A medical doctor and former presidential aspirant of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy says Ghana's current condition falls short of the self-governance vision envisaged by the country's founding father, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

He argued that Ghana's claim to independence is merely symbolised by its flag and anthem, lacking substantial intellectual, cultural, and other genuine forms of independence.

Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, March 9, Dr Arthur stated that while Indians and the Chinese exhibit a strong sense of identity, Ghana often imitates the West, even in unproductive matters like LGBTQ+ issues.

“We try to imitate the West in ways that are not productive, including the LGBTQ, and those things are not helping us as far as independence, as we are talking about.

"I think that even the way we pick our big six, or the heroes of our independence, goes to the fact that we are not independent people because the British just decided to put six people, and from then on we proclaim them as the big six," he said.

He argued that several important personalities who contributed greatly to the independence of Ghana were not included in the 'Big Six'.

Dr Arthur stated that this is because the British just chose the 'big six' for the country and Ghanaians just accepted. 

“How is it that Paa Grant who summoned the leaders who started the independence fight and then bankrolled it, helped bring Nkrumah, he is not part of the big six? I mean, that does not make sense. Why is it that Chief Nii Kwabena Bonne, who organised against the AWAM, the Association of Western African Merchants, went around whipping support for it, (is not part of the Big Six)?

"How is it that Henry Coussey, who wrote the Coussey report, talked about how contrary to the Watson Commission, we cannot do away with our chiefs because they are such an integral part of our society ... he is not part of the Big Six?”.