Dear Sir:
The article by Ato Kwamena Dadzie titled “Letter to Osagyefo – This is your Ghana” should not be allowed to pass without comment.
There is nothing wrong with Ato Kwamena Dadzie not being a “great fan” of the Osagyefo but his outright ignorance of Ghana’s political history as displayed in his article, stinks to the high heavens!!
Ato wrote the following in addition to other outrageous statements in his piece: “In terms of democracy, our country is one of the best in Africa. We have done away – thankfully – with the unmitigated one-party crap you tried to shove down our throats". Of course, the author was born in the 1970s but if he were a serious journalist interested in the history of Ghana, he would have done some research on the one-party state under Nkrumah before spewing out his nonsense.
Yes, we may all at this point in our chequered history, disagree with the establishment of a one-party state, not withstanding the arguments Nkrumah clearly articulated in support of it in both his speeches and books, but for heavens sake Nkrumah did not "shove down our throats" a one-party state. The one-party state was voted on by the people of Ghana in 1964 nearly 15 years before Ato Kwamena Dadzie was born. The CPP government had consistently won about 60% of the votes in all elections in Ghana since 1951 and there was no way they could have lost that vote, so Ato should not insult the intelligence of Ghanaians who know our political history.
Ato also wrote: "I think your tyranny and your obsession with building one African nation, cost this country a great deal".
What tyranny is Ato talking about? And what Nkrumah’s support of liberating Africans under colonial rule and building a one African nation cost Ghanaians? Ghanaians should be justly proud of our contributions in assisting our sister African countries win their political independence.
If Ato wants to know the bunch of criminals that shoved an “unmitigated one-party crap …down our throats” in Ghana before he was born, it was the UP/NPP/NLC (National Liberation Council a.k.a. Notorious Liars Council) gang from 1966 - 1969.
Let me be generous to Ato and assume that from the time of the voting for the one-party in 1964 to the overthrow of Nkrumah on 24th February, 1966 made it 2 years of one-party rule.
Ghana, if Ato Kwamena Dadzie cares to know, had over 3 years of one-party rule by the UP/NPP gangsters protected by the NLC military junta from February 24, 1966 to September 30,1969, and he should contrast this to his nonsense about "the unmitigated one-party crap [Nkrumah] tried to shove down our throats", which incidentally majority of Ghanaians vote for in1964.
For the benefit of the younger generation Ghanaians who may not be aware, here are some details about the over 3-year UP/NPP/NLC one-party rule:
1. The late Mr. Victor Owusu was the UP/NLC Attorney-General, to be later appointed as their External Affairs Commissioner (equivalent to Minister of Foreign Affairs). Under Mr. Victor Owusu's watch, the "Rumours Decree" (NLC Decree 92) was issued which enabled the UP/NLC jail Ghanaians for what they considered as peddling rumours!! Under that Decree, Ato Kwamena Dadzie with his foul mouth would have been detained without warrant for up to three (3) years in prison for publishing anything "likely to cause alarm and despondency...disturb the public peace....or cause disaffection against the NLC".
2. The Protective Custody Decree by the NLC under the watch of the late Victor Owusu (of the UP/PP/PFP/NPP was Foreign Minister in Dr. Busia’s Progress Party government) as Attorney-General had 1850 supporters of Nkrumah, including CPP ministers detained without trial with three of them dying in detention. Kofi Owusu, a 19-year Konongo Odumase Secondary School student was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on May 29, 1967 by the UP sponsored NLC (Notorious Liars Council) –under the watch of the late Vctor Owusu being the NLC's Attorney-General at the time- for opposing the NLC military junta.
3. Mr. J. H. Mensah and the late E.N Omaboe (all staunch UP/NPP supporters) were the economic advisers of the UP/NLC junta
4. Dr. Kofi Busia and Edward Akufo-Addo (the father of Nana Akufo-Addo the NPP 2008 Presidential candidate) were members of the UP/NLC "Political Committee" responsible for political decisions, with Dr. Busia becoming the head of the "centre for civic education" giving him the opportunity to start campaigning and organizing politically while the military kept the lid on political activities of others. This finally led to Busia becoming the Prime Minister and Akufo-Addo the President after the bogus 1969 elections
5. Mr. Kwabena Gyimah Osei-Bonsu was the Commissioner of Information (equivalent to the Minister of Information) under the UP/NLC govt. K.G. Osei-Bonsu became an MP and Minister of the PP govt. after the 1969 "election". He was the Chairman of the Board of Ghana Commercial Bank under former president J.A. Kufour's NPP rule from 2001 - 2008. It was K.G. Osei-Bonsu's bank account, while a student at Leeds University in the UK in the 1950s, that the late Mr. R.R. Amponsah used to buy the military accoutrement for the first planned coup attempt in 1958 by Captain Awhaitey, R.R. Amponsah and Apaloo of the UP.
6. The former president J.A. Kufour was in the Constituent Assembly that drew up the 1969 constitution with Article 71, that proscribed the CPP and which led Afro Gbedemah losing his seat in parliament. I heard with some amusement one Nana Asante Bediatuo (linked to the Danquah Institute) on the Joyfm's Frontpage on Friday September 18, 2009 claiming that Edward Akufo-Addo was instrumental in drawing up the 1969 constitution.
7. The least said about the 1969 constitution and the 1969 elections that banned the CPP and the apostles of liberal democracy who were behind all the nonsense the better. Even the People's Popular Party of Dr. Lutterold was banned in 1969 because they openly declared support for Nkrumah. Not only that Dr. Lutterold died mysteriously and suddenly and was suspected to have been murdered by the UP/NLC.
8. Criminalizing the display of Nkrumah's photo in public, when the so-called liberal democrats got in power after the bogus 1969 election, under a certificate of urgency legislation tells it all.
Ato should digest the above and then go to a good library and educate himself (that will be his start of what is called life-long learning) to know when we had tyranny in Ghana. Perhaps, it would help him think through his statements before opening his foul mouth to spew out his rubbish about Nkrumah and the part he played in the history of Ghana.
Michael Gyamerah, Ph.D., Houston, Texas.
