Veteran media personality and comedian, Kwaku Sintim-Misa (KSM), has voiced strong support for the renaming of Kotoka International Airport (KIA) after Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
KSM, known for his candid opinions on national issues, urged former President John Dramani Mahama to spearhead the name change if he returns to power.
According to him, it is inappropriate for Ghana’s main airport to be named after Lieutenant General Emmanuel Kotoka, the military officer who played a key role in the overthrow of Nkrumah’s government in 1966.
“I hear people are blundering around that they should rename the airport Kwame Nkrumah International Airport. I stand by that,” KSM stated.
He criticized the decision to honor Kotoka, questioning his significance in Ghana’s history compared to Nkrumah, who championed the country’s independence and led the Pan-African movement.
“When a person like this leads a country and an airport is built, or they want to name the airport, do you name the airport after the clown who took money from the CIA to overthrow Kwame Nkrumah? Isn’t it a disgrace?” he quizzed.
KSM further downplayed Kotoka’s contributions to Ghana, arguing that his legacy does not warrant such national recognition.
“What value does Kotoka have in the scheme of national events? He was one of the commanders of some battalion and something like that. But what was his impact before then? I do not think that the national airport should be named after somebody who basically disrupted the Pan-African movement and left Kwame Nkrumah in exile,” he added.
His remarks add to ongoing debates over whether the airport should be renamed to reflect the legacy of Ghana’s first president, a figure widely regarded as a symbol of African liberation and unity.
Samia Nkrumah, the daughter of Ghana’s founding president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has criticized the insufficient recognition of her father’s legacy.
She urged for his principles to be integrated into Ghana’s educational curriculum.
“The day when his books become part of the curriculum, the day when his books are read and people are familiar with his ideas, agree or disagree with him, then Ghana indeed would have done him justice,” she stated.
She stressed the importance of educating Ghanaians about her father’s work through critical engagement and deeper analysis.
“We can debate it. We can argue about it. We can take things from it, reject others, but we have to become familiar with it,” she expressed.
She also took personal responsibility for preserving her father’s legacy, asserting that it is up to those who admired or supported him to ensure his ideas remain relevant.
“I think it is the responsibility of those of us who are his followers or who claim to be his followers.
“It is our responsibility. And that’s why over the last few years, I sat down, I thought, no, I have to write something. I have to write, tell our father’s story from a daughter’s perspective,” she emphasized.
In response to Bola Ray’s suggestion of a Kwame Nkrumah movie on a platform like Netflix, Samia Nkrumah stated, “Absolutely. Yes, indeed. And we’ve started. And we will do it because that’s one way of bringing his whole story to life. And, you know, Nkrumah’s story is an African story.
“It’s a Ghanaian story. It’s a story of Ghana, of Africa, of Black people all over the world,” she declared.
“I’m very happy that our son, my son Kwame, and a group of young people, and that’s what is wonderful, is that the younger generation, not even my generation, the one after me, is working on a TV series”.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has taken issue with Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, known as NAPO, the running mate for NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, over his controversial remark referring to “Your Kwame Nkrumah.”
Mahama emphasized that Ghanaian customs and traditions emphasize respecting the dead, and speaking ill of them is a violation of these norms.
He pointed out that while the living can defend themselves against insults or accusations, the deceased cannot.
Mahama also remarked that if it were in ancient times when it was believed that ghosts had power, Nkrumah’s ghost would have likely sought retribution against NAPO.
“The running mate for NPP when they went and introduced him to Otumfuo; Otumfuo said we brought you up because you are part of the Manhyia Palace and we know we brought you up well. But we hear you are arrogant. We hope that you prove people wrong.
“As soon as he left there, not up to 3 hours, he went and said, ‘Mo Kwame Nkrumah nu’ – that your Kwame Nkrumah. That is a very disrespectful thing to say about the founder of this nation and especially a founder who is no longer alive. You can insult me because I can respond because I’m alive.
“You can insult me because I can respond because I’m alive, but in our tradition, you don’t say evil things about the dead. You don’t disrespect the dead because they are not alive to respond to you.
In the past, ghosts were powerful. As he said that, Nkrumah’s ghost would have knocked him down, but now the ghosts have all become disarmed,” John Dramani Mahama said at a campaign rally.
Mahama’s remarks were in response to Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh’s reference to the nation’s first president as “your Nkrumah” during a political rally in Kumasi in July.
NAPO made this remark while contrasting the accomplishments of the current President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, with those of Kwame Nkrumah.
“Since independence from 1957 till today, we’ve not had any president that has helped Ghana like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. I say from 1957 till today, you can bring your Kwame Nkrumah… no president who has protected Ghana and moved the country forward like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” NAPO said.
These comments outraged many Ghanaians, who condemned him. Subsequently, NAPO issued an apology and explained that it was not his intention to disrespect Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has shared the challenges her family faced upon their return to Ghana in 1975, three years after her father’s passing.
In an interview on Joy Prime, Samia recounted their exile following her father’s overthrow in February 1966.
According to her, it was during General I.K. Acheampong’s tenure, in 1975, that they received an invitation to return to Ghana.
General Acheampong assured the Nkrumah family of support, prompting them to accept his invitation.
Upon returning, Samia and her siblings encountered widespread criticism against their father, including allegations of misappropriating the country’s resources.
Even in their classrooms, they heard disparaging remarks from teachers about Nkrumah..
“When we returned in 1975 to pursue our education at the invitation of the Acheampong regime, they said they would honour our father, take care of us, and give our mother a house and so forth. It was then that I heard negative comments about our father for the first time, and they were pretty ruthless. He (her father) squandered our gold and all that.
Despite these challenges, Samia emphasized that her father lived a modest life and did not accumulate personal wealth. She clarified that Nkrumah did not even own a house of his own, including the Peduase Lodge, which he had built with the support of women entrepreneurs and later dedicated to the state.
“Even from Achimota School. One economics teacher, who mercifully I don’t remember the name, while we were sitting in class, said ‘Nkrumah squandered our gold and I don’t know, did what and what’. And I’m thinking ‘oh dear’. I was too shy, helpless, and intimidated to even be able to defend our father to my teacher,” she narrated.
Despite the criticisms, Samia emphasized that her father led a modest life and did not amass personal wealth.
Shocked by Samia’s revelation that her father did not own a house, the journalist asked, “Your father didn’t have a house?”
The former MP retorted, “He did not. Strangely, incredibly, he did not. And it was a decision, like everything he did, it was a political decision.”
Regarding Nkrumah’s legacy, Samia highlighted his integrity, vision, and selflessness, noting that all his decisions were guided by political principles rather than personal gain.
She clarified that Nkrumah did not own a house, including the Peduase Lodge, which he built but dedicated to the state.
“We heard a lot of these denigrating comments. He amassed wealth, he did this. And of course, we knew very well, being his own family, that was far from the truth. Even the house, the land given to him, the house which he built with the help of strong women supporters, entrepreneurs at the time, which is today Peduase Lodge, where I was born, that could have been our house, but he gave it to the state. It’s the property of the Republic of Ghana, receiving dignitaries just as he wanted it to be.
“So, from personal experience, we knew that our father didn’t amass wealth. Our father wasn’t interested in those kinds of things. In fact, he was a leader who exemplified courage, a sense of purpose, vision, all the things we longed for and we need to emulate in our lives – leaders across the board, all kinds of leaders,” she said.
Reflecting on Nkrumah’s legacy, Samia highlighted his integrity, vision, and selflessness, noting that every decision he made was guided by political principles rather than personal gain.
“I have a very interesting story about how those same women who helped him with the construction of the house were very angry when he gave it back to the state because they wanted him to have a place to go at weekends and, you know, with his family.
“He explained to them why he had to be almost superhuman. So, he had a reason for everything he did. And the fact that he decided not to make money out of politics was a deliberate, studied political decision,” she added.
To which the former MP responded, “He did not. Strangely, incredibly, he did not. And it was a decision, like everything he did, it was a political decision.”
She also shared how the women who helped construct the house were initially unhappy when Nkrumah gave it to the state, wanting him to have a place for weekends with his family.
However, Nkrumah explained why he had to make such decisions, emphasizing his commitment to principles over personal gain.
Former Regional Chairman of the NDC, Bernard Allotey Jacobs, now turned ‘NPP faithful’, has risen to the defence of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO)for his ‘not even your Nkrumah’ comments.
The former energy minister, during his grand unveiling at the Jubilee Park in Kumasi on July 9, 2024, taunted the Akufo-Addo-led government as the best and one that has protected and developed Ghana more than any other president, including Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
During his speech, NAPO boldly stated, “Since independence from 1957 until today, we’ve not had any president that has helped Ghana like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
I say from 1957 until today, you can bring your Kwame Nkrumah… No president has protected Ghana and moved the country forward like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.”
He faced heavy backlash and criticism for his ‘derogatory and disrespectful’ remarks about the former president.
However, Allotey Jacobs sees nothing wrong with NAPO’s comments. On his part, the NPP running mate spoke based on his ideology and a reaction to the NDC recently posing as the new Convention People’s Party.
H said NAPO was right.
“NAPO was speaking like a typical Domo person. The word is “their Kwame Nkrumah.”. Analytically, what he said was right, because if you look at the works of Akufo-Addo, the same thing they subjected Nkrumah to is exactly the same thing they have subjected Akufo-Addo to.
He’s done so well and we all can see except NPP members are unable to project well what their eight-year-old president has done. Look glaringly, you see it,” he said during a panel discussion on Kwame Sefa Kayi’sKokrokoo Morning Show on July 10, 2024, on Peace FM.
The eldest son of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. Francis Nkrumah, has passed away.
The news was announced by Indian author and editor Vijay Prashad on social media on Sunday, June 30, 2023.
“Dr. Francis Nkrumah (1935-2024) has just died. He was the oldest son of Kwame Nkrumah. He spent his life as a pediatrician, highly loved by his patients. Dr. Nkrumah remained in Ghana after the coup against his father and continued to work as a doctor and scientist,” he wrote.
