Nkrumah's Spirit Must Move Mahama into Action

Read Article

Comments (28)

This article is closed for comments.

Read Comments Comments (28)

Mahmoud 9 years ago

The sycophant KB Ashanti is a disgrace. How can any reasonable human being in his right mind justify communist dictatorship and tyranny? Nkrumah did not have any excuse for doing what he did, except that he was preparing the ...
read full comment

The sycophant KB Ashanti is a disgrace. How can any reasonable human being in his right mind justify communist dictatorship and tyranny? Nkrumah did not have any excuse for doing what he did, except that he was preparing the ground with series of unprovoked actions to create a one party state and declare himself president for life.

The Communist ideology doesn't have a place for opposition in their system. Have you ever heard of a communist democratic country in the world, with an opposition to check excesses of government? Nkrumah chose communism as a means of keeping himself in power forever. He therefore imposed the Detention without Trial Act only to gag everybody, create a communist dictatorship and turn himself into a president for life. This is because, communists don't share power.
DAVI 9 years ago

GHANAIANS NEED GENUINE FREEDOM AND DO NOT WANT TO WORRY,WHEN THEIR PARENTS WILL BE PICK UP TO DETENTION.NO WONDER WE VOTED FOR DEMOCRACY IN 1991.A NATION IS BULID BY HER PEOPLE NOT ONE MAN SHOW.

GHANAIANS NEED GENUINE FREEDOM AND DO NOT WANT TO WORRY,WHEN THEIR PARENTS WILL BE PICK UP TO DETENTION.NO WONDER WE VOTED FOR DEMOCRACY IN 1991.A NATION IS BULID BY HER PEOPLE NOT ONE MAN SHOW.
Kodjo 9 years ago

Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah like any true prophets have a very short time to finish the prophetic life and lay the infrastructure which will propel his ideas.He said he has set the frame and it will burn long after he has gone ...
read full comment

Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah like any true prophets have a very short time to finish the prophetic life and lay the infrastructure which will propel his ideas.He said he has set the frame and it will burn long after he has gone and that is exactly true.Universities all over the world are studying the work of this great leader.The youth of Africa and African descent are all reading voraciously his work and he has become the spiritual leader of the black race.

I am glad that with the exception of Rawlings because of his loyalty to Kotoka, the leadership of the ndc is pure nkrumaist and it is high time they get together with cpp to complete the old man's job.The late Professor Mills was reported to have said to the present CPP leadership that he is more cpp than them and took practical measures to rehabilitate immortalize his memory with the founder's day holiday.

The ball is now in Mahama court.We all know that like Mills he is cpp die hard.So he must take the bull by the horn and start implementing projects dear to Nkrumah's heart.That will propel our development to a notch and you will be proud when you finish your term of duties because you will be associated with the great man.
Pelicles 9 years ago

You talk as if the current government has any credibility. Name one person in NDC who has any credibility? When in the history of man did a group of truants do anything to have impact on humanity? Tweakai, that is NDC for y ...
read full comment

You talk as if the current government has any credibility. Name one person in NDC who has any credibility? When in the history of man did a group of truants do anything to have impact on humanity? Tweakai, that is NDC for you.

Can't you realize how they are stealing as if there is no tomorrow?

Also, your prophet Nkrumah, did pretty well but failed miserably somewhere along the line. Why? When he was the president, how big was Accra and what measures did he put in place to rebuild it? Nkrumah was the one who should have laid a "solid foundation" of our nation before embarking to unite the continent of Africa at a time when some nations on the continent are "too raw" to understand what independence means.

As we speak, how united are we in Ghana let alone the entire Africa? Nkrumah's quest to unite Africa was one of the mistakes he made and I know he regretted for that.
Military Man 9 years ago

I still wonder why people still try to mention Nkrumah's name with that of Mahama's like they are of equal billing. The two are completely polar opposites with Nkrumah being a billion times better than Mahama in terms of one ...
read full comment

I still wonder why people still try to mention Nkrumah's name with that of Mahama's like they are of equal billing. The two are completely polar opposites with Nkrumah being a billion times better than Mahama in terms of one knowing what the job assigned to him entails.

