In an exclusive report by Graphic.com.gh, Black Star Square, the national monument has got a different name from what we all have known since 1961.
This is not a deliberate move by any state authority to have the monument renamed, but our inability to maintain structures in good conditions for years is the cause.
“Unfortunately, it is being harmed by the country’s inadequate maintenance culture.
“At the moment, an unattractive display suggests a new moniker for the Square: Black Tar Square.
“The ‘S’ in the Star is gone, and has been for quite some time, but who cares, right? During a visit to the Square yesterday morning, a group was setting up for an event, and kids were on a field trip there”, the news outlet reported.
About the Black Star Square
The Accra Sports Stadium and the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park surround Black Star Square, also known as Independence Square, a public square in Accra, Ghana.
The yearly independence celebrations, as well as other national events, are frequently held on the square. It is now the site of all Ghanaian civic and military parades.
The building was finished in 1961, just in time for Queen Elizabeth II’s state visit to Ghana.
Between the 28th February Road and Accra’s Southern Coastline sits the Black Star Square.
There are 30,000-seater stands at Independence Square. Three statues embody the fight for independence and liberation in the square.
Following Ghana’s independence from the British in 1957, Kwame Nkrumah became the country’s first prime minister and president. To commemorate Ghana’s independence, Kwame Nkrumah commissioned the square’s construction. It was timed to coincide with Queen Elizabeth II’s visit. It was renamed Black Star Square after completion in 1961.
Ghana, originally the Gold Coast, was brought to independence from Britain by Kwame Nkrumah.