The editor of Inkani Books, publishers of the latest edition of “The Revolutionary Thoughts of Kwame Nkrumah,” quoted a foreword of the edition written by Dr. Francis Nkrumah in which he eulogized his father, stating, “I feel presently that Africa continues to miss [Kwame Nkrumah] unless we go back and revisit what Nkrumah actually meant for Ghana and for Africa.”
Francis Nkrumah was the eldest child of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. His siblings are Gamal Nkrumah, Samia Nkrumah, and Sekou Nkrumah.
🧵Dr. Francis Nkrumah (1935-2024) has just died. He was the oldest son of Kwame Nkrumah. He spent his life as a paediatrician, highly loved by his patients. Dr. Nkrumah remained in Ghana after the coup against his father, and continued to work as a doctor and scientist. pic.twitter.com/fKM0h6mM52
Retired Captain Joel Sowu has recounted a significant moment in Ghanaian history when its first President, Kwame Nkrumah, was moved to tears upon learning of the country’s financial insolvency.
In an interview with host Kafui Dey, Capt. Sowu shared insights into the challenges faced by heads of state, highlighting how powerful and self-serving groups can influence and isolate them from the true state of affairs.
Capt. Sowu explained the phenomenon where these influential groups form a protective barrier around presidents, shielding them from harsh realities upon assuming office.
“Immediately upon becoming heads of state, there are certain people who constitute a mafia, and they cocoon you. It happened to Kwame Nkrumah. They make sure you don’t see the reality on the ground; you don’t know what is happening. So what they tell you, to you, that is the thing,” he elaborated.
Reflecting on a specific incident involving Nkrumah, Capt. Sowu described the emotional impact when the president was informed of the dire financial situation.
“The day they told Kwame Nkrumah we were broke, he wept,” he said, stressing the profound impact of such revelations on national leaders who are often shielded from harsh realities by those around them.
The flagbearer of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has purportedly forwarded his preferred choice for a running mate in the upcoming December 7 presidential election to the party’s leadership.
Renowned broadcaster, Kwame Nkrumah Tikese disclosed during his Ade Akye Abia program on Okay FM, on Monday, April 4, 2024, that several prominent figures within the NPP, including the vice president’s chosen running mate, have confirmed the submission of a name.
According to Nkrumah Tikese, one of the primary factors behind Bawumia’s selection was the influence of the Manhyia Palace.
“What I’m hearing is that His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has submitted the choice of his running mate to the leadership long ago. I called about 50 people and they told me that he had already submitted his choice of running mate… They have given me the name of the person and just this morning the person confirmed it.
“I won’t mention the name of the person but I would give his attributes. The person is loved by Manhyia. When Bawumia wanted to become the flagbearer, he went to speak to Manhyia and they also told him that if he was made the flagbearer, they (the chiefs) would also choose their own (as his running mate). This is the first reason,” he said.
Nkrumah Tikese refrained from disclosing the name of the individual but provided attributes, indicating that the person is highly regarded by Manhyia.
Additionally, Nkrumah Tikese highlighted the individual’s wealth as another significant factor, emphasizing the party’s need for campaign funds to retain power.
“The party needs money for campaign and the person also made a lot of money at the two ministries he has headed…The person went to the Education and Energy ministries and Bawumia also needs money,” he said.
South African politician Julius Malema delivered a compelling message during his recent visit to Ghana, emphasizing the importance of adhering to Kwame Nkrumah’s principles of state-led development. Malema warned that deviating from these principles could lead to challenges such as unemployment and exploitation in strategic sectors of the economy.
Malema underscored the significance of maintaining Nkrumah’s vision of a state-driven development agenda, suggesting that such an approach is crucial for addressing issues like unemployment. He argued that when the state steps back from key economic sectors, the interests of profit-driven businesses may take precedence, often at the expense of workers.
“If you drift away from Nkrumah‘s principles of state-led development and you prioritize strategic sectors of the economy, you will never address the issue of unemployment because the interests of business are to maximize profit,” Malema stated. He further pointed out that prioritization in profit-driven models often results in workers being removed to cut costs and boost profits.
The South African politician highlighted the role of the state in creating a corrupt-free environment, asserting that a state-led, corruption-free development model is crucial for ensuring the absorption of a significant workforce. According to Malema, the primary role of the state should not be profit-making but rather generating sufficient resources to finance social responsibility programs.
Malema’s remarks underscored the need for a balanced and strategic approach to economic development, one that aligns with the principles laid out by Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah. He emphasized that Nkrumah’s vision provides a blueprint for inclusive development that prioritizes the welfare of workers and ensures the state’s ability to fulfill its social responsibilities.
The veteran photographer, who held a significant place in Ghana’s photography history, died at the age of 87 on Thursday, January 4, 2023.
Felicia Ewuraesi Abban was the first woman in Ghana to establish herself as a professional photographer.
She was part of a notable family, with siblings including JKE Ansah, Tumi Ansah, filmmaker Kwaw Ansah, and the late fashion designer Kofi Ansah.
The funeral arrangements for the late Felicia Ewuraesi Abban will be announced at a later date. Her contributions to the field of photography have left a lasting legacy, marking her as a trailblazer and a pioneer in her industry.
About Felicia Ewuraesi Abban:
Born in 1935 to parents residing in the Western Region, Felicia Abban was introduced to the burgeoning field of photography as her father was a practitioner in the trade.
Opting to apprentice under her father, little did Felicia know that this decision would lead her to become the official photographer for Ghana’s first Prime Minister and later President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
A glimpse into Felicia’s remarkable achievements was shared on Twitter by the SUNU journal, a Journal of African Affairs, Critical Thought, and Aesthetics.
SUNU Notes, known for preserving archival and contemporary material, serves as a testament to Felicia Abban’s significant contributions to the field of photography.
As a young child, Felicia Ansah Abban frequented her father’s photography studio in Sekondi-Takoradi, Western Region, where she was born in 1935.
The eldest of six siblings, Abban began her apprenticeship under her father at the age of 14, spending the next four years refining her skills under his meticulous guidance. At 18, newly married, she left her hometown for Accra to establish her own photo studio.
Felicia was married to Robert Abban (late), the designer of the fabric that featuredKwame Nkrumah’s portrait amid flowers with the Ghana map, created for Ghana’s Independence Day celebrations in 1957.
According to Ghanaianmuseum.com, her first public exhibition was held at ANO’s gallery in March 2017, and there are plans to transform her studio into a museum in her honor. Abban’s personal photo collection includes self-portraits taken before attending various events.
Newly surfaced archival records shed light on the events leading to the re-arrest and detention of Joseph Boakye Danquah in 1964.
In his capacity as a leader of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), Danquah faced re-arrest by then-President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah on January 8, 1964.
A report from ghanacrimes.com outlines that the grounds for his arrest were suspicions of involvement in a failed assassination attempt on Nkrumah.
The attempt occurred on January 2, 1964, orchestrated by Police Constable Seth Ametewee, resulting in the tragic death of Nkrumah’s bodyguard, Salifu Dagarti.
Prior to this incident, J. B. Danquah had undergone arrest and detention under the Preventive Detention Act (PDA) on October 3, 1961, only to be released on June 22, 1962.
Allegedly, Danquah was discovered to possess a personally signed handwritten speech intended for broadcast in the aftermath of Police Constable Seth Ametewee’s unsuccessful assassination of Nkrumah.
A viral video of Ghana’s inaugural president, President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, delivered a poignant Christmas message to Ghanaians while in exile in Guinea Conakry following his overthrow by the security forces in 1966.
The recording, retrieved from Radio Guinea’s Voice of the Revolution, captures Nkrumah’s heartfelt sentiments during the festive season, particularly in the aftermath of what he describes as the setback of Ghana’s development and progress.
A video recording available on the YouTube page Talking Africa, titled “Kwame Nkrumah Christmas Day Speech From Exile,” shows Kwame Nkrumah extending warm wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year despite the challenging circumstances faced by Ghanaians.
Speaking from Conakry over Radio Guinea’s Voice of the Revolution, Nkrumah acknowledged the reflective mood among Ghanaians during the festive occasion, considering the tumultuous events that transpired in the country that year.
“Fellow country men, chiefs and people, comrades and friends. Christmas is here with us again. I am speaking to you in the spirit of the season from Conakry over a radio Guinea’s Voice of the Revolution. In spite of your suffering and humiliation, I wish that you could have a merry christmas and a happy new year.
“This is normally a festive occasion but on this year’s christmas day, Ghaians cannot help reflecting what a fateful year this has been for them. You have seen an unfortunate and sordid chapter in your history. It is a chapter of treachery and betrayal; of greed and hypocrisy; of tint and blunder. It is dark days for Ghana, it is exactly 10 months today, when certain officers in the Ghana Army and Police turned their guns at the very constitution and legal government which they solemnly swore on their honour to protect and defend,” he said.
The ousted leader expresses profound disappointment at the betrayal, emphasizing that those who orchestrated the coup could never have acted in the true interest of the people.
“You know anyone who is capable of such outrageous betrayal of trust, for no reason at all, could never have been motivated by the true interest of the people. Events in Ghana since then have confirmed this beyond any doubt.
“Within 10 short months, the traitors who make up the so-called National Liberation Council, have shown that, it was their morbid lust for money and power and their desire to escape from the just consequences of their corruption and crime which made them commit such despicable act of treason against the State and the people of Ghana. When you look around yourself, their only achievement has been the sordid reversal of Ghana’s development and progress,” he added.
In 1968, two years after his overthrow, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah wrote a book titled “Dark days in Ghana”. In this book, he demolishes the “big lie” that Ghana had needed to be rescued from “economic chaos”. He also exposes the systematic sell-out of Ghana’s assets to neo-colonialist interests by the military regime.
President Nkrumah highlights one of the first acts of the traitorous military regime, which was to abandon the Seven-year development plan that had been put in place. A development plan that was, in his words, “going to give the Ghanaian people the only worthwhile independence— real economic independence.”
The military traitors set about dismantling the economic achievements Ghana had attained under President Nkrumah’s rule. The many industries that had been established were left to collapse or sold off. State farms, rubber and cotton plantations, and other rural development projects were intentionally neglected.