Nkrumah was a visionary and a strategist. He was blessed with the ability to foresee the needs of the country and have plans in place.

These are two areas Mahama woefully lacks in, and no amount of whitewashing by his spin doctors can make dents in his poor showings in those areas.

Nkrumah was selfless and had the welfare of the nation at heart. Mahama is corrupt and leads a looting brigade pillaging and plundering the national coffers.

Nkrumah was decisive in his actions and knew what he had to do under any given situation while Mahama is as confused as a lost child who came to a fork in the road and didn't know which of the forks led to his house or home.

So people should try not to soil Nkrumah's name by trying to force Mahama to be like Nkrumah because the guy can't even be Mahama, let alone him being Nkrumah.
He doesn't have even a billionth part of Nkrumah in him so he can't even come to grips with the fact that the great man's visionary projects NEED to be continued.

He and his looting brigade are pre-occupied with looting to benefit themselves, their families and cronies.

Nkrumah's spirit has better things to do than to move an unmovable object like Mahama which will amount to nothing and a waste of the great man's precious time in the after world.

Copycats are just copycats. They are NOT and can NEVER be the real deal.
Desmond 9 years ago

Is undeniable fact that Nkrumah was a tyrant who killed all his opponents in Nsawam Prison, declared himself President for life without a Vice President and made Ghana a one-party state. Nkrumaism suddenly became a religion a ...
read full comment

Is undeniable fact that Nkrumah was a tyrant who killed all his opponents in Nsawam Prison, declared himself President for life without a Vice President and made Ghana a one-party state. Nkrumaism suddenly became a religion and school children were forced to recite 'Nkrumah never dies' throuhout the day.
While Ghanaians lived in shanty towns, slums and squalor, Nkrumah gave 10 million pounds each to the Presidents of Guinea and Mali to make him President of Africa without a Vice President. Nkrumah's sole vision was to be the President for Africa for life.

The best thing that has ever happened to Ghana was the overthrow of the murderous dictator Kwame Nkrumah
Military Man 9 years ago

Desmond,

Do you have any proof that Nkrumah gave 10 million pounds each to those presidents you named or you are just spewing out those unsubstantiated rumours just because one or some of your murderous relatives was part ...
read full comment

Desmond,

Do you have any proof that Nkrumah gave 10 million pounds each to those presidents you named or you are just spewing out those unsubstantiated rumours just because one or some of your murderous relatives was part of the groups that on many occasions tried to assassinate Nkrumah and as a payback ended up in Nsawam prison where they rightly belonged?

Tell me, Desmond, which other leader after Nkrumah has been able to put forward better programmes that have benefited Ghanaians? A BIG ZERO!!!!!.

So if you say the best thing to have ever happened to Ghana was the overthrow of Nkrumah, then you can also pump your fist, beat your chest like a silver back gorilla and say that what had happened since after Nkrumah and is happening right now to Ghana is the best Ghana deserves. Right, Desmond?

If you thought Nkrumah's idea of a United Africa was a bad one, why do you think your clueless and thieving leader Mahama is so "gung ho" on ECOWAS which has attracted all the hoodlums from all west Africa to invade our country?

You call developments like the city of Tema a "shanty" town, Desmond? Then what do you call the whole city of Accra now with garbage and human excrement blocking and choking gutters and drainage systems, Desmond?

Do you live under a rock, Desmond?

If only your 'mate meho" ancestors had not undermined Nkrumah and arranged with the CIA to overthrow Nkrumah, Ghana would have been a show piece in the whole of Africa with more townships like Tema strewn across the landscape of our beautiful country. But your illiterate ancestors were so hungry for power they sold Ghana down the drain to the CIA for peanuts.

Nkrumah should have slaughtered all of them when he had the chance because that would have saved Ghana all the hassles the country is going through now.

