Bernard Monarh details history behind Nkrumah’s Independence Smock

On every September 21, 2023, the entire populace of Ghana commemorates and celebrates the memory of the first Prime Minister and President of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah with different events and activities by various sections of the country.

As part of the memorial, Ghana’s State Broadcaster, GBC set up a live TV show to discuss the dreams of the widely known Pan-Africanist in the history of the world, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his achievements since his return from the United States of America in the year 1948.

According to former People’s National Convention’s Chairman and a Social Commentator, Bernard Monarh, the smock worn by Dr. Nkrumah on the day of his independence speech declaration on March 6, 1957 has its origin from Lawra in the Upper West Region of Ghana. He disclosed this while sharing some of the memories of Ghana’s first President on GBC’s Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s Dream show.

Monarh shared that, after the 1948 riots incident, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was detained and put under house arrest at a house in Lawra. He was detained by the Colonial masters for the fear of politically conscientizing the Ghanaian people. He stated that, on the day of his release, Dr. Nkrumah in his usual white over-white apparel got his shirt stained by a flying bird’s poop and had to be changed.

He stressed that the landlord of the house that kept Dr. Kwame Nkrumah had to give him a smock to cover his stain. He, therefore, bemoaned how the people of Lawra do not support the party of the man who attained independence for Ghana and also whose independence declaration smock hails from their town.