The consequences of these acts by the traitors, in Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s own words, “meant the mass of Ghanaian workers, peasants and farmers had been returned to the position of “drawers of water and hewers of wood” to Western capitalism.
The dictionary definition of “drawers of water and hewers of wood” is: those who do menial or servile work at the behest of others; physical labourers.
So in simple terms, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s prophecy was that, the sellout of Ghana’s assets and the surrender of Ghana again to foreign domination meant that Ghanaians had been returned to the position of laborers in their own land as was the case during the colonial era.
Indeed, to buttress his point, Osagyefo repeats again in his book that; “For the ordinary men and women of Ghana, the sellout of Ghana has meant a return to all the exploitation and uncertainties of colonial days.”
These declarations were made by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah 55 years and in these 5 decades, Ghana has been to the IMF for financial bailouts on 17 different occasions.
An important fact to note here is that, all of these 17 IMF bailouts happened after 1966 with Nkrumah out of power. Indeed, President Nkrumah makes clear in his book “Dark Days In Ghana” how he rejected a loan from the IMF due to the political conditions attached to it.
It is well-known how IMF loans always come with conditionalities that are not favorable to the countries that accept them and Ghana along with most African countries are the proof that IMF policies and conditionalities do not bring development. Rather, they have undermined the economic sovereignty of African countries and are a key factor in the perpetual underdevelopment across the continent of Africa.
Not only has Ghana had to go begging the IMF 17 times for financial bailout ever since the 1966 overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana has also been declared a Heavily indebted poor country(HIPC) in the early 2000s and just a few months ago, the Ghanaian Cedi was the worst performing currency in the whole world with inflation rising to its highest in 21 years — at an incredible 50.3%.
All of these facts prove that not only was Ghana in a precarious position in the years after the removal of Nkrumah from power but also that, Ghana is very much an economic mess today with Ghanaians in exactly the position Nkrumah declared in 1968. Desperate, despondent and exploited in their own land.
But do not take my word for it. Let us look at the facts.
The minimum wage in Ghana today is a 14 cedis and 88 pesewas. A meagre $1.26 is how much Ghana’s government deems it fit as the lowest amount Ghanaian workers should be paid for 8 hours of work on any given day.
Not only is it legal for Ghanaians workers to be paid woefully inadequate wages that can only be described as poverty wages , Ghanaians workers are also exploited and abused in all kinds of ways by employers.
Ghana, today is a heaven for foreign investors and a hell for its own people who find themselves in a position of unprotected and exploited cheap labor.
Is the Nkrumah prophecy of Ghanaians being forced into being “hewers of wood and drawers of water” after his overthrow beginning to make sense now?
The brutal exploitation and uncertainty that most Ghanaians face today is so bad that you will find many Ghanaian youth today who are wishing for the slave ships to be brought back just so that they can escape the hardship in Ghana.
They say, this time, they do not have to be forced onboard but they themselves will willingly get on board.
Think about this for a moment. This should make clear how bad things really are for the Ghanaian masses.
All of this has happened exactly because of the reversal of Ghana’s industrialization process.
Under President Nkrumah, over 60 more factories and industrial plants were established to process the abundant raw materials Ghana is blessed with. This was to ensure that Ghana was no longer simply exporting her raw materials on the cheap and importing everything her people needed.
Ghana was producing matches, shoes, nails, sweets, chocolate, soft drinks, whisky, biscuits, paints, canned fruit, insecticides and many more.
But, many young Ghanaians today have no idea all these goods were once upon a time being manufactured locally in Ghana.
Young Ghanaians have grown up being told Ghana produces nothing. Not even matches but under President Nkrumah, there was a factory established specifically for the production of matches at Kade.
But, just like basically of all of the other factories, the Kade Match factory was neglected and left to rot by subsequent governments.
The Prophecy of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah has proven correct for the past 55 years and continues to be validated each day that passes.
Source: Talking Africa
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
The 650-meter Lower Volta Bridge, or Sogakope Bridge, links Sogakope and Sokpoe.
Before President Nkrumah inaugurated Ghana’s longest bridge in 1964, residents and travelers depended on a ferry for commuting.
The bridge promoted commerce and easy travel, enhancing the local economy.
Despite Nkrumah’s overthrow in 1966, General J.A. Ankrah opened the bridge in 1967.
In a video posted by Ghana Facts and History and sighted by GhanaWeb Business, it said, “Footage of Kwame Nkrumah as he turned the first sod to initiate the construction of the Lower volta bridge in 1964 which will link Tefle and Sogakofe and the official opening of the bridge (1967) by General J. A. Ankrah, chairman of the NLC, since Nkrumah was overthrown in 1966. Before, The volta river was crossed by a ferry.”
The construction of the Sogakope Bridge commenced in January 1965, concluding in January 1967.
When the Akosombo dam was finished in 1965, it produced hydroelectric power and gave farmers access to water for irrigation.
The dam, which is 660 meters long and 124 meters tall, keeps Lake Volta’s water at bay. Because of this, the spill gates are opened when the water level exceeds the minimal necessary level to prevent the dam from collapsing.
However, the spilled caused more than 80,000 people’s lives to be disturbed in 1965.
The displaced people were relocated to a township for re-settlement, according to a video that Ghana Facts and History released and GhanaWeb Business saw.
According to the article, the government launched an agricultural development initiative to assist the communities impacted by the Akosombo dam leak.
Increases in cotton, tobacco, vegetable crops, fish, poultry, and pig farming were the results of this new venture.
As per Ghana Facts and History, in 1972, the importation of food produce decreased as a result of the change.
The film caught every moment, including children cultivating and slanting the ground for planting, feeding pigs, fishmongers, and people waiting to purchase fish from shoreline fisherman.
In the meantime, many more have been displaced as a result of the recent overflow of water in the hydro dams at Akosombo and Kpong on September 15, 2023.
Numerous communities in the Volta Region’s north, south, and Central Tongu districts have been forced to flee due to the leakage.
Due to the spill, the hotel sector in the Eastern and Volta Regions has also been severely hit.
This is what Nkrumah wrote about his own biography;
“The only certain facts of my birth appear to be that I was born in the village of Nkroful in Nzima around mid-day on a Saturday in mid-September…According to my mother, forty-five Kuntums (the traditional festival of Nzima) have taken place since I was born, which makes the year of my birth 1912. On the other hand, the Roman Catholic Priest who later baptized me recorded my birth date as 21st September, 1909. Although this was a mere guess on his part, I have always used this date on official documents, not so much because I believed in its accuracy, but in so far as officialdom was concerned, it was the line of least resistance…I [later] came to realize how near the mark [the actual date of my birth] this guess must have been.
He was born into the Nzima tribe in Nkroful; a small village on the south western border of the then Gold Coast. Nkrumah was known as Francis Nwai-Kofi (or Nyakofi) Nkrumah until 1945 when he changed his name to Kwame Nkrumah.”
Why the name Nkrumah? According to Akan tradition, the name Nkrumah is given to the ninth born child of the family but Nkrumah was an only child of his mother so where did the name Nkrumah come from? The name Nkrumah came from the name ‘Ngolomah’, the supposed name of his father who was rumoured to have been of a Liberia citizen. Other sources say Ngolomah was from the Akan Asona family without mentioning what village or town this man came from. The fact of the matter is that, Ngolomah could not be traced to any Akan lineage and a foreign name to the Akan tribe and this man could not have been from Ghana let alone being an Akan. The name Ngolomah is not Akan name.
Even the date of Nkrumah’s birth is a mystery. He was initially known as Francis Nwia Kofi Nkrumah, Kofi being the name given to children born on Friday in Akan tradition.
Who was really Kwame Nkrumah?
Kwame Nkrumah was born in about 1909 in Nkroful, Gold Coast. Although his mother, whose name was Nyanibah, later stated his year of birth was 1912, Nkrumah wrote that he was born on 18 September 1909, a Saturday, and by the naming customs of the Akan people was given the name Kwame, that being the name given to males born on a Saturday. During his years as a student in the United States, though, he was known as Francis Nwia Kofi Nkrumah, with Kofi being the name given to males born on Friday. The name of his father is not known; most accounts say he was a goldsmith.
Other sources give a brief description of his father as Opanyin Kofi Nwiana Ngolomah from the Asona clan of the Akan Tribe. “A goldsmith by practice, he was a man of strong character, extremely kind, and proud of his children. He was a polygamist and had several wives and children besides Nkrumah. Ngolomah died in 1927.”
This I will filed off as an attempt to fill in the blank to give Nkrumah a father he never knew. If Nkrumah had half brothers and sisters, how come we have never heard of them?
I know this will attract the wrath of Nkrumah appendages and their insults but I didn’t write this to demean the first President of Ghana who I have continued to say was very patriotic to a fault that made him to believe he was the only patriotic Ghanaian and knows what is best for all of us and that was his downfall. His beliefs made him impose draconian laws like PDA, One party state and President for life and these three policies brought his regime to an end.
If People like Kwarteng and Professor Lungu want to thrash the image of their political nemesis like Danquah, they should realize that Nkrumah’s own family background is not perfect.
The Convention People’s Party (CPP) has called upon the public to contemplate Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s development-oriented vision and utilise his accomplishments as a benchmark for holding governments accountable.
The party emphasised that Dr. Nkrumah’s deliberate investments in crucial sectors of the economy and his drive for industrialization played a pivotal role in steering the nation towards economic independence, despite his “painful overthrow” from power in 1966.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency ahead of the commemoration of Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day on Thursday, the General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah, said Dr Nkrumah should be the “yardstick of good governance.”
She encouraged the public to contemplate the present condition of Ghana’s economy and compare it to the accomplishments of Dr. Nkrumah, who exerted unwavering effort to transform the nation into a formidable entity after it gained independence in 1957.
“Ghana was on the road to gaining economic independence, but Nkrumah was painfully taken out of power.
“Kwame Nkrumah developed and industrialised this nation. He created a good healthcare system for the nation and was very prudent with the resources that we had and used them to build a lot of infrastructure, including the Akosombo Dam and the Harbour,” she said.
