The ‘Jubilee Complex’ in ‘Flagstaff House’: President Nkrumah and Kufour must be given their due!

The name of the Presidency of the Republic of Ghana has come under discussion for some time now and has changed names between govern­ments of the National Demo­cratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The Presidency of His Excellency (HE) President John Dramani Mahama has not changed the name yet, but it is difficult to conclude that the matter is settled. The Presidency is probably preoccupied with getting in place the full complement of its government for which the renam­ing of the Presidency is in the lower list of priorities. It is likely the opposing ideological positions of the NDC and NPP, as well as their differing regard to the pride of place of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah in the political history of Ghana will eventually lead to a revert to Flagstaff House. Al­ready, HE President Mahama, in his thank you tour in the Western Region, informed the people that 1st July, which is the Republic Day holiday, will be brought back.

It is in this regard that I pro­pose that the entire complex of the Presidency be called ‘Flagstaff House’ and the building within which the President of the Repub­lic operates, named the ‘Jubilee Complex’. The address details and official letterhead will have details as follows:

Flagstaff House, Jubilee Com­plex, Kanda, Acca. The postal and other location details can be added.

The reasons for this are not farfetched. Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah constructed, or oversaw the construction of a Presidential complex from which the presi­dency could operate, rather than operate from the slave dungeons of the Christianborg Castle (Osu Castle), a colonial edifice. It was part of severing from the dark colonial vestiges and legacies and to begin and champion a new and emancipated Africa, Black man (and woman of course)! Within it was a zoo and forest woodlot. The President of the First Republic operated from there till he was overthrown. The Military Junta reverted to operate from the Osu Castle and so it was with successive juntas and governments, includ­ing the civilian governments of the Second and Third Republican Constitutions. The governments of President J. J. Rawlings (Rest in the bosom of the Almighty), President J. A. Kufour, and President J. E. A. Atta-Mills (May his Gentle Soul Rest in Peace), all of the Fourth Republic operated from the Osu Castle.

However, President Kufour in his wisdom decided that the Presidency should be relocated to the Flagstaff House which was the post-colonial Presidential Complex for running affairs of government. The structures within the Flagstaff House were not in the best of shapes following the years of non-use and neglect. The Gentle Giant as fondly called took the oppor­tunity of the upcoming Golden Jubilee of Ghana to reconstruct the Flagstaff House into a more modern and befitting Presidential Complex. He got the EXIM Bank of India to finance the construc­tion of complex a Jubilee Legacy Project. The construction involved the redevelopment of the rest of the land of the Flagstaff House which included the closure of the zoo and relocation of the Embassy of France. This gave us the new Flagstaff House which His Excel­lency President Kufour renamed the Jubilee House to mark the Golden Jubilee of Ghana (Gha­na@50). The argument was that the new building was separate from the original Flagstaff House.

Be that it may, it means the Flagstaff House maintains its name. There are several reasons for this view and position. If one expands upon his father’s house or even his own house, the person does not rename it. It will still bear the name everyone knows it to be. If your father’s house is derelict and you redevelop it, you don’t give it a new name. At best you can rename the additional structures but that is even somewhat unheard of. Second, if it is argued that it is not house as in a community, but a public place, still, you do not re­name a public building because you have added a new structure to it. When, as part of schools celebrat­ing jubilees, and where additional structures are constructed, the schools do not get renamed. Final­ly, the Flagstaff is a unique name of the Presidency of Ghana, just as the White House of the USA and many other examples. Within the White House are rooms, halls, and buildings with different names but they are in the White House.

Therefore, the expansion works of HE President Kufour or the entire reconstruction ought to be recognised. That singular act was an awakening that the Presidency needed to leave the slave dungeons back to the seat of Government of the Republic of Ghana. Hence the Jubilee building from where most of the activities of the President and his staff operate should be so named the Jubilee Complex.

HE Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkru­mah, the African man of the 20th Century ought to be recognised for his vision. He did everything to prove that the Ghanaian and Black Africa can hold their own! Flag­staff House was to represent the White House of Ghana, and many such places across the world. Aso Villa, lodged near the Aso Rock in Abuja, Federal capital of Nige­ria, must have taken inspiration from Ghana’s Flagstaff House. The Flagstaff House is no longer Nkrumah’s House but Ghana’s Presidential Villa for business of national government! Let’s main­tain the name Flagstaff House and it should be enshrined in Law.

BY PETER BADIMAK YARO