'Angry' Sekou Storms Off Nkrumah�s Birthday Celebrations�Forced To Watch On T.V

Dr. Sekou Nkrumah, son of Ghana�s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, says he �boycotted� celebrations honoring his late father in Accra because he felt slighted by the �political vindictiveness� on display at the Founder�s Day. The Founder�s Day, instituted two years ago, is marked on 21st September to commemorate the birthday of Ghana�s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. President John Evans Atta Mills endorsed 21st September of every year to be celebrated in memory of the first President of Ghana. This is in recognition of his foresight and fortitude which led to Ghana's attainment of independence from British colonial rule in 1957. An influential 20th century advocate of Pan-Africanism, he was a founding member of the Organization of African Unity (now African Union- AU) and was the winner of the Lenin Peace in 1963. With Ghana independent of its colonial masters, Nkrumah worked hard to liberate the whole of the African Continent. He supported and financed liberation struggles and nationalist movements throughout the continent. According to Sekou, after a rather late invitation to Wednesday morning�s event, he arrived to realize that the usual seating arrangement with his elder siblings on the podium had been changed to a �corner because someone felt he did not deserve to be on the podium this time round�. �I thought that the family should be seated in one place�who in the family they felt should do this or so on that is really up to them�I don�t think this is a question of playing politics. I thought we were recognizing the role Nkrumah had played�it�s not for us to divide and rule among the family. I thought that was not proper,� he said. Speaking in an interview with Peacefmonline.com, Dr Sekou Nkrumah said he believed the unfortunate and cold treatment towards him was as a result of his criticism of President Mills. Asked why he did not draw the organizers attention to the error, he stated that it might seem like wanting special attention and he was not ready to do that, hence his decision to boycott the ceremony with his wife. �We decided to leave the ceremony and watch it on TV like any other Ghanaian�it wasn�t my place because I don�t choose who sits where and who doesn�t�but wouldn�t you feel slighted�?� he questioned. Dr. Sekou Nkrumah said he felt very slighted and was worried that the founders day celebrations instituted by the Mills led NDC Government to unite all Ghanaians is rather being used to divide the Nkrumah family because he had been critical of the administration. �That is the vindictiveness and petty politics at play. It�s not fair. That function is not a partisan function, but the way it�s created if you�re seen not to be with the gov�t or critical of gov�t then they don�t want to give you a certain recognition or respect�I don�t need the NDC gov�t or any other gov�t to give me a platform to raise my profile�I don�t need that. I do politics because of my passion to better the lives of Ghanaians�I don�t do it to raise my profile or feel like a big man or whatever.� �But I think they feel they are in power and if you�re not with them they won�t give you the platform�There were diplomats there, dignitaries and so on�so if you slight some of Nkrumah�s children, don�t you think they will raise questions?� he rhetorically asked.