Features
Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah remembered – 50 years after his death (Part Two)
TRIBUTES
On his death, many tributes were written by eminent personalities around the world to eulogise him. General Yakubu Gowon, himself a soldier heading a military Government in the Federal Republic of Nigeria wrote: “The news of the death of the First President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah has reached me with profound shock.
History will remember him for giving all he had in the best way he could do to his people and Africa”. Amilcar Carbral, his friend and Revolutionary Comrade of Guinea Bissau, wrote: “Nkrumah did not die of Prostrate Cancer. He did not die of cancer of the throat. He died of cancer of betrayal by his own people.”
It is of historical interest to note that at home the perpetrators of this bloody coup d’etat unashamedly eulogised him thus: “His name in history has been assured.” By this eulogy, it is palpably evident that they themselves appreciated the significant role Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah played in the socio-economic transformation of Ghana and the African liberation struggle.
The question that comes to the fore is: if they acknowledged this fact why then did they oust him from office? Could this be hypocrisy at its apogee? John Webster in his book Duchess of Malfi wrote; “Hypocrisy is woven out of a fine thread, subtler than vulcan’s engine, yet believeth it – your darkest actions, nay your private thoughts will come to light.”
Yes, their darkest actions and their private thoughts have come to light as classified information released by the CIA proves beyond all reasonable doubts that the perpetrators of this dastardly and condemnable coup d’etat were agents of the imperialists used to topple Nkrumah.
SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
It is an irrefragable fact that Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah contributed positively and tremendously to the infrastructural and industrial development of Ghana.
The Akosombo Dam, Tema Township, The Tema Motorway, the establishment of Ghana Medical School, built hospitals and clinics; built Aboso Glass Factory, Zuarungu Meat Factory, Wenchi Tomato Factory,
Others are: Akosombo Textiles Ltd, Kumase Shoe Factory, Kade Match Factory, Tarkwa Bonsa Tyre Factory, built Secondary Schools, Tema Secondary School, Mfantsiman Secondary School, Ghana National College, University of Cape Coast, just to mention a few.
Rather unfortunately, when he was overthrown his detractors engaged in a compendium of lies and palpable falsehoods with the obvious sinister motive of sinking his name into historical oblivion.
His detractors even composed offensive and derogatory songs which were intended to dent his political image. Through such songs they were able to win the minds of some Ghanaians who were gullible and manipulable to believe these wicked lies and vile propaganda.
One of such songs ran thus: Wɔ dze ewi ahεnkyew no asua Nkrumah Wɔ dze ewi ahεnkyew no asua Nkrumah Wɔ nhuro no wɔ Guinea kwan mu hɔ Saana εwia! εwia! εwia! Saana εwia! εwia! εwia! To wit: The crown of thievery has been placed on the head of Kwame Nkrumah.
Hoot at him in Guinea, for he is a thief! a thief! a thief! He was accused of embezzling millions of pounds, and left Ghana a debt of240 million pounds. Such an abominable miasma! Was Kwame Nkrumah a thief?
Did he steal our money and lodge it in foreign Bank accounts like some African Heads of State did? Did he build mansions? Did he plunder the resources of this country for his personal benefit?
An obvious no! And this was the noble, selfless and dedicated man who was vilified and demonised by his detractors to suit their whims and caprices. Dear reader, it will be surprising to learn that Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah did not even build one house for himself let alone his family.
Pathetically, when his wife, Madam Fathia Nkrumah came to Ghana with her children for the burial of her late husband at Nkroful in the Western Region, it was the then Head of State, General Acheampong and his government that housed her and the children in an estate house at Labone, Accra.
Responding to such vile propaganda and “stupid” lies, he stated in his last broadcast after the coup in 1966 thus:
“…………………open your eyes and look around you. See for yourselves the splendid New Town Harbour, the mighty Volta Dam, the fine roads which we have built under the leadership of the CPP and the government, the Schools, Colleges, the Universities, the Hospitals, Clinics, Health Centres and the facilities which are springing up. These are no debts; they are investments in our future as an independent nation…………..”.
It must be stated that Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah had an inextinguishable spirit of passion for the socio-economic development of Ghana. He was far ahead of his time, but we did not understand him. Today, history has absolved him.
“MAN OF THE MILLENUM”
It is, therefore, not surprising that in apparent recognition of his positive contribution to the African liberation struggle, in the year 2000 he was voted African “MAN OF THE MILLENUM” by listeners to the B.B.C World Service.
The BBC further described him as a “Hero of independence” and an “International Symbol of freedom and leader of the first black African country to shake off the chains of colonial rule”.
His philosophy, ideas and ideologies are still relevant to the political, social and economic development of Ghana and the entire black world. The greatest tribute that we can pay him is for us to imbibe the culture of discipline, patriotism and hardwork in the context of the realisation of our national aspirations. …to be continued
The writer is a Former Regional Director
Ghana National Service Scheme
Takoradi.
