Nkrumah rapidly moved Ghana forward - K. B Asante

Accra, Nov. 29, GNA - Mr K. B. Asante, a retired Diplomat, on Monday lauded Dr Kwame Nkrumah's vision for the development of Ghana after independence, taking into account the situation on the ground. He said: "The first President, Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah believed that Ghana could only move forward quickly as a unitary state with institutions working closely together.

"Workers and employers had to labour together towards the same goal, therefore, the President changed the character of the Trade Union Organisation (TUC) from that of British Trade Union to a structure similar to that of the Israeli General Federation of Labour". Mr Asante was addressing the climax of a five-day public lecture organised by the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS), in Accra at the Weekend.

The lectures were to mark the 51st Founder's Week lectures on the general theme: "Climate Change," which was chaired by Professor Reginald Fraser Amonoo, the GAAS President. Speaking on the theme: "Nkrumah's Political Philosophy and the Development of Ghana," Mr Asante, who worked closely with the first President, said the TUC, the United Ghana Farmers Council and the National Cooperative Council became organizations representing important sections of the national economic enterprise. He said: "These labour movements were not primary to seek the interests of their members through negotiations for better conditions of service and remuneration but worked together with government for rapid economic development for prosperity.

"Dr Nkrumah believed that industrialisation provided the way to rapid economic and social progress," Mr Asante said. The retired diplomat, who has held key positions in almost every government since independence, said that the Nkrumah's Administration focused on agriculture to ensure the production of food and cash crops like cocoa.

On Dr Nkrumah's democratic stance, Mr Asante said the first President appreciated the role of Parliament and ensued that national institutions promoted the interest of the nation. Mr Asante said: "With regard to governance, Dr Nkrumah tried to make government more responsive to the needs of the time. To him, national cohesion should not be compromised by unsuitable foreign concepts of governance.

"Kwame Nkrumah believed that the circumstances of Ghana required a strong central government. In his view, strong centres were required to establish a united nation free from ethnic or tribal and religious conflicts and capable of propelling the country forward", Mr Asante said. He said that Dr Nkrumah had difficulties in dealing with the chieftaincy because socialism has no role for chiefs.

Mr Asante said: "Chiefs were in general opposed to Nkrumah's CPP that was dominated by the youth and the Verandah Boys.he felt that for stability and progress to prevail, chiefs had to cooperate or be destooled". The retired diplomat also said that Dr Nkrumah did not take kindly to those who stood in the way of his major objectives and some people considered him as a dictator.

Mr Asante said on the contrary, Dr Nkrumah appreciated criticism except that he did not like to be criticised or opposed in public. Political philosophy and ideas may help to explain Nkrumah's policies, but it was the man behind them who defined the path and activities, Mr Asante said.