The Convention Peoples Party (CPP) on Saturday noted that Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s overthrow on February 24, 1966 was the bane of Ghana’s underdevelopment as successive governments failed woefully to economically liberate the country.
“The February 24, 1966 coup described as the dark days of Ghana and Africa’s liberation continue to hunt the nation, Ghana continues to struggle for economic independence 61 years after attaining political independence.
“Unfortunately under the fourth Republic the quest for economic independence has been abandoned by both the alternating governments of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) who have transformed governance to mere rhetoric of who is more corrupt,” Professor Edmund Nminyem Delle CPP Chairman stated in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Accra.
Prof Delle who was speaking on the overthrow of the Dr Nkrumah’s government by the National Liberation Council (NLC) on February 24, 1966 said the dishonourable coup truncated the ‘Seven-year Development Plan,’ and set Ghana’s economic liberation backward.
The CPP Leader said Ghana had failed over the last 61 years to link the nation’s political independence to economic independence, “Ghana still runs a colonial economy, the country depends too much on the charities of others nations and institutions, the dependency syndrome must stop”.
He described February 24 as day for reflection, “Ghanaians must work together as a people with one destiny, trace our root and team up to chart the way forward. We cannot continue to paint every act with political colours.
“Media must continue to play active role in the quest for economic liberation, expose ills of society, stand-up as the true fourth estate of the realm, defend the voiceless and hold public office holders accountable. The media should be fearless but truthful crusaders”.
Prof Delle noted that over 50 years since Dr Nkrumah’s overthrow, his achievements continued to distinguish him among his contemporaries on the continent, the pan-Africanism ideology, Africa liberation and self-governance earned him an enviable reputation worldwide.
He said the indelible legacy of Dr Nkrumah, had adjudged him as Africa’s greatest (Man of the Millennium) in 2000 and his social policies and style of leadership were still impeccable.
The CPP Leader noted that even though Dr Nkrumah’s economic and social policies were undeniably the best, political opponents made every effort to discredit him. “Undoubtedly, he is so far the best President Ghana and even Africa has ever had”.
Prof Delle said: “Dr Nkrumah exhibited patriotism and eschewed parochialism as a visionary leader. Let us draw inspiration from the achievements, ideology, and vision of the great man who led Ghana to independence from British colonial rule for the purpose of nation building”.
Dr Nkrumah, was unconstitutionally ousted from office through a military and police coup d’état on February 24, 1966, led by Col. E. K. Kotoka, Major A. A. Afrifa and the then Inspector-General of Police, Mr J. W. K. Harley.
The coup-makers cited Nkrumah’s Preventive Detection Act, corruption, dictatorial practices, oppression and the deteriorating economy of Ghana as the principal reasons for the uprising.
Source: GNA
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Let the truth be told,Nkumah is the most ***barred word*** politician ever to lead this blessed country.This man did not have any love for the country and the people he served apart from his selfish self and the ***barred word*** that followed him.Just think about these facts and be the Judge. 1.No vice President 2.One party state 3.President for life(remember the referendum) 4.The preventive detention act(jailing political opponents without trail)
AngloGold Ashanti it is reported is investing over half a billion dollars into the Obuasi Mines. It's time for Ghana to establish the Accra or Kumasi Bullion Exchange with all the benefits that should necessarily accrue to us, for our mineral resources. The Govt must ensure this becomes a reality by 2020 in the era of the gold standard.
DR. NKRUMAH WAS THE BEST POLITICIAN AFRICANS EVER HAD IN HIS GENERATION. HIS IDEAS, IMAGINATION, VISION, FOR AFRICA WAS EXCELLENT. HIS ENEMIES, THE FORMER COLONIALISTS WHO SAW HOW HE WAS PROGRESSING DID HIM IN. HE WAS PROGRESSING TOO FAST FOR THEIR LIKING. HE UNDERSTOOD THE ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE OF THE TIME. THE FACTORIES HE BUILT WERE TO ADD VALUE TO OUR RAW MATERIALS. IS THAT NOT THE SAME IDEA THAT THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT IS PROMOTING? ONE DISTRICT ONE FACTORY. ONE VILLAGE ONE DAM. SELF-SUFFICIENCY. WHERE IS THE SEVEN YEAR DEVELOPMENT PLAN? IF THE PLAN HAD BEEN IMPLEMENTED AS ENVISIONED, BY NOW WE WILL NOT BE BUYING TONS AND TONS OF FROZEN CHICKENS FROM USA AND BRAZIL. WE WILL BE EXPORTING. WE WILL NOT BE SELLING COCOA BEANS. WE WILL BE SELLING CHOCOLATE. LET US WAIT AND SEE WHAT IS DONE ABOUT THE ECOWAS CURRENCY. MAYBE THAT WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF AFRICANISM. AGAIN. NKRUMAH NEVER DIES.
Nkrumah spent Ghana's money like there was no tomorrow. Nkrumah planned the economy poorly. He was just setting up factories but there were no plans to sustain them in the long run. No wonder majority of these factories could not survive because they were not economically viable. Nkrumah was also dishing out Ghana's money to other communist inclined countries. For example £10million free money to Mali alone was a lot of money in those days. Other countries like Guinea received such payments as well just because he wanted to become the show boy of Africa whilst his people wallowed in poverty. Any government could have done more than what Nkrumah did. Can you imagine, a newly independent country with a massive amount of natural resources, lots of money in the kitty and no foreign debt. But what did we get? At the time of his overthrow, he had made himself life president and the government was bankrupt. On top of all these, he looked on whilst his ministers plundered and raided the national coffers for their personal and family use. In fact, gargantuan corruption started under Nkrumah. Looking all over Africa, none of his contemporaries did better. So the idea that Ghana would have developed under Nkrumah is far fetched. Nkrumah is the bane of our underdevelopment and not the coup!
Forget Nkrumah and his dictatorship regime and let us pray for the current regime for advancement of the Ghanaian economy.