By Ken Gyenfi
THE state of feeling rejected, could be a terrifying experience especially for those who have become used to fame. If not properly addressed, it could lead to depression and the consequences, could be disastrous.
When you are on top of your game in whatever profession you find yourself such that you become famous, a lot of people try to associate with you. The phone never ceases to ring and one is tempted to feel loved and very important.
When a disaster strikes and the fame or the money which was the source of the attraction fades away, the circle of friends and fans begin to shrink and the phone will start to stop ringing until the call stops voting completely.
You will be shocked at how people you considered friends, will no longer be calling you or pay casual visits as they used to. You will begin to notice that messages you leave after calling them and not getting a response are not replied to and that is when you begin to know who your true friends are.
One of the most popular movie stars was an actress called Sharon Stone. In an interview with one of the media houses that was published, she spoke about how people who should have come around to encourage her in her moment of depression, shunned her. The calls stopped coming.
This is what the Bible admonishes that the arm of flesh will fail you and therefore we should put our trust in God. It could be a very frightening experience and can easily lead to depression.
Human nature being what it is, people will want to get close if things are okay. Everybody wants to associate themselves with interesting things, famous people, rich people etc for mainly selfish reasons.
We need to develop the habit of putting our trust in God and relying less on human beings. The lesson we have to take along in life is that, no one marries his or her enemy so how come people who took vows that they will love each other become so hostile to each other that they want to go their separate ways in life? Such is the reality of life.
It is therefore prudent for people to recognise that, life is full of uncertainties and so there is the need to prepare your mind for uncertainties so that when they occur, they do not disorganise your mental sanity.
A lot of people have experienced situations where people who they could have sworn will never betray their trust have disappointed them when they were through challenging moments.
If there is one thing famous people should desire, it should be the ability to identify who are true friends are. Countless stories abound regarding incidence of celebrities who have lost their shine and their wives divorcing them soon after.
It is sometimes useful as a famous or rich person to sign a prenuptial agreement before marriage to safeguard or protect yourself from any future unpleasant surprises.
People can be very pretentious these days, it goes both ways. There is this real life story where a man married a divorced wealthy woman and convinced her to sell her house so they could build a new one together, with the excuse that people are gossiping that he is being housed by a woman.
The woman agreed and they put up a new building. After a few years the man asked for a divorce, only for the woman to realise that the land on which the building was situated, was bought in the man’s name.
This can drive a person insane, if you are not mentally tough and this happens to you. When people hear that you are homeless, a lot of your so-called friends will stop calling, so that you do not become a burden on them.
By Laud Kissi-Mensah
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
‘But, er …. I don’t even know your name’.
‘Paul. Paul Allotey. I’m Sarah, by the way. Paul, why don’t you leave me here, since this is the last important thing I’m doing today’.
‘Okay. Now Sarah. I was just thinking. You will be here at the cafe for about an hour. By then it will be about twelve thirty. Then, you would be thinking of buying yourself some lunch, to eat here or to take home. So if you would please allow me, I will take you to one of the nicest eating places in town, and after you have sorted that one out, then I can drop you home. Just that one errand, then I won’t bother you again’.
‘You are not bothering me at all. You are being very kind to me. And I just realised you are a mind reader too. The last item on my agenda was lunch’.
‘I’m so glad I appeared at your doorstep, just in time’.
‘Okay. Now Paul, since you say the cafe is a comfortable place, let’s go in together, and you can do your work while I get my application done’.
‘Okay, Sarah. Thanks. Let’s go’.
We got back in the car at eleven forty-five.
‘So where are we going, Paul?’
‘To Royalty restaurant. It’s a twenty minute drive away’.
‘So, do you enjoy your job?’
‘Most certainly. I won’t change it, not even to be President. And am I right to say that you are preparing to enter the university?’
‘That’s my plan. I hope it works’.
‘It will, if you are determined, and disciplined. You look very much like a disciplined person’.
‘Thank you very much’.
We arrived at Royalty in twenty-five minutes, ‘You are joining me for lunch, Paul’.
‘Thanks for the honour, Sarah. But the bill is on me’.
‘Aren’t you taking on too much for one day?’
‘I never do anything that is bigger than me, Sarah’.
Over the next hour and a half, we discussed fashion, local and international politics, and sports, as we ate and relaxed. Finally, he drove me to the shop.
‘I will never forget you, Paul’.
‘I’m glad to have been helpful. But if you don’t mind, I’ll say it again, your husband is extremely lucky. You are really beautiful’.
‘Thanks again. But do you mind if I call you sometime in the future?’
‘Certainly not. Let me write it here. I will not ask for your number, for obvious reasons. But I will be looking forward to hearing from you. And hopefully, I will see you next month, when I call to drop your bill’.
