Nkrumah's daughter scolds CPP, PNC, GCPP leaders

Accra, June 19, GNA - Ms Samia Nkrumah, the Member of Parliament for Jomoro, has scolded the leadership of political parties that owe allegiance to the political tradition founded by late President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and said their actions and inactions were weakening the tradition.

The daughter of the late President and the only Convention People's Party (CPP) Member of Parliament said it was inexplicable how the leadership of pro-Nkrumah political parties had fragmented the tradition left by his father.

The Nkrumahist political parties include the CPP, the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP), Democratic People's Party (DPP) and Peoples National Convention (PNC).

"Am here with a mission not to join forces with the detractors but to lead a crusade for building and reconstructing the legacy as a daughter.consider my public outburst as a beloved daughter reprimanding the family to protect the sanctity, unity and solidarity of the party," Ms Nkrumah said at a public lecture in Accra.

The lecture was to mark the 60th anniversary of the formation of the CPP and her outburst was ignited by the failure of the CPP leadership to invite her to the function.

She arrived at the venue for the lecture 90 minutes late and GNA noticed that some leading members of the CPP were absent.

They included the former National Chairman, Dr Edmund Delle, the former General Secretary, Professor Nii Noi Dowuona and the party's residential candidate in Election 2008, Dr Paa Kwesi Nduom.

The lecture was on the theme: "Transforming the National Economy." Ms Nkrumah outlined a programme of action to unite Nkrumah's parties and said."we must work through a new era of transparency to assess the basic needs of the people for the unity of the family." Mr Ladi Nylander, CPP Chairman who chaired the lecture attended mainly by students, said it would be impossible for the party to come back to power without unity among Nkrumahists.

"We must move together with a heightened sense of unity and common purpose to re-define our path and commit ourselves anew to the principles of social justice, self-determination and Pan-Africanism," he said.

Mr Nylander said: "Whoever thinks that the CPP could be strong and formidable enough to wrest power in 2012 devoid of the unity we require is making a big mistake.

"The CPP of this Republic bears little or no resemblance to the CPP of the glorious First Republic. Our generation cannot hang on forever to the successes of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Mr Gbedemah, Mr Jantuah and other elders of the party," he said. Other speakers at the lecture included Dr Kwaku Osafo, a former presidential aspirant of the party, Dr Thomas Aidoo a lecturer at the Institute of African Studies and Dr Esi Sutherland-Addy a leading member of the party.

A two-day photographic exhibition on the political history of the party, its achievement under the leadership of President Nkrumah during the first republic and other memorable art works was opened by Ms Nkrumah.