According to Nana Yaa Jantuah, the current condition of the Ghanaian economy, marked by elevated inflation, a weakened local currency, and insurmountable debts, serves as a stark reflection of how far the aspiration for complete economic independence has disintegrated.
“It is time for us to arise to hold our government accountable. Ghanaians should let governments that come into power understand that they cannot do what they like and that the yardstick should be whatKwame Nkrumah did,” she said.
Ghanaians are scheduled to observe Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day on Thursday, September 21, 2023, which has been designated as a Statutory Public Holiday.
This special day is dedicated to the remembrance and commemoration of Ghana’s inaugural president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who formerly held the position of Prime Minister. He was renowned as a leading advocate for continental unity and the liberation of the black race in Africa.
On March 6, 1957, Ghana attained independence after enduring 83 years of British colonial rule. This historic moment marked the country’s status as the first sub-Saharan African nation to gain independence from British colonialism.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah declared Ghana “free forever” from colonial oppression, signifying a momentous milestone in the nation’s governance.
Tomorrow marks the 114th birthday of Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana and a pioneer of Pan-Africanism. He was born in 1909 in Nkroful, a small village in the western region of the Gold Coast, which was then a British colony.
Nkrumah’s life was shaped by his education and exposure to different cultures and ideologies. He attended Catholic schools in Half Assini and Elmina, where he learned English and Latin. He also became interested in African history and culture, especially the ancient kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai.
In 1935, he left the Gold Coast to pursue higher education in the United States. He enrolled at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, where he studied literature, sociology, economics, and philosophy. He also became involved in the African Students’ Organization and the Pan-Africanist movement. He was influenced by the writings and speeches of Marcus Garvey, W.E.B. Du Bois, George Padmore, and Karl Marx. He developed his vision of a united and independent Africa that would resist colonialism and imperialism.
In 1945, he moved to London, where he organized the Fifth Pan-African Congress with other prominent African leaders and activists. He also met J.B. Danquah, a lawyer and politician from the Gold Coast who invited him to join the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), a nationalist party that sought self-government from Britain. Nkrumah accepted the invitation and returned to his homeland in 1947 as the general secretary of the UGCC.
However, Nkrumah soon realized that the UGCC was too conservative and elitist for his radical agenda. He broke away from the party and formed his own, the Convention People’s Party (CPP), which mobilized the masses for immediate independence. He led a series of strikes, boycotts, demonstrations, and civil disobedience campaigns that challenged the British colonial authority. He was arrested several times and spent months in prison, but his popularity and influence only grew. In 1951, he won a landslide victory in the first general election under universal suffrage in the Gold Coast. He became the leader of government business and later the prime minister of the colony.
In 1957, after years of negotiations and struggles, Nkrumah declared the independence of Ghana from Britain. He became the first president of the new nation and proclaimed his motto: “Seek ye first the political kingdom and all else shall be added unto you.” He embarked on an ambitious program of social and economic development, as well as political integration with other African states. He founded the Organization of African Unity (OAU) in 1963 with other African leaders to promote continental unity and cooperation. He also supported liberation movements in other parts of Africa that were still under colonial rule.
Nkrumah’s achievements were not without challenges and controversies. He faced opposition from internal enemies who accused him of being a dictator and a communist. He also faced external threats from neocolonial forces who wanted to undermine his vision of a free and independent Africa. In 1966, while he was on a state visit to Vietnam, he was overthrown by a military coup backed by the CIA. He went into exile in Guinea, where he continued to write and speak about his ideas until his death in 1972 in Romania.
Nkrumah’s legacy is still alive today in Ghana and across Africa. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest African leaders of all time and a hero of anti-colonialism and Pan-Africanism. His birthday is celebrated as a national holiday in Ghana and a day of remembrance in many other African countries. His words and deeds continue to inspire generations of Africans who aspire for freedom, justice, and dignity.
Thursday, September 21, 2023 will be Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day. It is a statutory public holiday observed in the country to mark the birthday of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who was born on September 21, 1909 at Nkroful, near Axim in the Nzema East Municipality in the Western Region of the then Gold Coast, now Ghana.
It would have marked the 114th birthday of Dr Nkrumah if he were alive on Thursday.
The date in the past was marked as Founder’s Day in memory of the man who led the country to independence, the first in the sub-region.
In recent times, however, since the President Akufo-Addo government took office, the day is observed as the first President’s birthday.
Holiday
This is as a result of the New Public Holidays Act, 2018 passed by Parliament to amend the Public Holidays Act, 2001.
It replaced three public holidays, including September 21 and introduced two new holidays, January 7 and August 4, which are observed as Constitution Day and Founders’ Day respectively.
Authorities have however embarked on various activities to mark this year’s celebration.
Under the auspices of Hon Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Deputy Minority Leader and Member of Parliament for Ellembelle Constituency in the Western Region,to make the event a success,organizers embarked on a clean up exercise through the principal streets of Nkroful,the hometown of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah on last Saturday,16th September,2023.
On Monday September 18th,2023, there’s a soccer competition among nine community teams at NASS park to ensure unity and preparation towards the main event.
On Wednesday 20th September,2023 ,there will be Candle Light Procession and Cutting of Nkrumah’s Birthday Cake;the event will parade all natives of Nkroful and it environs at the facade of the palace and take a walk through the principal streets of Nkroful between the hours of 9pm to 11:45pm.
The walk will end with a special cutting of cake session at Osagyefo‘s mother’s residence at exactly 12 midnight.
Thursday 21st September,2023;There will be SHS Symposium at NASS Yinsin Hall.This will focus on the story of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s birth through to the struggle for Independence and his Achievement as the First President of Ghana.
Friday,22nd September,2023 is the Nkroful goes pink and talent show event.
The day will be set for a visit to most tourist sites in Nkroful with pink coloured dress code where there would be talent hunt show at Mausoleum park at exactly 7pm.
Saturday,23rd September,2023 is the grand durbar and homecoming.The day will host all Chiefs,diplomats , visitors to Nkroful at the NASS Park .
The day will witness a colourful procession of masquerade,dance and culture between the hours of 8am to 2pm and then a musical stage to honour five music legends in Ghana,set for 7pm.
There will be a special Nzema food Bazaar to end the occasion.
The event is supported by Golden Empire Legacy limited ,Maaha Beach Resort and The GEM Media.
Background
Born in an era where dates of births, marriages and deaths were not registered, Dr Nkrumah in his autobiography cast doubt on his date of birth.
Titled “Ghana: The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah”, the book revealed some intriguing circumstances surrounding the birth of Dr Nkrumah and how he got the September 21 date as his date of birth. He was born to Kofi Ngonloma and Elizabeth Nyaniba.
As his birth is set to be commemorated across the length and breadth of the republic, it is fit that a moment of retrospection and reflection is duly highlighted.
Education
Dr Nkrumah got his secondary education at Achimota College, formerly Prince of Wales College, a prestigious school established by the then British Governor, Sir Gordon Guggisberg.
Being a devout Catholic, it is said that Kwame Nkrumah once aspired to become a priest during this period.
However, he later forewent this dream and instead became a teacher in the same school years after his graduation. He had his university education at the Lincoln University in the United States of America where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Sociology in 1939 and was appointed a teaching assistant and enrolled at the Lincoln Seminary to become a priest.
A politician, political theorist, and revolutionary, Nkrumah became the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the then Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957.
He was an influential advocate of Pan- Africanism and a founding member of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) now the African Union (AU).
Dr Nkrumah formed the Convention People’s Party (CPP) that won the first pre-independence and post-independence elections of the country.
Under Dr Nkrumah’s leadership, Ghana adopted some social democratic policies and practices. Dr Nkrumah created a welfare system, started various community programmes and established schools.
After his overthrow in 1966, Dr Nkrumah went into exile in Conakry Guinea; he fell ill and was flown to Romania for treatment but died in Bucharest, Romania on April 27, 1972, at the age of 62.
Dr Nkrumah’s popular mantra, “the black man is capable of managing his own affairs”, became the necessary ideal that facilitated efforts for self-governance.
Today, through the sweat and toil of Dr Nkrumah Ghana sits at the forefront of the historical narrative of the political liberation of Africa.
Ningo-Prampram Member of Parliament, Sam Nartey George, is of the view that the legacy left by late former President Dr Kwame Nkrumah cannot be matched by any of his successors.
While contributing to the subject of coup d’etats in Africa on JoyNews on Monday, Mr George noted that Dr Nkruamh proved to the world, particularly the West, that the black man is capable of managing his own affairs.
However, he noted that after his passing, all the leaders Ghana has encountered have failed to fill the shoes once worn by the country’s first president and prime minister following its independence from British colonial rule on 6th March 1957.
Ghana’s founding father, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah
“Look, a black man, Kwame Nkrumah, showed that it is possible.
“Over the weekend, I took my kids across about three regions and showed them a few things Nkrumah did and you know what my soon to be 8-year-old son said to me, he said ‘Nkrumah did a lot for Ghana and he wasn’t President for a very long time.’ And I said yes, he set a bar that nobody can meet.
“None of our following Presidents have been able to meet,” he said.
According to the Ningo-Prampram legislator, Ghana has not seen such impressive development as the current crop of leaders are more interested in serving themselves than the citizens.
“So it is possible if you have the leadership, the desire to serve your people and not to serve yourself,” he said.
Mr Nartey George is of the view that Ghana and Africa as a whole need “a crop of young leaders who are afrocentric in their thinking and will say to the West and Europe, ‘we will stay, hold our own, trade among ourselves, and we will only trade with you if you are willing to come and negotiate with us as equals.’”
The MP stressed that the older generation have failed the current generation. Citing President Akufo-Addo as reference, he noted that the president cannot demand a return to democratic governance in Niger when he failed to criticize the likes of Alassane Ouattara, who attempted to run for a third term by altering Ivory Coast’s constitution.
“This whole talk by Akufo-Addo that the hunter must withdraw and allow democratic institutions. What did he say when his friend Alhassan Wattra attempted to change the constitution of Ivory Coast. What did he say when his friend in Senegal tried to do it? It is that hypocrisy of African leadership that is leading to a revolution in the younger generation of Africans to say these old folks have had their day, and it is time for us to take our destiny into our own hands,” he stated.
