New Force: Face Behind Mask Unveiled
Nana Kwame Bediako, popularly known as Cheddar says he is the popular masked man on billboards across the country.
He was speaking at a press conference after a scheduled Pan-African event at the Black Star Square was cancelled by the government of Ghana.
The event by the New Africa Foundation attracted persons like P.L.O. Lumumba from Kenya, Peter Obi from Nigeria, Julius Malema from South Africa and Dr Arikana Chihombori-Quao from Zimbabwe.
Face behind Mask
Speaking at the event, Cheddar said he is the highly anticipated face behind the black mask.
“I know you are looking for the man and the man in the mask is sitting in front of you,” he disclosed to a resounding round of applause.
According to him, the New Force is an African movement with the intent of educating the next generation of the continent.
“It is part of the Movement. We need to educate, we need to uplift our children. We need to voice out to them. You wanted to know the man in the mask and you were going to find out.”
“After this day, you have to wait for me to share my policies and my visions with you and if I’m the reason why the country or the government isn’t happy about these great voices coming to educate, not just Ghana but also Africa, then I take this moment to sacrifice myself to unveil myself because I have much respect for these great leaders beside me.”
He stated, “I am nothing to be scared of.”
According to him, he is the continent’s “salvation” and therefore his resolve to invest in it.
“I am a son of this soil and I can add value to humanity and I came here to do that. I came here to add value to this world and nature. I am not going to leave here without God even being proud of me. When I am not here also, I want you to remember that I came and I want my absence to be felt.”
Event Cancellation
The Pan African event was scheduled for held on Sunday, January 7, however, the New Africa Foundation, the organisers, announced a few hours to the start that it had been cancelled despite receiving approval in November 2023.
“We regret to inform you that the Government has cancelled the above Pan African Event which was to take place today at the Independence Square in Accra, Ghana. All the special guests have arrived and thousands of people have come from all over Ghana as well as around the globe for this historic event,” it said in a press statement.
The Office of the President in a statement said the cancellation was due to “an unforeseen State Event” scheduled to take place at the venue.”
It further promised to refund the organiser’s Ghc10,000.
Ghanaian actress Akorfa Edjeani who attended the event and identifies as a Pan Africanist, described its cancellation as “one of the darkest days in Ghana’s history”.
“It’s a sad day for Ghana. I’m so sad, I’m so disappointed and I hope {the international speakers} will take to social media to speak out against for the whole world to know what went on here because I think it’s a disgrace to Ghana,” she said in a video posted by Graphic Online.
