Nzemas furious over description of Kwame Nkrumah as a dictator in controversial textbook

The people of Nzema – both home and abroad – have described “the unpardonable inconsistencies and contradictions” in a textbook publication about Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as a “fiction that can only be told to cartoon fantasy movie watchers”.

The citizens intimate that the publisher demonstrated, without any shred of shame, how ignorant she is to the invaluable, unparalleled, and unmatched contributions of the man “undoubtedly declared as the African of the Millennium”.

“[We] are convinced that the author of the history book meant to be used for teaching Class 6 pupils, has no useful knowledge to impact, but on a carefully calculated mission to falsify world history, mislead the future generation and lead the nation into a disunited Ghana.”

In a textbook known as THE GOLDEN HISTORY OF GHANA for Basic 6 pupils published by the New Golden Publication in Kumasi and authored by Mercy Gyaa Adiyiah, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was, among many things, described as a dictator.

Addressing a press conference at the tomb of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah at Nkroful in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region on behalf of the citizens, a Senior Nzema Citizen, Nana Mireku Tumi, said the attempt to scatter the towering feats of Dr. Nkrumah, is “most unfortunate and absurd.

“…the man who led Parliament of Ghana to pass into law the AVOIDANCE OF DISCRIMINATION ACT in December 1957 can never be described as a dictator.”

He questioned that “if CPP and Nkrumah winning the election for three consecutive times in 1951, 1954 and 1956 makes him a dictator for being in office for only seven years, then what about both the NDC and NPP who have both spent ten years and more in governance”.

He listed a litany of feats and worldwide recognitions conferred on Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and wondered how such a person will be accorded such honours if he was nothing but a selfless leader.

“At the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia stands a beautiful statue of Osagyefo. In Bamako in Mali, Osagyefo’s statue is erected. In Dar es Salem in Tanzania, a university hall is named after him. In Zambia, a University is named after him. He was made a co-President for Guinea after he was overthrown in Ghana. In Chicago, an African center school is named after Osagyefo. At the Heroes Park in Havana in Cuba, a huge monument is featured for Nkrumah.”

In the book, the author accused Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of wasting resources of Ghana to support African countries, particularly Guinea.

But Nana Tumi stated that that piece of information is perhaps “one of the funniest jokes that could be told of Africa.

“If the extension of financial, strategic, and bilateral assistance to African countries to gain independence was a waste of resources, then what do our various African leaders meet every year to do, all in the name of uniting?”

He described as strange that the same book that runs Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in another breath, speaks of the numerous development drives of his party.

“…the CPP gave Free Education to all children of school-going age and free education up to the tertiary level in Northern Region.…CPP through G.I.H.O.C provided 16 industries.”

He stated that the residents are demanding an unqualified apology from the publisher.

“We are calling on government to liaise with relevant stakeholder institutions, to criminalize and ban the sale, ownership, and possession of such publications including Golden History of Ghana meant for Basic 6.”