Ouattara reversed an earlier commitment and announced his intention to participate in the October 31 election, prompting allegations that he is emulating the actions of other African leaders who have manipulated constitutional rules to retain control.
Although Ivory Coast’s legislation restricts presidential terms to two, Ouattara argues that the adoption of a new constitution in 2016 effectively reset the counter, thereby permitting him to seek re-election.
After the successful refurbishment of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, revealed the government’s ambitious plans to redevelop several historical and cultural sites to bolster the local economy.
The targeted sites for redevelopment include the Aburi Botanical Gardens, Yaa Asantewaa Mausoleum, Salaga, and Pikworo Slavery Camps. Additionally, the government intends to collaborate with the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB) to renovate selected forts, castles, and museums situated across the country.
The primary objective of these efforts is to promote domestic tourism, which, in turn, will contribute to the growth of the local economy.
Ofori-Atta emphasized, “Government is committed to continuing the redevelopment of Aburi Botanical Gardens, Salaga, and Pikworo Slavery Camps, as well as the Yaa Asantewaa Mausoleum, to enhance domestic tourism. Furthermore, in partnership with the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board (GMMB), we will persist in renovating chosen forts, castles, and museums nationwide.”
The government aspires to attract a total of 3.5 million visitors, comprising both local and foreign tourists, by the year 2025. This ambitious target reflects the nation’s dedication to fostering tourism and leveraging its historical and cultural heritage to boost economic development.
“We have made considerable progress towards achieving 1.2 million visitors for 2023 with 150,000 jobs along the value chain, and 2 million foreign visitors and 1.5 million in domestic tourism by 2025,” the minister said on the floor of parliament,” he stated
On Tuesday, July 4, 2023, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo officially inaugurated the redeveloped park.
As for the entry fees, non-Ghanaian adults will be charged GH¢100, while Ghanaian adults will pay GH¢25 to access the premises.
For school children, the entry fee has been raised to GH¢5 from the previous charge of GH¢1.
For non-Ghanaian tertiary students visiting the facility, the fee will be GH¢60, while Ghanaian tertiary students will pay GH¢15 for entry.
President Akufo-Addo inaugurated the renovated Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra on July 4, 2023.
To showcase the facility to the public, a musical concert called the ‘Re-ignition Concert’ is scheduled for July 7, 2023, featuring performances by Samini, Kofi Kinaata, the High School Band, and others.
The event, hosted by Merqury Quaye, will commence at 8 pm and is free of charge.
President Akufo-Addo stated that 6,000 frontline workers will be available to assist visitors at the memorial park.
The renovation was necessary as the park had not been refurbished since its opening in 1992, under the late Jerry John Rawlings.
In his address, the President highlighted that the park has not only been renovated but also modernized to honor Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and a pivotal figure in the country’s independence.
“The Park now has facilities including a presidential library, receptive facility, mini-amphitheater, restaurant, freedom wall, and a digitalised payment and access system. The mausoleum has also been fully refurbished, with the tombstone upgraded, and the museum expanded with an audiovisual tunnel. There is also an upgraded VVIP lounge, expanded recreational area, a modernized gift shop, and a fountain area with synchronised audiovisuals, the first of its kind in West Africa,” he said.
The President continued, “The thirty million cedi (GH¢30million) modernised Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is in line with plans by Government to make the Park one of the best tourism and heritage attractions in West Africa. As the outstanding pan-Africanist of his generation, the burial site of Dr. Nkrumah must be appropriate to his status and exceptional contribution to the liberation of Africa from colonialism and imperialism.”
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, which attracted some ninety thousand visitors annually before the renovation, is now expected to attract over one million tourists annually.
Respected Ghanaian commentator, Joe Lartey, has provided insight into the motivations behind Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s decision to invite the renowned European football powerhouse, Real Madrid, to play against the Black Stars in 1962.
According to Lartey, Ghana was rapidly establishing itself as a football force in Africa during the 1960s, and Dr. Nkrumah, the country’s first president, sought to showcase the immense talent and potential of the Black Stars to the global stage.
Lartey further disclosed that while working closely with Ohene Gyan, the Sports Director at the time, it was Dr. Nkrumah himself who personally extended the invitation to Real Madrid, surprising many with his direct involvement in the matter.
This decision sparked a passionate debate regarding the significance of Ghana facing such a formidable opponent, considering the growing strength of the Black Stars at the time.
In an interview with Kafui Dey, Lartey explained Nkrumah’s perspective, saying, “Kwame Nkrumah discovered the importance of unity especially in politics. He attended school at Achimota and did a bit of sports and he realized that football in particular had a strong unifying force.”
He further added that, “After appointing Ohene Gyan as Director of Sports for Ghana. He sometimes planned with him some of the sports activities organized. Nkrumah worked solo in inviting Real Madrid to play with the Black Stars team. The idea was to show how far we’ve developed in football.”
“We were then just beginning to show our strength in football. There was a big debate whether it was proper for the Black Stars to play against a world-famous club side like Real Madrid because they were champions in Europe and dreaded by opponents,” Joe Lartey stated.
The veteran Ghanaian commentator emphasized that Ghana was only starting to demonstrate its football strength at that time and playing against a world-famous club like Real Madrid was a subject of intense debate.
This historic match against one of Europe’s most prestigious clubs became a significant moment in Ghanaian football history and helped raise the profile of the Black Stars on the international stage.
Ghana andZimbabwehave signed a historic general cooperation agreement, paving way for a formal framework to enhance political and socio-economic relations between the two countries.
The agreement was signed yesterday in Accra in the presence of Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa.
The signing ceremony was attended by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube and Ghana’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Kwaku Ampratwum Sarpong.
The event took place on the sidelines of the ongoing 30th Annual Meetings of the African Development Bank. The signing was also witnessed by Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to Ghana, Kufa Chinoza, and Ghana’s envoy to Harare, Ambassador Grant Ntrakwa.
Following the signing ceremony, Deputy Minister Sarpong emphasized the historic nature of the event. He noted that although Zimbabwe and Ghana have maintained relations for over 60 years, no formal agreements have been in place to enhance cooperation until now.
Deputy Minister Sarpong highlighted the significance of formalizing the relations between the two countries, allowing for a more focused approach to cooperation. Priority areas such as agriculture, tourism, and aviation will be explored for collaboration.
He emphasized the need for diligent implementation to elevate the bilateral relations between Ghana and Zimbabwe.
Ambassador Chinoza, speaking to the media after the signing ceremony, regarded the agreement as a crucial starting point.
He expressed the hope that it would eventually evolve into a comprehensive joint permanent and bi-national cooperation agreement.
Ambassador Chinoza emphasized the importance of further enhancing cooperation between the two countries.
The historical connection between Zimbabwe and Ghana traces back to their founding Presidents, Robert Mugabe and Kwame Nkrumah, both driven by the pan-Africanist ideology. The shared history includes Mugabe marrying in Nkrumah’s country.
Zimbabwe has been actively seeking to strengthen cooperation with various countries as part of its Second Republic’s engagement and re-engagement initiative.
This pursuit of collaboration comes after years of isolation resulting from sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, which aimed to isolate Zimbabwe from the international community due to its implementation of the Fast Track Land Reform program.
The program aimed to rectify colonial injustices related to land ownership and ensure equitable access to land for indigenous Zimbabweans.
President Mnangagwa returned to Zimbabwe following the signing ceremony, concluding his visit to Ghana.
The majority leader and minister of parliamentary affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has provided an explanation for why previous administrations have been unable to put the Komenda Sugar Factory into action.
According to him, the main challenge of making the Komenda Sugar Factory work is that there are no longer arable lands in the Komenda area to produce the sugarcane needed to feed the factory because of human settlement and the devastation done to water bodies in the area by the activities of illegal small-scale miners (galamseyers).
He explained that because the main source of water in the area, the River Pra, has been polluted by galamsey activities, the water from it has to be first purified before it can be used to cultivate the sugarcane needed for the factory, which comes at a very huge cost.
Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who made these remarks in an Oyerepa TV interview, said that he warned that it would be impossible to revive the factory during the era of the late former President John Evans Atta Mills, but he was ignored.
“During the era of President Mills, I raised an issue about the feasibility of the Komenda Sugar Factory in parliament, but some people did not understand me because they had a sentimental attachment to the revival of the factory due to it being established by Kwame Nkrumah.
“I said reviving the factory will not work and that we should look for an alternative in order not to waste our money, but people did not understand,” he said in Twi.
Background
Though the erstwhile John Dramani Mahama administration recommissioned the factory on May 30, 2016, in a bid to get it functioning once again and offer employment for the youth, the move hit a snag as the Akufo-Addo-led government took office shortly thereafter in 2017.
The Komenda Sugar Factory was expected to create some 7,300 direct and indirect jobs at full operational capacity. The factory is said to be able to crush 1,250 metric tons of sugar cane daily.
The sugar-producing factory was first established in 1964 by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah but became defunct over the years due to technical difficulties and setbacks.
The birth of the factory was based on the premise of producing sugar locally to reduce importation and for commercial purposes.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park’s renovation and modernization work will be completed by the end of the second quarter of this year, according to the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, and Culture.
Renovating the facility, popularly known as Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum, is expected to transform it into a world-class tourism park. Tourism minister Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Awal told the B&FT that more than 90 percent of rehabilitation work has been completed.
“By end of June the mausoleum, which had been abandoned for a long time, will be fully renovated and commissioned,” Dr. Awal said.
The park, according to the minister, is expected to contribute significantly to the country’s 1.2 million anticipated international tourist arrivals in 2023, with an estimated corresponding revenue of US$3.4billion.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the mausoleum according to the ministry and Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) was registering an average of 98,000 visitors annually.
However, about 400,000 tourists are expected to visit the facility after its rehabilitation.
Renovation of the facility started in August last year, and is being supported by the World Bank Tourism Development Project – entailing total refurbishment of the mausoleum and park, construction of a new Presidential Library, a training centre, new restaurant, VVIP lounge, an artistic freedom wall, a befitting car park, music and a light fountain, and many other ancillary works.
