Sankofa series: What Kwame Nkrumah said at his last Independence Day celebration

On March 6, 1965, Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, marked his eighth and what turned out to be his final Independence Day celebration.

According to some, the coup that deposed Nkrumah was a result of domestic and foreign influencers collaborating to oust Ghana's first president due to his idealism, socialism, and radical visionary plans for Ghana and Africa.

Prior to his overthrow on February 24, 1966, Dr Nkrumah’s popularity declined substantially in the mid-60s, following tax hikes, the introduction of a compulsory savings system, a freeze on wages and salaries, large expenditures by the government, and other factors that were plaguing the country.

Unsealed CIA documents further revealed that the US government began to withhold loans to Ghana, impacting the foreign exchange, as well as lowering world cocoa prices through stockpiling measures in order to deprive Dr Nkrumah of the much-needed financial backing in foreign exchange.

A video showing Nkrumah’s final independence celebration has emerged online, along with some portions of his broadcast to the nation in March 1965.

During the celebrations, Dr Nkrumah was seated beside his wife, Fathia Nkrumah, as they watched the national troops, other regiments and students from selected schools in a march past at the Black Star Square.

Later that evening, President Nkrumah delivered a broadcast to the nation.

During his address, he denied that the country was experiencing an economic crisis.

“Let me declare here and now that there is nothing like a crisis in our economic position. There are no grave shortages of anything essential to the personal or industrial needs of the people of Ghana. We have a balance of payments, difficulties and complications, temporary shortages of some commodities and a planned, deliberate attempt to curtail the importation of luxuries. This should not surprise those who take our socialism and national development seriously,” Dr Nkrumah said.

Watch the video below:



MA/EK