Antwi-Danso denies Nkrumah became palm wine tapper in Guinea

Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, never became a palm wine tapper in Guinea after his overthrow, international relations expert Dr Vladimir Antwi-Danso has denied.

He also refuted claims that Nkrumah’s Egyptian wife, Fathia, resorted to selling rotten-salted fish (momoni)–a delicacy for seasoning and cooking in Ghana–while they were in exile in Guinea.

“As for CPP we have a lot of rumours around us. When Nkrumah was overthrown, they said he was tapping palm wine in Guinea”, he told an audience on Wednesday when he delivered a lecture to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Limann’s ascension to power on September 24 1979.

According to him, people even composed derogatory songs to demean Nkrumah and his wife after the February 24, 1966 coup led by military and police capos, who included key figures like Col E.K. Kotoka, Major A.A. Afrifa and Inspector General of Police J.W.K. Harlley, under the aegis of the National Liberation Council (NLC).

Antwi-Danso recalled the derisory song on the podium:

(Kwame Nkrumah oti Guinea ri twa ab3) 2x

(Kwame Nkrumah is in Guinea tapping palm wine) 2x

(Mu ma y3n ko shw3 Nkrumah, oti Guinea ri twa ab3 na ni yiri nso ton momoni)

(Let’s go and see Nkrumah tapping palm wine in Guinea while his wife sells rotten-salted fish – known locally as momoni ).

Nkrumah was ousted while on a state visit to Hanoi, Vietnam and China.

He never returned to home, but lived in Guinea, Conakry as a guest of President Ahmed Sékou Touré, who made him an honorary co-president of the West African country until he died in April 1972 at the age of 62 while in Bucharest, Romania, where he had been flown for cancer treatment.