Akufo-Addo banned me from GBC over Nkrumah commentary – Historian

Historian Dr. Yaw Anokye Frimpong has alleged that former President Nana Akufo-Addo influenced his removal from a programme on the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation over his views on Ghana’s political history.

Dr Frimpong, who was speaking on Angel FM, claimed the incident occurred while Akufo-Addo was in office, following his commentary praising Kwame Nkrumah.

“I know he is listening to me. Some time ago, when he was in power, I was speaking on GBC and he rang them to have me removed from the show because I was heaping too much praise on Nkrumah and not him or JB Danquah,” he said.

According to the historian, the alleged intervention led to his absence from the platform for an extended period.

“So for a whole year I wasn’t going to GBC. This is not defamation. I’m telling you the truth,” he stated.

Dr Frimpong further argued that such actions may have undermined Akufo-Addo’s credibility on the international stage, particularly regarding discussions on reparations.

“If you do things like this, and you go on the international stage and talk about reparations, nobody will mind you,” he said. “That’s what hurt Akufo-Addo. He would have been the one to pursue the reparation issue to its finality.”

The historian also drew attention to the legacy of former President John Evans Atta Mills, highlighting a symbolic gesture tied to Nkrumah’s continental influence.

“We shouldn’t forget former President Mills who sent Nkrumah’s statue to the African Union headquarters,” he noted.

Dr Frimpong, often referred to as Lawyer Anokye Frimpong, is widely known for his commentary on Ghanaian and African history, where he frequently challenges dominant narratives and sheds light on lesser-known historical accounts.