From Ngolomah To Nkrumah

Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was born at Nkroful in the Nzema East, now Ellembele District of the Western Region on September 21, 1909. His father was Opanyin Kofi Nwiana Ngolomah, a goldsmith by profession. Opanyin Ngolomah hailed from Nkroful but stayed at Tarkwa-Nsuaem in the Wassa Fiase Traditional area where he practiced his goldsmith business, Awulae Agyeifi Kwame II, Omanhene of the Nsein Traditional area, told the Times newspaper. He said while at Tarkwa-Nsuaem, Opanyin Ngolomah married a woman by name Nyaniba, a fishmonger and a petty trader. Madam Nyaniba hailed from the Agona family of Nsuem, and Dadieso, both in the Western Region and Wenchi in the Brong Ahafo Region. A few years after their marriage, Opanyin Ngolomah returned to his hometown, Nkroful with his wife. Whilst at Nkroful, Opanyin Ngolomah and Madam Nyaniba were blessed with a baby boy on September 21, 1909, whom they named Francis Kwame Ngolomah. The couple lived at Nkroful for some time until young Kwame Ngolomah attained school going age. In pursuit of his goldsmith business, Opanyin Kofi Ngolomah and his wife according to Awulae Agyeifi Kwame, left Nkroful together with their son Kwame and stayed at Half Assini. �Young Kwame Ngolomah was enrolled at the Half Assini Roman Catholic Primary School, where his name was believed to have been changed from Ngolomah to Nkrumah by his teachers. Young Nkrumah continued his primary school education at Axim Catholic School. On completion of his elementary school education, Nkrumah entered Achimota College in Accra and after completion, Nkrumah taught briefly at the Achimota College, before leaving the Gold coast for further studies in the United States of America, with the financial support of Nana Ackah Watson, a businessman at Tarkwa and some members of his mother�s family at Nsuaem. Dr. Nkrumah was brought back from America after graduation by Dr. Ako-Adjei to assist in the country�s independence struggle already started by the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) which made him the General Secretary. Following some misunderstanding between him and some leading members of the UGCC, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah broke away to form his own party, the Convention People�s Party (CPP) which agitated for independence from Britain under the slogan �Self-Government now,� as opposed to the UGCC�s "Self-government in the shortest possible time.� Independence was granted in 1957, under the leadership of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the name Gold Coast was changed to Ghana. Barely three years after independence, Ghana attained a Republic State on July 1, 1960 and Dr. Nkrumah became the first President of the first Republic. Whilst he was the President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah�s family members at Tarkwa-Nsuaem enstooled him the Tufuhene of Nsuaem in appreciation of his hard-work in attaining independence for Ghana.