Dr. Onsy Nathan Nkrumah, the 55 year old man who claims to be the son of Ghana`s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah appears to be in some sort of trouble as his application for a Ghanaian passport has attracted the eagle eyes of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) which apparently wants Onsy`s claim as the son of Dr. Nkrumah fully verified and authenticated before he is issued with a Ghanaian passport by the relevant authorities.
According to a highly-placed source at the Passport Office who spoke to our roving scouts on condition of strict confidentiality, the BNI`s interest in the matter of Onsy`s application for a Ghanaian passport stems from the fact that the Government of Ghana (GoG) which is the owner of Ghanaian passports has no official or unofficial records biologically or historically linking Onsy to Ghana`s Founder and First President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah of blessed memory and it has therefore become necessary for Onsy to assist the relevant Ghanaian authorities including the BNI and the Passport Office with the relevant and appropriate information relative to his childhood, educational background and work experience in Egypt and elsewhere which could help the relevant Ghanaian authorities make an informed decision on his application for a Ghanaian passport.
" For instance, the provision of his birth certificate indicating the exact date of birth and the original name(if any) given to him then; documentation on his early childhood schooling and subsequent adult educational progression as well as details of his work experience and various residential locations both in Egypt and elsewhere since birth on March 17th, 1957 which is the date of birth Onsy has publicly disclosed to Ghanaians as the day on which he was born to Dr. Nkrumah by his (Onsy`s) Egyptian mother, could all be of enormous value to the relevant Ghanaian authorities in evaluating, verifying and authenticating his claim before the issuance of a Ghanaian passport to him. This verification and authentication process is ultimately in the mutual interest of the country and Onsy as it would help in undermining some of the doubts surrounding his claim of being Nkrumah`s son particularly in the absence of a DNA verification," our source submitted.
He further clarified that the requirement of the preceding details and information had become inevitable in view of Onsy`s purported lack of enthusiasm to undergo a DNA test as proposed by Sekou Nkrumah and the BNI.
"It will be highly irresponsible on the part of State Agencies to proceed to issue important documents such as passports to persons who claim to be Ghanaians or even sons and daughters of prominent Ghanaians including the First President Of the Rpublic of Ghana without any due diligence or verifiaction of their claims. That could be a blueprint for national embarrassment hence the pro-active stance of the BNI in this particular case especially considering the controversy and dispute even among the Nkrumah Siblings and Family", quipped our source.
However, a retired senior diplomat who had worked with various Ghanaian governments from the Nkrumah days, and who spoke to the New Crusading Guide paper on condition of strict anonymity, vehemently disagreed with what he perceived as an undesirable and unnecessary intrusion of the BNI in areas which have been legitimately left for the attention of other State bodies such as the Passport Office or the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS). He accused the BNI of behaving like an "unchained octopus running riot and trampling on people’s fundamental human rights".
"Onsy`s case is a very delicate matter and should be treated with some compassion and sensitivity. The integrity of Nkrumah`s own memory and that of his family is on the line and all concerned should be mindful of that implication. I think the President should call the BNI to order and direct them to cease their unwarranted intrusion into the work of other State Agencies", he emphasised.
The retired senior diplomat was however not happy about how Onsy and the Nkrumah family including Sekou Nkrumah had handled the issue since Onsy made public his claim to be a son of Dr. Nkrumah.
He argued that all sides should have appreciated the delicate and sensitive nature of the matter and should have initially treated it with "utmost privacy and strict confidentiality subject to public disclosure only after a family consensus had been reached as to the authenticity or veracity of Onsy`s claim. It was unfortunate that Onsy decided to use the media to project his claim which then provoked yet another unfortunate reaction from Sekou. The Nkrumah Family can do without such negative publicity. The great man`s memory is too precious to be dragged into the mud".
Meanwhile, the BNI declined to react to our enquiries when contacted on the matter. All efforts to reach Onsy also proved futile.
