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Statement on Busia stirs controversy
in Parliament
Accra, March 16, GNA - A statement by Prof George
Gyan-Baffour on the contribution of the late Prof Kofi
Abrefa Busia to the development of democracy in Ghana
stirred a controversy in Parliament on Friday as the
Majority praised Prof Busia against criticisms from the
Minority.
Prof Gyan-Baffour's statement titled: "K. A Busia the Doyen
of Democracy" eulogized Prof Busia as a "rare gem of
Ghanaian politics, a man whose politics was influenced by
his intellectual brilliance".
The statement said the late Prof Busia, who later became
Ghana's Prime Minister, in the Second Republic of Ghana, was
born in Wenchi on July 11, 1913 and attended Bechem
Methodist and Wenchi Methodist School from 1918 to 1927, and
thereafter trained as a teacher at Wesley College in Kumasi
between 1931 and 1932 and later became a teacher in that
same school.
Prof Gyan-Baaffour chronicled the rise of Prof Busia from
the student days at Oxford University, and became the "first
African to be awarded a degree from the University College,
Oxford."
Busia later became the first African District Commissioner
in the Gold Coast Colony, first African Lecturer in the
Department of Sociology of the university of Ghana, and
later elected member of the Legislative Assembly by the
Ashanti Confederacy of the Ghana Congress Party in 1952. In
1954, he became leader of Opposition in Parliament, but went
into exile after a series of unfavourable political
developments.
Prof Gyan-Baffour said Prof Busia came back after the
overthrow of the Convention People's Party and held various
positions under the National Liberation Council, and founded
the Progress Party that won the 1969 Elections.
However, Dr Busia's "Government was sadly overthrown in a
coup d'etat by Col I.K Acheampong in 1972. He died in exile
in Oxford, England, on 28th August, 1978 and was buried in
Wenchi."
Minority Leader Alban Bagbin in a contribution said the
history about Dr Busia was a controversy, adding that there
was not only a contention about his date of birth which some
historians had said was in 1918, and that Busia did not have
the benefit of early education and had to be supported by
missionaries before he went to school.
He said also that Dr Busia's policies contradicted his
writings, adding that he created a terrain, which made a lot
of mistakes that was still with the nation today.
Mr Stephen Balado Manu, NPP-Ahafo Ano South, disagreed with
the stand of Mr Bagbin, and said he knew the school, which
the Prof attended, as Prof Gyan-Baffour also maintained that
the date of his birth was certain because Prof Busia died at
65 in 1978.
Contributions were divided on issues such as Prof Busia rise
from humble beginnings to positions of prominence; policies
of the Busia administration and the Aliens Compliance Order.
Mr Kwadwo Adjei-Darko, Minister of State, and MP (NPP)
Sunyani West, called on the chiefs and people of the Brong
Ahafo Region to initiate a study into the life and
achievements of Prof Busia.
"I would expect to see a library at Sunyani named after K.A
Busia", the Minister said.
Mr Kojo Armah, CPP Evalue Gwira, cautioned against making of
statements that would divide the House.
GNA
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