Historian Yaw Anokye Frimpong has accused Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye of distorting history during his lectures at the University of Ghana. Frimpong alleges that Oquaye misrepresented key events to align with his political views, which led to conflicts in his classroom. Oquaye, on the other hand, claims that the NPP has been crucial in securing Ghana’s freedoms, highlighting a broader debate on historical representation.
Historian Yaw Anokye Frimpong has accused Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, a former Speaker of Parliament, of distorting historical facts during his tenure as a lecturer at the University of Ghana. According to Frimpong, who took Political Science under Oquaye, his classroom was often contentious due to the professor’s political biases, which allegedly led to misrepresentations of Ghana’s history.
In an interview with Onua TV on March 10, 2025, Frimpong claimed Oquaye altered facts to support his political views, causing debates among students who were knowledgeable about historical events. He mentioned that when discussing the Tema Harbour, Oquaye would state that its construction was attributed to the British instead of Kwame Nkrumah.
Furthermore, Frimpong alleged that Oquaye inaccurately represented George Alfred “Paa” Grant’s role in funding Kwame Nkrumah’s return to Ghana. He stated that the £100 for Nkrumah’s return was provided by Paa Grant, yet Oquaye suggested it was JB Danquah, despite Danquah’s financial limitations as a lawyer.
Prof. Oquaye himself has remarked that Ghanaians owe their democracy to the contributions of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Speaking at a mentorship event hosted by the NPP Council of Elders, he highlighted the importance of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition in securing human rights in Ghana’s constitutional history. He contended that Nkrumah’s administration neglected human rights, while the NPP advanced these freedoms.
Oquaye asserted that under Nkrumah’s rule, oppressive policies such as the Preventive Detention Act limited personal freedoms significantly. He noted that although Nkrumah is lauded as a hero today, he enacted measures that severely restricted individual liberties, creating a notable contradiction in historical perceptions.
The allegations made by Yaw Anokye Frimpong against Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye indicate a significant conflict regarding the portrayal of Ghana’s historical narrative. While Frimpong asserts that Oquaye misrepresents historical events to fit his political agenda, Oquaye maintains that Ghanaians owe their freedoms to the NPP’s efforts. This discourse underscores the complexities of historical interpretation and the impact of political affiliation on educational narratives.
Original Source: www.ghanaweb.com
