Historian cum lawyer Yaw Anokye Frimpong has accused the former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, of distorting historical facts during his time as a lecturer at the University of Ghana.
According to Frimpong, who studied Political Science under Prof. Oquaye, there was frequent chaos in his class due to the professor’s political stance.
Speaking in an interview on Onua TV on March 10, 2025, he alleged that Prof. Oquaye misrepresented historical events to align with his political affiliation, leading to disputes among students who were well-informed about Ghana’s history.
“He taught me political science. At the time, he was Dr. Mike Oquaye, and there was always conflict in his class because his course focused on politics in Ghana, yet he twisted historical facts to fit his narrative. If Nkrumah built the Tema Harbour, he would tell us that it wasn’t Nkrumah but the British who built it for him to inherit,” Frimpong claimed.
He further alleged that Prof. Oquaye misrepresented the role of George Alfred “Paa” Grant, the prominent businessman who funded Kwame Nkrumah‘s return to Ghana.
“The £100 that was used to bring Nkrumah to Ghana was given by Paa Grant, but Mike Oquaye would tell us that it was JB Danquah, even though Danquah was a lawyer who didn’t have that kind of money. I know Mike Oquaye very well, he doesn’t like Nkrumah,” he added.
Oquaye, has asserted that Ghanaians owe their freedom and democracy to the contributions of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking at a mentorship programme organized by the NPP Council of Elders as part of the 77th-anniversary celebration of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), Prof. Oquaye emphasized that the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition played a crucial role in establishing human rights protections in Ghana’s constitutional framework.
He claimed that during Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s tenure, human rights were not prioritized, and it was under the leadership of the NPP and its predecessors that Ghana saw major advancements in constitutional freedoms.
“Our forebearers brought this kind of thing. Under Nkrumah, you could be detained almost indefinitely. The Preventive Detention Act (PDA) of 1958 allowed for detention for five years. In 1964, he amended it to allow for a renewal of another five years, making it almost indefinite.
“Nkrumah is celebrated as a hero today, yet he introduced such oppressive policies against Ghanaians. It’s a contradiction. We must claim our history and recognize that if you love your freedom, you must love the NPP. Our people were developmental, selfless gentlemen, focused on progress, and they constantly advocated for it,” he stated.
AM/KA
Meanwhile, watch this Ghana Month special edition of People and Places as we hear the story of how the head of Kwame Nkrumah‘s bronze statue was returned after 43 years, below:
You can also watch the latest episode of #Trending GH as Ghanaians call for economic solutions instead of KIA renaming