By the way, you know what is a 'Shanty' town? If you are brainy and old enough, then I will ask you to cast your mind back to the days when South Africa was under the Apartheid rule where the black South Africans were forced to live in what were called 'townships'. Those 'houses' built from corrugated roofing sheets made up the 'shanty towns' but I don't think you have anything between your ears.
Go back and research to empower that dead brain of yours and you will see that Ghana never had 'shanty towns' under Nkrumah until after his overthrow. Were there poor people under Nkrumah? Sure there were but they never lived in shanty towns.

Mud houses? Definitely!

Blame your 'mate meho' blockheads of ancestors for Ghana's recurring problems under different leaders since after Nkrumah.
TEE 9 years ago

USELESS NDC

USELESS NDC
TEE 9 years ago

MAHAMA IS A VISIONLESS IDIOT

MAHAMA IS A VISIONLESS IDIOT
Stephen-Pipes Afrifa 9 years ago

Indeed Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was a great visionary leader. The then Ghana would be very happy to live in, however, but, nothing stops the current president to do same.

I really don't get it as to why such things are not done ...
read full comment

Indeed Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was a great visionary leader. The then Ghana would be very happy to live in, however, but, nothing stops the current president to do same.

I really don't get it as to why such things are not done to improve the country yet they claim in every speech of theirs that they have Ghana at heart.

Ghana is indeed at a crossroad, we don't know where to pass in as much as not making any move to figure out our own solutions but rather sit down to be fed with a solution from elsewhere......
Ugly Akufo Addo 9 years ago

Mahama will develop Ghana more than Nkrumah

Mahama will develop Ghana more than Nkrumah
Military Man 9 years ago

Do I need to say more?

Do I need to say more?
JOE NIPAMU 9 years ago

Yes you are right. Kwame Nkrumah was the greatest visionary in Ghanaand the entir Africa

Yes you are right. Kwame Nkrumah was the greatest visionary in Ghanaand the entir Africa
ASIRUFI 9 years ago

wHERE ARE ALL THE FACTORIES NKRUMAH ESTABLISHED? OH GHANA. CREATE, LOOT AND SHARE. NSAWAM CANNERY NOW BELONGS TO MRS RAWLINGS. GOD WILL PUNISH ALL OF THEM

wHERE ARE ALL THE FACTORIES NKRUMAH ESTABLISHED? OH GHANA. CREATE, LOOT AND SHARE. NSAWAM CANNERY NOW BELONGS TO MRS RAWLINGS. GOD WILL PUNISH ALL OF THEM
Richmond Afrifa 9 years ago

This is correct to be practiced .I think so becouse if all these laydown projects are to be taken into consideration ,unemployment will reduce in the economy .

This is correct to be practiced .I think so becouse if all these laydown projects are to be taken into consideration ,unemployment will reduce in the economy .
Adesan 9 years ago

Ghana is stillreturning to its colonial master for better education. Nkrumah actually destroy Ghana . Just compare the situation Scotland recent went through it could easily have been another Ghana. A failure so please stop p ...
read full comment

Ghana is stillreturning to its colonial master for better education. Nkrumah actually destroy Ghana . Just compare the situation Scotland recent went through it could easily have been another Ghana. A failure so please stop praises Nkrumah and its failures and work with any Government who show the lead to push Ghana forward. Kwame gave our precious money to otehr ASfrican nations so called Pan Africa and today who is giving us those moeny back. No one they have actually passed us in developmental progress. Please stop praising Kwame because he has not achieve much with our children schooling under the trees.
KBK 9 years ago

There's no doubt that Nkrumah meant well for all Ghanaians and Africans. He was not very interested in personal wealth. He never acquired any riches at the expense of the state. That cannot be said of today's leaders whose fo ...
read full comment

There's no doubt that Nkrumah meant well for all Ghanaians and Africans. He was not very interested in personal wealth. He never acquired any riches at the expense of the state. That cannot be said of today's leaders whose foremost interest is their personal wealth - Kufuor most of all, but also Rawlings and now Mahama too.

