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General News of Saturday, 1 April 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Here is why Kwame Nkrumah had his face on Guinean currency

Ghana's founding father, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah Ghana's founding father, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana and one of the founding fathers of the country had his face embossed on a Guinean currency.

Dr. Kwame is said to have been close friends with Guinea's first president, Sekou Toure as during his reign as president of Ghana, he sent £10 million to Guinea when its economy was being destroyed for voting for independence from France.

During Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's overthrow in 1966, Sekou Toure said "Ghanaian traitors have been mistaken in thinking that Nkrumah is simply a Ghanaian. He is a universal man."

Ghana's first president went into exile in Guinea after a coup to overthrow him in 1966 and was made a co-president of the country by his friend, Sekou Toure.

Sekou Toure revered and loved his friend so much that even in death, he honoured Dr. Kwame Nkrumah by embossing his face on the 5 sylis note and coin of Guinea.

This syli currency was Guinea's legal tender between 1971 and 1985 and the word means elephant.

Below are pictures of the syli note and coin: