Nkrumah's legacy under threat

Accra, May 2, GNA - Professor Francis Nkrumah, a Medical Researcher and son of Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrmah, on Wednesday bemoaned the attempt by some politicians to re-write history during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of independence.

"Dr Kwame Nkrumah's political legacy is facing serious threat and I therefore call on Nkrumaists to express what he stood for," he said. Professor Nkrumah was speaking at the official opening in Accra of the Freedom Centre organized by the Socialist Forum of Ghana (SFG) in Accra.

He said the attempt to re-write the history of the country was expressed in both the local and international media through articles and it was important that Nkrumaists infiltrated the minds of young Ghanaians to move from the elitist way of life to socialism. Professor Nkrumah said his father stood against colonialism, imperialism and neo-colonialism and noted that had he lived up to today, he would have fought against globalization.

He said 80 per cent of students in tertiary institutions were brought up in elitist way, moulded towards neo-liberal capitalism and it was important to inculcate Pan-Africanism in them to transform the society through socialist ideas which were part of Dr Nkrumah. Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, Managing Editor, Insight newspaper and a member of the Convention People's Party (CPP), said the Centre would help deepen democracy in the country.

He said the Centre would show films related to modern trends every Friday followed by discussions to help equip people with socialist ideas.

The Freedom Centre has a library and a reading room, a secretariat and an enclosed area with sitting capacity for 40 people for meetings, film shows and other social activities.

The Centre is essentially a facility for promoting greater socialization amongst socialists and Pan-Africanists and building a progressive culture.