Greed, greed and more greed for personal wealth is what is killing us. Nkrumah made mistakes, he was greedy for power BUT HE WAS NOT GREEDY FOR PERSONAL WEALT, like today's leaders. That's why we miss Nkrumah so much.
KBK 9 years ago

The story has been told that when the Acheampong regime was considering whether to bring the mortal remains of Nkrumah back to Ghana for burial, some members of the NRC were against it and argued that Nkrumah "chopped" our mo ...
read full comment

The story has been told that when the Acheampong regime was considering whether to bring the mortal remains of Nkrumah back to Ghana for burial, some members of the NRC were against it and argued that Nkrumah "chopped" our money. Others argued that he did not.

So they went to the Ghana Commercial Bank in Accra where Nkrumah had his private account the check. It showed the withdrawals Nkrumah made from his personal account to pay bills and sundry items and he had overdrawn his checking account by 4 pesewas. So, at the time he was overthrown, Nkrumah did not have a single pesewa in his private account to call his own! He was even owing the bank 4 pesewas.

And Nkrumah didn't have any foreign accounts either. None has been seen up till today.

Of course, as head of state, he didn't want for anything. But the fact was that the man was disinterested in personal wealth. His ministers were far richer than he was.

This man of Africa, the greatest Ghanaian who ever lived, died a penniless man. Even his house in Conakry was given to him by Sekou Touré. He didn't steal Ghana's money to buy it.

But today, Kufuor, Rawlings, Mahama and most of our ministers have fleets of vehicles and several houses in Ghana and abroad. It's just money, money, money. No ideology for the nation. No vision to raise the downtrodden in Ghana.

Nkrumah made many mistakes in his rule (acquired too much power for himself) but his concern for the poor and the vision he had for Ghana can never be faulted.

That is why his legacy lives on.
Pope 9 years ago

Sekou Toure's generosity to Nkrumah was simply a payback for all the Ghana money Nkrumah spent on Guinea when Guinea attempted to separate from France and France retaliated by withdrawing all their support. It was Nkrumah who ...
read full comment

Sekou Toure's generosity to Nkrumah was simply a payback for all the Ghana money Nkrumah spent on Guinea when Guinea attempted to separate from France and France retaliated by withdrawing all their support. It was Nkrumah who came to the rescue of Guinea.
Military Man 9 years ago

Nothing to say again.

You said it all, KBK.

Nothing to say again.

You said it all, KBK.
Pope 9 years ago

Nkrumah survived thus far because there was plenty of money left by the British. He however squandered the money, when he funded the education of several students from other African countries to come to Legon. he funded oth ...
read full comment

Nkrumah survived thus far because there was plenty of money left by the British. He however squandered the money, when he funded the education of several students from other African countries to come to Legon. he funded other countries such as Guinea. he built Fathia vila in Egypt, and left enough money for his wife in Egypt. Even though his wife and children pretend there was nothing left for them. He abused his power. He ate and drank communism. Became larger than life itself while oppressing everyone. Why waste money to build silos when you have not planted the cocoa. It makes no sense.
Military Man 9 years ago

"Why waste money to build silos when you have not planted the cocoa. It makes no sense.".... you asked.

That's foresight for you, Pope.. which all our leaders after Nkrumah lacked but the great man had it droves.

A pity ...
read full comment

"Why waste money to build silos when you have not planted the cocoa. It makes no sense.".... you asked.

That's foresight for you, Pope.. which all our leaders after Nkrumah lacked but the great man had it droves.

A pity! Look at us now.. we are always in what is better referred to as a 'fire-fighting' mode. Nothing is planned ahead.. we wait till the issue has its hands firmly around our throats, strangling us before we make a pathetic move to try to resolve it, buy which time it's too late.

The cholera issue is a prime example.. we let our cities get choked by garbage and human waste of urine and shit in public places and when the inherent disease of cholera which is associated with dirt and other unhygienic situation, we wonder what's going on. Simply stupid.

Simple-minded leaders we have now and you sit there and spout off that the great man's foresightedness made no sense.

Go figure!

Some simple-minded people we have for leadership and citizenry and we wonder what hit us or happened to us in our deep slumber.

GOD SHOULD REALLY COME DOWN AND HELP US!!!

And I don't mean the fakes of Duncan-Williamses, Mensa-Otabils and the TJ's.
ROY 9 years ago

NKRUMAH WAS NOT PERFECT BUT ON BALANCE, HE RANKS THE BEST PRESIDENT GHANA HAS EVER HAD.

UNDOUBTEDLY, BUSIA RANKS THE WORST PRESIDENT (OR PRIME MINISTER) HAVING CONSPIRED WITH HIS FOREIGN ALLIES TO DESTROY OUR ECONOMY.

NKRUMAH WAS NOT PERFECT BUT ON BALANCE, HE RANKS THE BEST PRESIDENT GHANA HAS EVER HAD.

UNDOUBTEDLY, BUSIA RANKS THE WORST PRESIDENT (OR PRIME MINISTER) HAVING CONSPIRED WITH HIS FOREIGN ALLIES TO DESTROY OUR ECONOMY.
Markos Lemma MD,Phd 9 years ago

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah has indeed made a significant contributions for the Ghana's independence and positive development of Ghana. What concerns The Union of African States, The was a short lasting union of three Western African S ...
read full comment

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah has indeed made a significant contributions for the Ghana's independence and positive development of Ghana. What concerns The Union of African States, The was a short lasting union of three Western African States, in the 1960s -Mali, Ghanaand Guinea. This union was Marxist politically, and was led by such African revolutionaries as Kuame Nkrumah of Ghana and Sékou Tourè of Guinea,who was president of Guinea.
However, little attention is given to those who were doing the work behind the scenes. Sometimes, the success of these individuals goes unnoticed.
It was ketma Yifru more than any Ethiopian foreign minister in memory, who astutely, diligently, indefatigably and with a dedicated sense of politically nationalistic support, escorted most of the African freedom movement fighters, Later turned Leader, during their trying period of political struggles en-route to independence. Taking arduous trips, from Algeria to Southern Africa or from Guinee Bisau and all around African countries. Ketema Yifru The Ethiopian is none other than great Ethiopian and an avowed pan-Africanist. He wrote:”Only a few are aware of the hard work and all the effort that brought about the creation of the OAU. 'Most of the public is not aware of the shuttle diplomacy, the closed door negotiations, and all the tireless effort, in general, that paved the way towards creating the OAU...”
The Casablanca Group was an organization of African "progressive states" (Algeria, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Libya, Mali, and Morocco) founded in 1961. It promoted Pan-Africanism and gathered Gamal Abdel-Naser's Egypt, Ghana (led by Kumame Nkrumah), Sékou Touré's Guinea, Mali,Libya or Morocco for a short period. The Casablanca Group, which had begun advocating the rejection of foreign influence and the immediate establishment of a "United States of Africa." Where the U.S.S.R by the help of its ally Gemal Abdel-Naser was pushing to achieve.
In order to strengthen the continent of Africa and to make it less vulnerable to outside influence, President Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana strongly believed that the continent should be united. Thus, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah started a movement, which stressed the immediate unity of the African continent. When Dr. Kwame Nkrumah introduced the concept of African Unity to the continent, a division, which was based on the implementation of this new concept, was created at the onset.
The Monorovia Group: Name given to a collection of African countries that, from 1961 to 1963, were united in their conservative, gradualist approach to pan-African unity. During the 1950s, as African nationalism and Independence Movements gained momentum, some leaders began calling for the establishment of organizations and Ethiopia was among the first, whose purpose would be to encourage peace and cooperation in economic and social Development on a continental scale. Although these groups all desired pan-African unity, they sometimes disagreed on how to achieve this goal.
It is worth mentioning that The Casablanca Group merged as a compromise with the Monorovia Group which promoted African nationalism, into the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) created in 1963.
The Monorovia group in an intense closed door negotiations where Ketema Yifru convinced Dr. Kuame Nkrumah to join the Monorovian group and participate in the summit which as suggested by Ketema Yifru evolved into a summit involving all 32 of the African countries that were independent at the time, from both the Monrovia and Casablanca groups. On May 25, 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 28 of the 32 countries adopted a pan-African unity charter, which was subsequently ratified by their governments. Thus the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established. The OAU charter overrode the charters of the Monrovia and Casablanca groups, and the two alliances were dissolved.
After being promoted to the rank of Foreign Minister in 1961 - a period in which the rift between the Monrovia and Casablanca Groups seemed to have caused a permanent division in the continent— Ketema was an active participant in all the meetings and negotiations that led to the creation of the OAU. Many call Ktema Yifru as The ”Architect” and The “unsung hero”. As a person, Ketema always behaved in a humble and disarmingly simple manner with a special knack of imparting a relaxing gesture even to officials who are noted to personify stiff protocol. His colleagues have watched Ketema chairing a large conference or a special political
committee's work in a ten to twelve ours marathon session without budging one bit and in perfect control of the conduct of those meetings. Ketema has also been known as an avid reader of history.
The OAU (The Organization Of African Unity was established on May 25,1963.
In May 1963, thirty-two independent African States, who had genuine hopes and visions for the continent of Africa, came together in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to create the Organization of African Unity (OAU). The man who was once described by the international media as being closer than any other to the staging of the creation of the OAU. the late Ketema Yifru, who was the Ethiopian Foreign Minister (1961-1971) at the time. Ketema Yifru was also recognized by the media as having played a prominent role in the creation of Africa's regional organization. The BBC's Focus on Africa Report and The Reporter both describing Ketema Yifru's role in the creation of the OAU, stated that he was probably closer than any other to the staging of the 1963 Addis Ababa Summit Conference, which paved the way to the creation of the OAU. Ketema Yifru was promoted to the rank of Foreign Minister in 1961 - a period in which the rift between the Monrovia and Casablanca Groups seemed to have caused a permanent division in the continent. Ketema Yifru was an active participant in all the meetings and negotiations that led to the creation of the OAU.
After serving as a foreign minister for ten years from (1961 to 1971) he spent eight years in prison when the millitary junta of col. Mengistu of Derg was in power and died in prison.
Ketema Yifru never belonged to any ideological group but certainely was a very strong and unflinching Pan-Africanist. We collected signitures and sent it to the former Ethiopian dictator and PM Zenawi to erect a statue for Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in front of The AU during the time when the foundation for the AU building was layed. In my humbbel opinion The Honerable Ketema Yifru also deserves a Statue infront of The AU.
Markos Lemma MD,Phd
KBK 9 years ago

