A founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, has lauded the vision of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, recounting how the late president’s policies intentionally bridged regional and tribal divides to unite Ghana’s youth.

He, however, lamented the decline of national unity in Ghana, contrasting today’s tribal divisions with the inclusive vision of Nkrumah.

He recalled in an exclusive interview with GhanaWeb’s Etsey Atisu how Nkrumah built schools that brought together young people from across the country, north, south, east, west, and the middle belt to nurture the concept of putting Ghana first, rather than members of individual tribes.

“Only Nkrumah was able to bring Ghanaians together irrespective of where the person came from. They built schools, and one interesting thing he did was that people from either the north, west, east, south, or even the middle belt were always brought together as Ghanaians into some of these schools,” he said.

“They grew up to know themselves as Ghanaians, not people from individual tribes. That’s why some of us still see ourselves that way. But unfortunately, that appears to have disappeared,” Dr Nyaho-Tamakloe said.

He explained that Nkrumah understood unity as the foundation for nation-building and pursued it relentlessly until his removal from office.

Today, however, he warned that emotional and tribal rhetoric dominate public debate.

When asked if the ethnocentrism creeping back into our societies can be reversed, he responded: “That’s why you have leaders elected. A leader who really has interest in something will definitely pursue it. Nkrumah knew then that unity is what you need to build a nation, and he did exactly that and it worked until he was removed."

"Now people talk emotionally on issues, more of tribal nature than of national nature," he said.

He urged current leaders to rekindle the spirit of unity, warning that without a renewed commitment to national cohesion, Ghana risks deepening divisions that undermine progress.

Watch the full video on GhanaWeb TV below:



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