By: Bala Ali
In the small village of Nkroful in the Western region of Ghana, a hero, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was born to a poor goldsmith and a fishmonger, who doubled as a petty trader.
From a humble beginning into fame, which he apparently did by adhering to certain values and principles worthy of emulation.
As the nation celebrates the 115th birthday of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, one of the greatest African personalities, it is just prudent, that the citizens of Ghana and all people of African descent, reflect on the values and principles the first President upheld.
This calls for a sober reflection on the selfless and charming personality of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the legacy he left. Objective assessment of Dr. Nkrumah’s life and the sacrifices he made for the nation, makes him a symbol of selflessness, patriotism and nationalism. Values that are very critical to the progress of any nation.
The selflessness of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was best expressed when he chose nationalist struggle over his PhD studies in London. After passing through the mill to be finally accepted to study Doctor of Philosophy in Social Anthropology at the prestigious London School of Economics, Dr. Nkrumah later sacrificed his personal ambition for the fight against colonial rule.
Of course, Nkrumah’s decision to sacrifice his studies for nationalist struggle would have been influenced by his love and his readiness to give his best to his mother land.
Nonetheless, his sense of patriotism and nationalism was best felt when he finally joined the fight against colonial rule, upon assuming the role of a General Secretary with the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).
As the General Secretary of the UGCC, Dr. Nkrumah injected radicalism into the fight against colonial rule. For instance, it is believed, that his activities in the UGCC influenced the ex-service men to push for their demands, which culminated into the 1948 riots and later triggered many constitutional and political reforms. This revolutionalised the struggle for independence as the masses joined. Yes, if not for the positive radicalism of Dr. Nkrumah, Ghana’s independence would have delayed! Dr. Nkrumah’s values of patriotism and nationalism was not only felt in the fight against colonial rule, but it also impacted the development of the nation, as he used the resources of the state to promote the collective good of all when he had power to do so as a Prime Minister and later President.
If Ghanaians would objectively speak to historical records and facts, it will not be inaccurate to observe, that Dr. Nkrumah’s Ghana was more industrialized than today, despite its technological advantage. The patriotic Nkrumah did not only lay the foundation for industrialization, but he also established functional factories. The construction of the Akosomba Dam and the Volta Aluminum Company Ltd (VALCO) alone qualifies the first President of the land as Ghana’s Father of Industrialisation. Dr. Nkrumah did not end it there, but taking advantage of the availability of raw materials, his government went further to create varied factories, ranging from food processing, textiles, shoes and matches factories, just to mention, but a few. Worthy to mention, that under Dr. Nkrumah, Ghana, once upon a time became the world’s leading producer and exporter of matches. Considering the successes Dr. Nkrumah chalked up in the industrial sector, it would not be out of place to suggest, that if his successors had toed his line, the nation would not have been discussing the removal of import duties on sanitary pads. At worst, the discussion would have been centered on cutting down the country’s exports on the product to other countries. The nation cannot celebrate Nkrumah without mentioning the revenue generating projects he left behind.
The Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) and Tema Habour, all legacies of the first President are inarguably, part of the top five revenue generating infrastructures in the country today. Even the name of Dr. Nkrumah fetches Ghana revenue. The renovation and modernization of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum, has made the resting place of the first President one of the best and most lucrative tourists sites in terms of revenue generation. When Dr. Nkrumah wanted Ghanaians to join the fight against colonial rule, he led the fight in a manner that whipped the interest of the commoners. To encourage the citizens to embrace the culture of nationalism and patriotism, the current political leadership, all political parties and indeed all Ghanaians, must go the Nkrumah way. The current leadership should let these virtues reflect in their dealings as government functionaries and the citizens will follow their examples.
As we celebrate Dr. Nkrumah’s birthday, let us emulate his patriotic and nationalistic examples and all the socio-economic developments of the nation shall be added.
Long live Nkrumah!
Nkrumah never dies!
Nkrumah still lives and will forever live!
Written By: Bala Ali, Information Services Department, Accra.