Thanks for the info on an important behind the scenes man. Without such people as Yifru, the front runners could never have succeeded. They need to be remembered, studied and honoured. Their places in history should be assure ...
read full comment

Thanks for the info on an important behind the scenes man. Without such people as Yifru, the front runners could never have succeeded. They need to be remembered, studied and honoured. Their places in history should be assured.

We hope Africa finds its glory in the world.
the eye Hamburg 9 years ago

Nkrumah and Mahama have different political destinies and different periods.

Anyway,as usual,it is food for thought. Bravo!

Nkrumah and Mahama have different political destinies and different periods.

Anyway,as usual,it is food for thought. Bravo!
Military Man 9 years ago

Hopefully, Ketema Yifru gets the honour
deserves.

If only our current leaders could be as
selfless as this late gentleman.

Hopefully, Ketema Yifru gets the honour
deserves.

If only our current leaders could be as
selfless as this late gentleman.
Bryan Dopp 9 years ago

Well written Stephen. Your article inspires one to live with solid goals as Nkrumah did. He is an example for every one, young and old

Well written Stephen. Your article inspires one to live with solid goals as Nkrumah did. He is an example for every one, young and old

Nkrumah's Spirit Must Move Mahama into Action

Read Comments .st0{display:none;fill:#14BDD3;} .st1{display:none;} .st2{display:inline;fill:#FC0F0F;} .st3{display:inline;fill:#FFFFFF;} .st4{display:inline;fill:none;stroke:#000000;stroke-width:6;stroke-miterlimit:10;} Comments (28)

Read Comments Comments (28)