‘Okay Paul. See you then’. What a lovely day, I said to myself as I opened the front door. I closed the shop and got home by seven. I went straight to the bedroom, stood in the mirror and took a good look at myself. ‘You are a very beautiful woman, Sarah. Never forget that’. I will not forget that, again.
Over the next several weeks, Martin and I had very little to do with each other. In the morning he ate his breakfast and after a shabby ‘I’m going’, he left. He came home around eight at the earliest, ate his dinner and, already soaked in beer, went off to sleep.
He spent the greater part of the weekends at the club house with his friends, playing tennis and partying. My mind was focused on furthering my education, so I didn’t complain to him, and didn’t bother to inform my parents about what was happening. I had decided that I would only take action if he lifted his hand against me again. I spent my free time reading all manner of interesting stuff on the internet, and chatting with my sister on WhatsApp.
One evening, he came home at about eight, rushed to the bedroom and rushed out. An envelope, obviously containing money, dropped out of his pocket, and I picked it up and followed him. I was going to call him and give it to him, but I noticed that there was a young woman in the car, so I went back in, counted it and put it in a drawer in the hall. He came back after some ten minutes.
‘Excuse me, I dropped an envelope containing money. You must have seen it’.
‘Yes, I saw it. Actually, I followed you, and was about to call you and hand it over to you when I realised that there was a woman in the car, so I came back in. I counted it. One thousand cedis.
‘Well let me have it. I have to be going’.
‘I will let you have it if you will tell me who the woman in the car is, and why you are going to give her that amount of money’.
‘Listen, if you waste my time, I will teach you a lesson you will never forget. Give me the money now!’
‘Here’s what we will do, Martin. I know you will give money to her anyway, so I will give it to you, if you will withdraw the threat you just issued. But I want you to know that I will be taking some steps from tomorrow. Things are getting out of hand’.
‘Okay, I’m sorry I threatened you. Can you please give me the money’. I handed it over to him, and he ran out’.
The following morning, I waited for him to finish having breakfast, and told him I wanted to have a word with him urgently.
‘You better be quick. You know I’m going to work’.
‘Well, I want to inform you that I will inform my parents, and your parents, about the situation in this house. As I said yesterday, things are getting out of hand. You spend most of your time drinking. You get drunk every evening, and through the weekend. And you are also spending your time and money on a prostitute’.
‘How dare you? One more stupid word from you …’
‘Am I lying, Martin? You have just started life, yet you are behaving like a rich, elderly man who has already seen his children through university, and can afford a life of fun. As I said, I’m going to inform our parents. Maybe your parents can straighten you out before it is too late’.
‘Look, we can talk this evening. It’s nothing like what you are saying’. He walked away, shocked.
That evening, I was expecting to have a meaningful discussion with him, but his mother called early in the evening to offer me some ‘advice’. Her son had called to say that certain developments at home were disturbing him so much that they were beginning to affect his work.
And, ‘as a loving mother to her daughter’, she was advising me to submit to my husband, and support him in prayer, and not ‘drive him from home’. Men would always be men, and she was telling me ‘from experience’ that no matter how much time Martin stayed away from home, he would always come home to me.
She had been a young wife before, so she understood the challenges I was facing. So I could be assured that if I followed her advice, all would be well. And, of course, she didn’t allow me to tell my side of the story.
Martin came home very late, and very drunk. And from the next morning, he carried on as before. With some hesitation, I called my dad and told him all that had gone on.
‘Well, my daughter. I’m not going to say “I told you so”. I was only trying to protect you. So here’s what we’ll do. Continue doing the best you can, and try not to give him any excuse to harm you, but if things continue to deteriorate, I will take you back.
A couple of days later, my cousin Dinah arrived in Accra from Brussels, having completed her medical course. With Martin’s agreement, I went to Koforidua and spent a couple of days. I spent most of the time chatting about her experiences in the US, but we also discussed my relationship with Martin, and she endorsed Dad’s decision to take action if Martin’s behaviour did not change after two weeks Elaine informed Mom and Dad. We endorsed Dad’s decision to take action if there was no change in two weeks.
Dinah returned with me to Takoradi. Her plan was to spend a couple of weeks, and return to Accra to be posted. I called Paul Allotey, and asked if he would meet her for lunch and, if possible, show her some interesting spots. Delighted, he suggested that we meet at Royalty the next day.
I told Martin about it, to remove any possibility of future disagreement over ‘going out with men’.
‘It’s fine with me’, he said, ‘if, of all the people who could show your sister round this town, you chose a borla man. Doesn’t that indicate the kind of person you are?’
‘ First of all, Martin’, I’ve spoken to him a few times, and he comes across as a decent guy, so I think it is rather unfortunate that you are writing him off when you don’t know him’.
By Ekow de Heer
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
