You are here: HomeNews2003 04 03Article 34937

General News of Thursday, 3 April 2003

Source: Chronicle

Kwame Nkrumah Park To Be Revived

Negotiations are ongoing between the management of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Howard University, to have some of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s documents transferred to his museum.

The director of the park Mr. Robert William Hrisir Quaye explained that most of his documents were kept by his biographer, who also sent it to the Howard University for safe keeping after the death of Dr. Nkrumah.

This is one of the numerous measures put in place to transform the cemetery-like park into a lively and attractive tourist site that would generate high revenue for the nation.

Most people do not patronize the park, which is where the late president declared the independence of the country and also serves as his burial ground.

Although the park serves as a tourist attraction site and a solemn place, it lacks the necessary recreational facilities that would urge tourists to revisit the park.

Explaining the situation to the ''Chronicle'', Mr. Quaye noted that African Americans often visit the site, but unfortunately they do not see anything different from what they see in their previous visits. That is what has made it necessary for the management of the park to carry out initiatives to promote public interest in the park.

Another measure being undertaken is the introduction of game into the park and especially parrots to be trained to respond ‘Nkrumah never dies’ when visitors mention ‘Nkrumah’ to them.

Mr. Quaye also hinted that live bands would soon be playing on weekends at the park, laying emphasis on the fact that only state-owned bands would play, not losing sight of the fact that only contemporary highlife songs would be played.

He hinted that a diplomat and a prolific composer Kwadwo Donkoh is working on a lot of pieces of highlife songs and he is at the moment arranging to play with Nkrumah’s stamp on them.