20 August 2008
editorial
A monument dedicated to the president of the 2nd Republic, the late Edward Akufo-Addo has been commissioned in Accra. It is a modest statue in the middle of a roundabout or circle in Cantonments which is now to be known as Edward Akufo-Addo Circle.
Mr. Akufo-Addo was not only our president, but was at one time the Chief Justice and further back in history, a member of the "Big Six" who helped in the attainment of independence from the British for us. It is therefore a deserved and fitting memorial. Five members of the Big Six have already got monuments in Accra dedicated to them.
From Akufo-Addo Circle, in a southerly direction we get to Danquah Circle, from where in a westerly direction we get to the Ako-Adjei Interchange, then to Kwame Nkruma Circle and finally to Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle.
It is now left with William Ofori Atta (Paa Willie) and the Big Six would all have their places in the traffic landmarks of our national capital. Why are we wasting time then? There are many places Paa Willie can also be placed. He is as deserving of a circle or intersection or junction as the rest of them.
And while we are at it, let's come up with appropriate monuments for the late Prime Minister K.A. Busia (2nd Republic) and late President Hilla Limann (3rd Republic) in our national capital.
Even coup maker E.K. Kotoka has our international/national airport still named after him! The least we can do for these two liberal democrats is to show our appreciation for what they stood for: democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights and constitutionalism.
They were both victims of totally nugatory coups d'etat. For that alone, they deserve to have more than just circles or any obscure monuments named after them. Busia and Limann must be ennobled with some of the most striking monuments in the national capital.
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