As Ghana marked the 47th anniversary of the passing of Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia, the country’s Prime Minister during the Second Republic, fresh concerns have emerged about the state of his legacy and how the nation honours its historical leaders.
Dr Busia, remembered for his role in restoring Ghana to civilian rule in 1969 after years of military government, remains one of the most prominent figures in the country’s democratic journey. Yet, according to leading members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the physical and symbolic preservation of his legacy has not received the attention it deserves.
At Wenchi in the Bono Region, where Dr Busia hails from, the mausoleum containing his remains is said to be in a deteriorating condition. Mr Richard Kwadwo Adu, a former Wenchi Constituency Youth Organiser, described the site as unbefitting of the stature of the late leader. He called on government not only to rehabilitate the mausoleum but also to consider turning it into a national heritage and tourism site.
“Dr Busia’s contributions to Ghanaian democracy, press freedom, and local governance reforms were monumental. Yet Wenchi, his hometown, does not reflect his towering legacy. Restoring and elevating the mausoleum would be both a tribute and a developmental opportunity for the community,” Mr Adu argued.
Similarly, Mr Kwasi Annan Frimpong, one of the NPP’s early stalwarts in the Brong-Ahafo Region, noted that while the Busia family has not been entirely forgotten — with relatives like the late Ama Busia and Obeng Busia holding national positions — there is still a gap in how the state immortalizes the Prime Minister’s contributions.
Observers say the neglect of Busia’s mausoleum echoes a broader pattern in Ghana, where the resting places and memorials of key political figures often fall into disrepair until anniversaries stir public discussion.
For many in Wenchi and beyond, the anniversary is not only a moment of remembrance but also a reminder that Ghana’s approach to preserving political heritage requires a stronger, lasting commitment.
