, reception area, amphitheater, restaurant, freedom hall, and a digital payment and access system are all features of the renovated park. The museum has also been expanded with an audio-visual burrow where the former President's voices and images can be heard and seen, as well as a marble-topped tombstone that has been renovated. There is no question that the nation will begin to benefit from the investments after a year or two.
The Daily Graphic is issuing a warning that the park employees' attitudes must reflect Dr. Nkrumah's ideals and posture on their own. They must, therefore, meet strict professional standards. It is important to emphasize that the park, which is thought to attract between 90,000 and more than a million visitors, needs to be revitalized beyond just buildings.
We anticipate that Dr. Ibrahim Awal, the minister of tourism, arts, and culture, who carried out the government's vision to ensure that the renovation was a success, will continue to oversee the upkeep of the park. As Ghanaians, we easily fall asleep after celebrating almost every new development, leaving such facilities in ruins.
Examples include the renowned Philip Quaque School on Cape Coast in the Central Region, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's home in Nkroful, and the numerous forts and castles scattered throughout the nation. Numerous potential tourist destinations have not yet been fully developed. After so many years, many national and potential tourist attractions, including the recently renovated and inaugurated national museum, like Kwame Nkrumah Park, were also abandoned. The national museum did not draw many visitors up until recently.
In this vein, we implore the government— through the Tourism Ministry— to keep its promise to renovate or build the roads that lead to numerous tourist attractions across the nation. All tourist attractions stand to make money, and in the end, the economy will benefit the most because the facilities are complemented by safe, passable roads that are also easily accessible.
