Nzema Chiefs to Launch ?10bn Nkrumah Education Fund

THE NZEMA Maanle Council, a grouping of seven paramount chiefs in the Nzema land, has stated that though it would have been happy if the body of the late President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was still lying at Nkroful, his hometown, the group does not support the claim that the body was removed to Accra for permanent interment by the then government on political grounds.

According to the group, the late President, who also won independence for Ghana, was one of the political kingpins in Africa, therefore, the removal of his body from the tomb of Nkroful to Accra for permanent burial was in a way to show appreciation of what he had achieved for the country and Africa as a whole.

Awualae Annor Adjaye IV, the Omanhene of Western Nzema Traditional area who stated this at a news conference in Sekondi last Thursday also debunked a claim that Dr. Nkrumah was a Liberian because of his middle name Nwea.

According to him, Nwea means eighth born in the Nzema language and therefore cannot be said to be a Liberian name.

The news conference itself was called by the Council which included Jomoro, Nsein, Lower and Upper Axim, Eastern and Western Nzema and Gwira traditional areas to announce their decision to institute a ?10billion Kwame Nkrumah Education Fund, which is expected to be launched in December, this year to sponsor brilliant but needy children in the area to pursue their education.

According to Annor Adjaye, the naming of the proposed fund after Dr. Nkrumah by the council was to show appreciation for the role he played in the development of the country, including the free education that he offered the deprived Northern regions

He said to ensure a sound take-off, the Nzema Maanle has proposed an amount of ?546million as a seed money to start the fund.

This, he explained, would be the contribution of the seven traditional council that form the Nzema Maanle Council, the two district assemblies in the area and other stake holders.

Awualae Annor Adjaye further told the press that before the fund is officially launched in December, this year, possibly at Nkroful, members of the council would make sure that they have toured every corner of the country to appeal to the people, especially those from the Nzema tribe, to contribute to the fund.

He said a delegation would also be sent to the USA and some of the European countries to appeal to the Nzema citizens there to also contribute to the fund to help raise the standard of education in the area.

Awulae Annor Adjaye also hinted that since the council does not get any revenue accruing from the mausoleum where their illustrious son was buried in Accra, the council intends sending a petition to the government to allow them to open an office at the mausoleum to solicit funds from those who would be visiting there to ensure the sustainability of the proposed education fund.

Awulae Agyefi Kwame II, the president of the council, on his part, said the aim and objective of the institution of the Kwame Nkrumah Education Fund is a scholarship scheme is to immortalise what he described as a gem of Africa personality who was adjudged the most outstanding personality of the millennium 30 years after his exit from the African political scene.

Awulae Agyefi, who is also Omanhene of Nsein traditional area, further said the fund is also meant to help educate capable people both from Nkrumah's ethnic origin, Nzemaland, Ghana and Africa generally to take their rightful places among the comity of nations.

"It is also to complement government efforts at making education affordable and accessible to majority of disadvantaged but brilliant students," he added.

Present at the press conference were the remaining paramount chiefs who constitute the Nzema Maanle Council.