It’s Africa Union Day (or African Liberation Day) today and I’ve decided to work from home – Joy FM staff often have to go to work on holidays. I have the luxury of being able to work wherever there is an internet connection though…

… and besides: it’s a holiday. I love the fact that we have so many holidays in Ghana.

For AU Day this year, we in Ghana are celebrating what would have been Kwame Nkrumah’s centenary and there has been a raft of events around this theme.

Seems many people didn’t know about last night’s Independence Square concert featuring the likes of VIP, Amandzeba, as well as headliners Baaba Maal and  Richard Bona – one of the best African artists alive, in my personal opinion. I hear Femi Kuti couldn’t make it because he didn’t get paid in advance (Ghanaian artists, take note).

Anyway, my friend Nana Akua slipped me the schedule for the rest of the celebrations. Some plays will be happening at the National Theatre @ 6.30 pm for the next few nights. I caught the first showing of ‘Nkrumah Ni…‘ and really enjoyed it: well played and thought-provoking.

25th May: ‘The Fall of Kumbi‘ by Mohammed ben-Abdallah
Performed by the National Theatre Players

26th May: ‘Nkrumah-ni… Africa-ni!‘ by Femi Osofisan
Performed by Abibigromma (School of Performing Arts, Legon)

27th May: ‘The Fall of Kumbi‘ by Mohammed ben-Abdallah
Performed by the National Theatre Players

Today’s celebrations look like this:

WREATH-LAYING AND FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY @ Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park (8.30 – 10.00 am)

KWAME NKRUMAH CENTENARY COLLOQUIUM (cont’d) @ Accra International Conference Centre (11.00am – 5.00pm)

11.00am        SESSION 5:     AFRICAN UNITY AND BEYOND
Presenters:

• Ama Biney, “The Contribution of Kwame Nkrumah to Pan-Africanism and Internationalism, and its Contemporary Relevance”
• Issa Shivji, “Kwame Nkrumah’s thought in the evolution of Pan-African Ideology”
• Horace Campbell, “Towards an Africa without Borders in the 21st century: The Inspiration of Kwame Nkrumah”

1.00pm    Lunch
2.00pm    ROUNDTABLE 2: SESSION WITH VETERAN FREEDOM FIGHTERS
4.00pm    CLOSING CEREMONY

Statement of the Colloquium

• Yao Graham, Member of the Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Colloquium Planning Committee

Closing Address

• His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana

Oh, and in July…

6–8th July: ‘Children of The Land‘ and ‘In the High Court of Cosmic Justice‘
Dramatization of Poetry

Hope there’s something in there for your enjoyment.