At the start of renovation work on the edifice in August last year, World Bank Group Programme Leader and Lead Specialist Dr. Patrick M.D Mullen said there is a need to expand the economic impact of tourism to bring massive benefits for Ghanaians.
He said: “The decision to renovate the mausoleum is a feasible strategy which the World Bank supports, and is proud to be associated with a nation with a proud history such as Ghana. The renovation is important – not just for Ghanaians to memorialise and celebrate Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, but the entire region and the world”.
When completed, the park is expected to create an additional 50 jobs and many indirect jobs, and boost the country’s travel and tourism trade.
With the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and resumption of international travel, Dr. Awal indicated that Ghana continues to anticipate a surge in visitor-numbers – with an overall medium-term strategy to reach two million tourist arrivals by 2025, with not less than US$5.2billion revenue.
This year, government, through the tourism ministry is projecting the creation of some 150,000 jobs in the tourism value chain; including training and capacity building for some 6,000 sector players.
Born in 1935 to parents who lived in the Western Region, Felicia Abban grew up knowing the then budding trade of photography because that was her father’s trade.
When she opted to understudy her father, little did she know that she would go on to become the official photographer of Ghana’s first Prime Minister and later President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
A throwback of Felicia’s feat was shared on Twitter by SUNU journal, a Journal of African Affairs, Critical Thought and Aesthetics. Their SUNU notes is known to be a repository of archival and contemporary material.
SUNU Journal wrote about Felicia: “On this day March 6th in 1957, Ghana gained independence from British rule. Felicia Abban is Ghana’s first professional female photographer.
“Known for her classic studio and self-portraits, she was also the official photographer of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah.”
The post was accompanied by a portrait of Abban taken in her studio in Accra, Ghana, 1966 for the December 1966 issue of DRUM Magazine.
Felicia’s professional life was truncated by arthritis according to history but it wasn’t until she had chalked five decades doing photography.
She is reputed to have worked as a photographer for Kwame Nkrumah, for many years during the 1960s.
Ghanaianmuseum.com details that, as a toddler, Felicia Ansah Abban frequented her father’s photography studio in Sekondi-Takoradi, Western region, where she was born in 1935.
Being the eldest of six children, Abban became her father’s apprentice at the age of 14 and spent the next four years working under his meticulous and methodological eye before leaving her hometown for Accra at 18 as a newly married young woman to set up her own photo studio.
Felicia was married to Robert Abban (late), the man who designed the fabric which had Kwame Nkrumah’s portrait designed on flowers with Ghana map for Ghana’s Independence Day celebrations in 1957.
According to Ghanaianmuseum.com, the first public display of her work was staged at ANO’s gallery in March 2017 and the gallery has plans of transforming her studio into a museum in her honour.
Abban’s private photo collection consists of photos she often takes of herself before she attended events.
Source: Ghanaweb
DISCLAIMER: Independentghana.com will not be liable for any inaccuracies contained in this article. The views expressed in the article are solely those of the author’s, and do not reflect those of The Independent Ghana
In 1966, Colonel Emmanuel Kwesi Kotoka and Major Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa staged a coup d’état against Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah.
Nkrumah was out of the country during the ousting. As Ghana celebrates its 66th Independence Day today, we take a look at Nkrumah’s reaction to his overthrow.
“I left Accra on 21st February 1966. I was seen off at the airport by most of the leading government and Party officials, and by service chiefs.
I recall the handshakes and the expressions of good wishes from Harlley, Deku, Yakubu, and others.
These men, smiling and ingratiating, had all the time treason and treachery in their minds.
They had even planned my assassination on that day, though they later abandoned the idea.
I remember shaking hands with Major-General Barwah—to be murdered in cold blood three days later when he refused to surrender to the rebel army soldiers.
I little thought then that I would never see him again, or that Zanerigu, Commander of the Presidential Guard Regiment, Kojo Botsio, Kofi Baako and other ministers who were there at the airport, would be shortly seized by renegade soldiers and policemen and thrown into prison.
After a week of so-called “manoeuvres,” the operation began early in the morning of Wednesday, 23rd February 1966 when the garrison at Kumasi, numbering 600 men, was ordered to move southwards to Accra.
On the way, the convoy of some 35 vehicles was met and halted by the two arch-traitors Colonel Emmanuel Kwesi Kotoka, Commander of the Second Infantry Brigade Group, and Major Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa of the Second Brigade.
Kotoka had only recently been put in charge of the Kumasi garrison, and I had not yet confirmed his appointment.
Kotoka, Commander of the Second Infantry Brigade Group, and Major Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa of the Second Brigade.
Kotoka had only recently been put in charge of the Kumasi garrison, and I had not yet confirmed his appointment.
Afrifa was left in command while Kotoka went to Accra to report progress to Commissioner of Police, John Willie Kofi Harlley and to find some soldier better known than himself to be the nominal head of the revolt.
The man chosen was Major-General Ankrah even though the conspirators had thought so little of his abilities than they had not previously troubled to consult him?
He was, however, one of the few officers who had held even the rank of major in colonial days and had seen service in the world war if only as a quartermaster.
In the Congo he had shown some bravery and, at least, routine ability and I had decorated him for his services but essentially he was of mediocre calibre.
He held the post of second in command in the armed forces after independence through seniority, not ability.
He would not have been appointed even to this post but for the death shortly before of another senior officer.
In 1965, I retired him. Undoubtedly, it was his lack of understanding of what was going on around him which recommended him as a figure-head to those manipulating the ‘coup’.
The troops were then told that I intended sending them to fight in Vietnam and in Rhodesia, and that I had deserted Ghana taking with me £8 million.
There was, they were told, no government left in Ghana, and it was their duty to assume control of the country to maintain law and order.
Already, it was said, Russian planes were landing on a secret airs rip in northern Ghana.
Furthermore a secret tunnel had been made from Flagstaff House, the presidential residence, to Accra airport, and for days Russians had been arriving.
The only way to save Ghana, and to avoid being sent to fight in Vietnam, the troops were told, was to take Flagstaff House.
Several days after the military seizure of power, Kotoka and Afrifa appeared on Ghana TV congratulating themselves on their easy success.
One remark stood out unmistakable and clear: “And you know, we didn’t find any Russians at all— not one! Nor could we find any trace of that tunnel.” This was followed by peals of laughter at the poor soldiers who had believed their story.
The first object of the military operation was to force the surrender of Major-General Barwah, Army Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Defence Staff, who was in command of the Ghana Army in the absence from the country of the Chief of Defence Staff. General Aferi.
At the same time, Brigadier Hasan, Head of Military Intelligence, and Colonel Zanerigu. Commander of the Presidential Guard Regiment, and Owusu-Sekyere, former head of the C.I.D. and in charge of the Special Branch, were to be arrested.
This stage of the operation was badly bungled. Hasan was arrested, but Zanerigu, when confronted, escaped through a window of his house and drove to Flagstaff House to warn the Presidential Guard Regiment.
Barwah could not be intimidated. Woken from his sleep in the early hours of the morning of the 24th by the arrival of Kotoka and some 25 men, he courageously refused either to join the traitors or to surrender.
Thereupon, Kotoka shot him dead at point-black range in cold blood in the presence of his wife and children.
The seven security officers who were stationed at Barwah’s house were also murdered on the spot on Kotoka’s orders.
Kotoka subsequently boasted of his killing of Barwah but said because he was protected by a “juju” he was able to catch the bullets which Barwah fired in his defence and to throw them back at him.
When the counter coup of April 1967 took place Kotoka’s “magic” could not save him.
Unlike Barwah, he surrendered without protest or struggle to those who had captured him at his headquarters.
His “juju” did not prevent him being shot in his turn. Barwah’s murder was one of the most disgraceful and ghastly crimes ever committed in Ghana’s history.
In an attempt to wipe the blood from their hands the so-called N.L.C.‘ gave Barwah and the security officers a military burial a few days later.
What a mockery, and what hypocrisy! Yet these terrible, cold-blooded murders were only the first of many which occurred on 24th February and during subsequent days.
They set the tone, as it were, of the whole operation which was characterised throughout by cowardice, bloodshed and criminal stupidity.
By 6 a.m. on the 24th, the Accra police, acting on Harlley’s orders, had rounded up most of the ministers and other key political figures, and fighting had broken out at Flagstaff House between members of the Presidential Guard Regiment and rebel army units.
There were about thirty members of the Guard Regiment at Flagstaff House when the alarm was raised.
These were soon joined by others who managed to slip in by a back entrance to reinforce their comrades.
Although heavily outnumbered they successfully held up the rebel detachment sent to seize the Ghana radio station a short distance from Flagstaff House.
Only eight of the 124 detailed for this operation managed to get through.
These captured the radio station, apparently without incident, and at 6 a.m. Kotoka arrived to broadcast that the army and police had taken over the government of Ghana.
The announcement was premature. At 7 a.m. resistance was actually increasing at Flagstaff House, as the defenders, less than a hundred of them, fought fiercely back against some 600 rebel troops.
By this time a battalion in Accra under Ocran had joined them, not knowing what the fighting was all about.
Thus the rebels were able to gain control of the airport, cable office, radio station, and all the approach roads to Accra.
Kotoka had established a combined H.Q. with the police at Police Headquarters, and from there the order was given for the 2nd Battalion to go into action at Flagstaff House.
The Guard Regiment fought on, though their position was now-hopeless.
The outside walls of Flagstaff House had been open, and the defenders had retreated behind the second gate. Still they refused to surrender.
It was only after the rebels threatened to blow up the family residence at Flagstaff House in which my wife and three young children were sheltering that they finally gave in.
The fierce fighting at Flagstaff House at this time was in striking contrast to the failure at the time of the April 1967 counter-coup of Kotoka’s bodyguard to defend his headquarters.
He had made Flagstaff House into a strong point from which he commanded the army.
Yet when it was attacked by a small detachment of some 25 men the garrison immediately surrendered as did that of the Broadcasting Station which was also only attacked by a force of similar size.
Again a small group of soldiers, not more than 50 in all, were sufficient to capture the Castle at Osu from which the “N.L.C.” conducted their government.
Ankrah the Chairman’ of the “N.L.C.” was the first of its defenders to run away, jumping over the Castle wall, plunging into the sea and wading down the shore.”
Excerpt from “Dark Days in Ghana”, originally published by Zed Books in 1968.
The Ho stadium in the Volta Region is hosting this year’sIndependence Day festivities.
Ghana is celebrating 66 years since it attained independence from its colonial masters on March 6, 1957.
Ghana’s Independence
On March 6, 1957, exactly 66 years ago today, Ghana declared its independence from colonial rule after several decades of under British governance.
But it was not until some three years later that Ghanaians assumed full reins of government with an actual government made up of Ghanaians as leaders.
Thus, Ghana became a republic on July 1, 1960.
But prior to becoming a republic, Ghana under Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumahwho later became the country’s first president had to take steps to define the constitutional and governance structure of the nation.
Consequently, on March 6, 1960, Dr Nkrumah’s address to the country on the occasion of the country’s third independence anniversary largely outlined a roadmap designed by his Convention Peoples Party in bringing Ghana to full republic status.
Following several decades of British domination, Ghana proclaimed its independence from colonial rule on March 6, 1957, making it precisely 66 years ago today.
But, it was not until around three years later that Ghanaians fully took control of the government, with leaders who were also from Ghana.
As a result, Ghana gained its independence on July 1, 1960.
Yet before becoming a republic, Ghana under Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah—who would eventually serve as the nation’s first president—had to define its legal system and system of government.
Hence, Dr. Nkrumah’s speech to the nation on March 6, 1960, in honor of the nation’s third anniversary of independence focused mostly on detailing a path created by his Convention Peoples Party in order to give Ghana full republic status.
In his anniversary speech, Dr. Nkrumah detailed the foundation of what would become Ghana’s first Constitution, the election procedure, the makeup and powers of the new government, and its structure and arms.
Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s speech was given a few weeks before the April 27, 1960, vote.
The major concern was converting the nation from a constitutional monarchy with Elizabeth II as head of state to a republic with a presidential form of government.
The then prime minister in his anniversary address also called for the full participation of citizens in the exercise.
Being a full believer in the unity of Africa, his address also reiterated the need for a union African government and the preparedness of Ghana to its sovereignty “in whole or in pain the interest of a Union African States and Territories as soon as ever such union becomes practicable.
The pair were captured having a conversation, as the photo shows. Today, January 30, 2023, who would have been the 100th birthday of J.K Siaw, established the first wholly-owned Ghanaian brewery, Tata Brewery Limited.
J.K Siaw was instrumental to Ghana’s industrialization drive post-independence. The era saw many business ventures establish their footholds in the country to provide primary services that mainly served the indigenous people.
His rise and fall story is captured in excerpts from a book by B. Agyeman-Duah titled; ‘General Acheampong: The Life and Times of Ghana’s Head of State.’
The birth of Tata Brewery Limited began when J.K. Siaw decided to venture into business with a loan of 50 pounds sterling, which he used at the time to set up a cocoa brokerage firm.
In 1950, J.K. Siaw became a siding clerk who usually transported cocoa from Kwaku Praso in the Eastern Region to Accra. After learning and engaging in the trade for some time, he moved on to work with the Cocoa Purchasing Company and later became a cocoa and timber transporter.
According to the book, J.K. Siaw, in 1967, shifted his interest into the brewery sector which had huge prospects at the time. Prior to this, he applied for a business operating license under the NLC regime which deposed Kwame Nkrumah in February 1966.
The NLC regime had earlier requested that Siaw become a junior partner to some German investors who would run the company he decided to establish – a demand that did not sit well with him.
While still unhappy with the proposition, he persisted for a long period until his operational license was approved on July 26, 1969.
That year, he established the Tata Trading Company which first focused on trading key items. After operating for a while and making significant gains, Tata Brewery Limited was later inaugurated on January 30, 1973, to help provide more jobs and boost the local economy.
The inauguration ceremony was held on J.K. Siaw’s 50th birthday with then Head of State, Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong, present at the event. The former military leader, in his speech, gave his unconditional support to J.K. Siaw to run the wholly Ghanaian-owned company.
At the time when Ghana shuffled through various military regimes, the new leader, Jerry John Rawlings, upon taking office, confiscated all the assets of J.K. Siaw and his brewery establishment after it was alleged he was evading taxes.
The move impacted the brewery’s technical and financial operations, leading to J.K. Siaw escaping from Ghana to London to avoid being jailed and tortured under the military regime.
In what would be a self-imposed exile, J.K. Siaw who was now based in London sent numerous petitions to the PNDC regime of J.J. Rawlings for a return to Ghana without arrest.
His pleas, however, fell on deaf ears as Tata Brewery Limited was later sold to private foreign investors and was renamed the Achimota Brewery Company (ABC) which today stands as Guinness Ghana Breweries in Accra, a fully foreign-owned entity.
The PNDC regime labelled J.K. Siaw as a fugitive although there were no charges proffered against him, nor was he invited to stand trial for the alleged crime of tax evasion.
A few years later, Joshua Kwabena Siaw became indisposed due to ill health and later died while in exile in October 1986.
Although still a son of the land, the PNDC regime, following his demise, allowed for his remains to be brought home for burial despite still refusing to return J.K. Siaw’s assets to his family.
Brief profile of JK Siaw
He was born in 1923 at Obomeng in the Kwahu Mountains of the Eastern Region. He enrolled in school at the age of twelve after working on cocoa farms to support his education.
J.K. Siaw, as a young boy, learnt how to weave and sell baskets to make a living and support his education. At 19 years old, he became a teacher and later worked with the Bremang Gold Dredging Company near Bogoso in the Western Region.
His love for teaching and education saw him return to the New Juaben Grammar School which was later set up to be the Christ College in 1946 and then moved to the Ghana Secondary School in Effiduase by 1976.
In Ghana, the name Hanna Reitsch may not readily mean much to most people, but it is a name that has relevance because of her direct link to Kwame Nkrumah.
The German pilot is considered one of the few people to have seen Adolf Hitler, the German dictator who ruled with iron hands, alive.
But more relevant to Ghana is that while Hanna Reitsch was Hitler’s pilot, she also served as Ghana’s presidential pilot, flying the country’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, until his government was toppled.
Hanna Reitsch’s link to Ghana:
The first time Hanna came to Ghana was in the 1960s.
This was after she was sponsored by the West German foreign office as a technical adviser in Ghana and elsewhere, according to wikipedia.com.
Other details shared by the Daily Graphic showed that Hanna Reitsch, described as a “mysterious” woman, arrived in the country during the 1962 independence celebration.
In its caption on her arrival, the newspaper captioned it as, “The Lady Who Dares the Heaven,” with the general assumption that she was in for a visit and would leave after the anniversary.
However, it emerged that Kwame Nkrumah had other plans. The details showed that Nkrumah had sold the idea of relocating to Ghana and overseeing the country’s aviation development to Hanna Reitsch.
As a German war hero, she is reported to have agreed and went on to pitch camp in Ghana for the rest of Nkrumah’s government.
With Reitsch in the saddle, Nkrumah is said to have set in motion his plans for Ghana’s aviation. Historical records also show that Reitsch founded the first African national gliding school at Afienya.
While overseeing her training of male and female pilots at the school, Hanna Reitsch also worked with the Ghana Armed Forces as an instructor and imparted her knowledge.
Reitsch’s operation in Ghana had the approval of the then-West German government.
Reitsch’s official role was as a technical advisor, but she went beyond that. History indicates that she became Nkrumah’s most preferred and trusted pilot.
Between 1962 and 1666, when the Kwame Nkrumah government was toppled, Reitsch lived in Ghana and flew with Kwame Nkrumah.
Who was Hanna Reitsch?
Born in Hirschberg, Silesia, of the German Empire, on March 29, 1912, to an upper-middle-class family, Hanna Reitsch, was the daughter of Dr. Wilhelm (Willy) Reitsch, who was an ophthalmology clinic manager, and his wife, Emy Helff-Hibler von Alpenheim, who was a member of the Austrian nobility.
Details on wikipedia.com show that her mother was a devout Catholic, and so she was raised as a protestant. She had two siblings, her brother Kurt, a frigate captain, and her younger sister Heidi. Reitsch began flight training in 1932 at the School of Gliding in Grunau.
While a medical student in Berlin, she enrolled in a German Air Mail amateur flying school for powered aircraft at Staaken, training in a Klemm Kl 25.
Along with Melitta von Stauffenberg, she flight tested many of Germany’s new aircraft during World War II and received many honours. Reitsch was among the very last people to meet Adolf Hitler alive in the Führerbunker in late April 1945.
Reitsch set more than 40 flight altitude records and women’s endurance records in gliding and unpowered flight, before and after World War II.
Citizens of any country are usually encouraged to participate in the day-to-day developments of their nations, but even more, the bigger expectation mostly rests on the shoulders of the people in political office.
Much as this is the ideal situation, something very interesting happened in the Parliament of Ghana in August 1959.
Teased out of a newspaper report by Ghana Times, with the headline, ‘No sacrifice by U.P. M.Ps,’ the story captured the reasons behind the refusal of Members of Parliament of the opposition party at the time, United Party, to take a pay cut.
The pay cut was intended to support the government of Kwame Nkrumah’s of the successful implementation of the Second Development Plan.
“Member of the Ghana Parliamentary Opposition yesterday demonstrated in the National Assembly that they were not prepared to sacrifice a penny of their allowance to the nation towards the successful implementation of the Second Development Plan.
“This happened during a debate on a motion moved by Mr. K. A. Gbedemah, Minister of Finance, asking both sides of the House to approve the Development Fund (Members Contributions) B111 which sought to cut the salaries of the Speaker, Cabinet Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries and the allowance of Members of Parliament.
“There was uproar in the House on several occasions, and the Speaker, Mr. A. M. Akiwumi, had to call members to order,” the Saturday, August 1, 1959, report stated.
Explaining their reasons for rejecting the progressive motion in the House, the UP MPs claimed that it was something that was being forced on them.
The other side of the House – the incumbent MPs, also tried to convince their colleagues but when their attempts failed, they tagged the MPs “enemies of the nation.”
