Nkrumah hailed from Nsuaem and not Nkroful- Chief

Accra, Oct. 16, GNA- Nana Aduku Addai IV, Chief of Wassa Nsuaem, on Thursday told the National Reconciliation Commission that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's First President was not of the Nzema tribe. Dr Nkrumah was also not a native of Nkroful, where he was born, but rather hailed from Nsuaem, where he was enstooled a chief in 1962, Nana said, and read part of Dr Nkrumah's autobiography, published in 1957, to support his statement.

Nana Addai told the Commission's public hearing in Accra, that as a Chief, the First President built a palace in Nsuaem from his own resources, which the community supported with sand and communal labour. However, the palace was confiscated after the overthrow of Nkrumah's government and the Police have since occupied it.

The Nsuaem Chief, known in private life, as Mr John Kojo Ackon, argued that a similar building belonging to late Prime Minister Busia, has been returned to Busia's family, and prayed the government to release Nkrumah's palace, and the estates surrounding it, to his family. On the final resting-place of the remains of the late President, Nana Addai said Nsuaem should the last resting-place.

According to Nana Addai it must be accepted that the remains of the late President belonged to the people of Nsuaem, and prayed the Commission for the remains to be restored to where it really belonged. He said Dr Nkrumah's the burial at Nkroful was done without the consent of Maame Nyaniba, Nkrumah's mother.

He said his Head of Family told him the body later transferred to Accra for embalmment was to be returned to Nsuaem, but it never came.