“During debate, the opposition claimed that they government was using a means of forcing them to accept a bill which they did not support, while government backbenchers contended that they agreed that ‘as real patriots’ there should be cut in salaries and allowances.
“They called members of the opposition names and described them as ‘enemies of the nation,’” it added.
The Minister of Finance, K. A. Gbedemah however still tried to argue the decision of his government, making reference to the example of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and his commitment to the course, but that was still not convincing enough.
You can read the full report in the photo snippets, exclusive to GhanaWeb, below:
Aide to former president John Dramani Mahama, Madam Joyce Bawah Mogtari, has lauded organizers of the annual Ayawaso Basic Schools quiz competition.
Whiles delivering a speech as the guest of honour for the just ended edition of the competition, she tasked the Zongo Inspiration Team, ZIT, to stay the course and improve the event year-in and out.
“I have been following the programme for quite some time and I think it is awesome what Zongo Inspiration Team is doing.”
Addressing the contesting students and others present, she stated: “Many years ago, we were all like you people and somebody had to inspire us and encourage us to do better and to do more.
“I think it is fantastic that you bring all these children here under one roof, spend time preparing m for their exams.”
She noted that, given the distinct and advancing communities that Zongos are, education has been and will continue to be a gamechanger.
She further extended greetings from office of John Dramani Mahama, who she said was out of town and as always held great interest in education.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Basic School located in Accra New Town were crowned winners of the Quiz Competition.
The school defeated three others in the final of the event that took place last Thursday, September 29, 2022 at the Nima-Mamobi Kathy Knowles Library, near the National Mosque, Kanda.
The winning team comprised Sagoe Desmond, Donkor Hannah Kissiwaa, Tamora Theresa and Kanyi Bettymood.
The competition which started earlier this month aims at pooling public and private schools in the Ayawaso cluster with the view to promoting out-of-class academic engagement with healthy competition.
The contest is specifically for Junior High School students.
Sixteen schools set out in four groups of four, with elimination of two schools after each contest, culminating in the semis and the finals that had the winning school, St. Kizito Roman Catholic Junior High School, Apostolic Hope School and Ring Road East ‘1’ Basic School.
For their award, the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial team were awarded a giant trophy and sets of books among other prizes.
The event has other strands including entertainment and importantly the issue of role modeling, which entails sharing inspiring stories of professional Muslims with the young ones.
Sarkin Samari of the Hausa Community in Greater Accra, Alhaji Salisu Maude who awarded the finalists with cash prizes, encouraged them to aspire to achieve greater heights in life.
Aside Madam Mogtari, also present was Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, Yussif Jajah; CEO of youth empowerment enterprise, ZongoVation Hub, Mahmoud Jajah and Umaru Sanda Amadu, a journalist with Citi FM.
Each of them shared their experiences and words of motivation with the students and other members of the audience.
ZIT describes itself as, “a career guidance and mentoring organization aimed at counseling, inspiring and building the capacities of young students in Zongo communities across the country.”
The organizers have expressed fulfilment at this year’s programme with the view to improve on all aspects of the 2023 edition.
The event which is the 4th edition had support from EPP book services, OP Studios, Alfirdaws Modern Bakery and Pastries and Manasseh Azure.
A former bodyguard of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has recalled the days when he would accompany his boss to the beach in the dead of the night.
During those outings, Christian Blukoo said the former president would engage in some spiritual acts.
Always preoccupied with how to keep the president safe, the former bodyguard explained that he and other reliable guards at the Christiansborg Castle (Osu Castle) – the seat of government at the time- would be dutied to follow him.
“After I was successful, I was sent to Castle and then they confirmed me as a bodyguard to Nkrumah, and then they put me in protection because Nkrumah at times went out at night. When he was going, those who were smart at the Castle had to follow him because bodyguards will not be in the house at night,” he said.
Christian Blukoo explained further in an interview with JoyNews that although he could never speak about these things in the past due to the oath of secrecy, he feels safer now to talk about them. He described how on some of those days, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah would spend time on the beach behind the Independence Square, praying and engaging in other spiritual activities.
“They used it call it secrecy but now, I’m free to speak. At times, he used to go to the seaside at the Black Star Square to consult the spiritual (sic) and like we do here by praying, he also used to do that: he’ll go to the seaside and pray. There were certain other things that he would do,” he narrated.
The former bodyguard of the president also shared some deep details of some of the security operations he and others undertook for Kwame Nkrumah.
A former People’s National Convention (PNC) secretary, Benard Mornah, has stated that the Akufo-Addo-led administration is eroding the heritage of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president.
Mr. Mornah lamented that on the day designated to honor Kwame Nkrumah‘s birthday, the public was unable to access the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park.
Speaking at an event, held by the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) to commemorate Memorial Day on Wednesday, 21 September 2022, Mr. Mornah said: “I went to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, and when I got there this morning, it was difficult to go there because the contractor claims they have taken control of that site.”
“21st September has been declared a public holiday, and people are working at the site of Kwame Nkrumah and where Kwame Nkrumah is lying and the government of Ghana is happy and preventing citizens from visiting the tomb of Kwame Nkrumah,” he lamented.
He stated that the administration would face resistance if it tried to change the initial concept for building the Memorial Park.
“And their[government] attempt to impose other people that do not qualify to be at the Memorial Park, I sent a warning and let me repeat it here, if they make a mistake and put anything either than Kwame Nkrumah in the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, we’ll bring that thing down,” the former PNC Secretary stated.
The Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra was closed temporarily closed on Friday, 27 May 2022, for maintenance works.
Contractors are working to upgrade the memorial park to a standard that befits the stature of the former president and boosts the attractiveness of the park and the overall tourism performance of the country.
A Ghanaian man based in Indiana, in the United States of America, identified as Isaac Kwaku Adjei has disclosed that his late father was the brain behind Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Fathia Fata Nkrumah kente.
Speaking in an interview with Kwaku Manu on his Aggressive Show, Isaac Kwaku Adjei who said he has been in the US for 40 years but comes from Bonwire in the Ashanti Region, explained that his father was a kente weaver.
He detailed that his father was a staunch member of the Convention People’s Party and was the kente weaver for most of the popular names.
“My father was a member of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), his best friend was Krobo Adusei. My father was the one who weaved kente for most of the CPP people, Gbedemah, etc,” he said in the interview monitored by GhanaWeb.
Mr Adjei narrated that his late father used his relationship with the then- CPP executives to design a special kente for the late president and called it “Fathia Fata Nkrumah.”
“One of the kente patterns my father designed and presented to Dr Kwame Nkrumah was Fathia Fata Nkrumah at the Flagstaff House. He designed it with another man…”
Asked if he had any personal relations with Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Mr Adjei stated there was no such thing.
However, he got the opportunity to only shake the hands of the president once because he was part of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana Young Pioneers group.
“I used to join an organisation formed by Dr Kwame Nkrumah called Ghana Young Pioneers. When the Queen of England visited Ghana in 1962, I was very young. I was part of the Ghana Young Pioneers who went to welcome her at the Airport,” he added.
Tourist sites, drinking spots will now be allowed to open as the country gradually eases COVID-19 restrictions, President Nana Akufo-Addo has announced.
President Akufo-Addo made this known when he addressed the country on Sunday, July 26, 2020, on the management of the COVID-19 situation in the country.
He said the tourism destinations, open-air drinking spots can open with enhanced hygiene protocols being enforced while places such as pubs, nightclubs and cinemas must remain closed.
Restrictions on churches has also been eased, with the one hour duration extended to two for each service as well as restrictions on the transport sector relaxed.
At the time of the address, Ghana had confirmed 32,437 positive cases with 28,927 clinical recoveries and 3,349.
Below are list of Ghana presidents, ranked according to their good works and how Ghanaians are happy about their government.
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian politician (the “show boy” of Ghana’s politics) and revolutionary. He was the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, having led the Gold Coast to independence from Britain in 1957.
JJ Rawlings
Jerry John Rawlings became President of the Republic of Ghana before embarking on success coup D’etat in 1979.
John Dramani Mahama
The Leader and flagbearer of the National democratic Congress, John Dramani Mahama.
John kuffour
As Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs he represented Ghana on a number of occasions. From 1969 to December 1971 he led Ghana’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo the current president of Ghana.
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A very sad yet interesting picture spotted on social media summarized how life can be funny and simply unpredictable.
The picture captured Ghana’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah shaking hands and congratulating a 19 year old Lt. General Akwasi Afrifa for his academic excellence.
Little did Dr. Kwame Nkrumah know that the young man (a 19 year old Lt. General Akwasi Afrifa) that he met at Adisadel College will grow up, plan a coup d’etat against him and succeed in overthrowing his government.
Lieutenant General Akwasi Afrifa and Lieutenant Colonel Kotoka were top conspirators of the February 24th, 1966 coup d’etat that overthrew Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s government.
There are several conspiracy theories surrounding the overthrow of the Kwame Nkrumah government and the reigning of all the conspiracies is that; the CIA in collaboration with other powerful forces weren’t very happy with Nkrumah’s Africa unite agenda hence supported and helped with the coup against him.
On February 24, 1996, the then president of the Ghana Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown in a coup led by Colonel E.K. Kotoka, Major A.A. Afrifa, Lieutenant General (retired) J.A. Ankra, and Police Inspector General J.W.K. Harlley.
According to Ghananmuseum.com, the CIA-backed coup in Ghana was carried out at the dawn of February 24, 1966, while Nkrumah was still on a peace mission in Asia.
Interestingly, one of the strong members of the group that took down the presidency of Kwame Nkrumah was Lt-Gen. Akwasi Afrifa who was once awarded by the president at Adisadel College.
In a photo sighted by YEN.com.gh, Afrifa was only 19 years old when he was being congratulated for academic brilliance by Kwame Nkrumah at Adisadel.
Nobody would have thought that 11 years later, this boy would be part of the tyrant group that would overthrow the government of Nkrumah. In the historic picture, Afrifa was spotted shaking hands with Nkrumah while both of them were beautifully adorned in Ghana’s beloved cloth, Kente.
