Who Are Your Father's Enemies, Samia Nkrumah?

Speaking at the Christ the King Church, Samia Nkrumah, CPP Chairman and sole MP, told the congregation among others things that she had forgiven "all those who demonized his humane father"; and that her forgiveness has given her the courage "to return and contribute to the transformation or our economy for the benefit of the people." (" I Will Use My Energy To Build And Not To Hate My Father's Enemies" -Multi TV.)

The question I 'd like to ask Samia is that who are the "demonizers" and "enemies" of your father? In the past, were they the imprisoned union leaders or the police force stripped of their arms; or the ministers fired at dawn or the military officers who lost scholarships due to his interferences or the fired General staff or the opposition- systematically chained and paralyzed with PDA -or the security forces of 66 and the NLC?

When it comes to the present day enemies of your father, who are they? The NPP or the PNDC who overthrew the democratically elected Nkrumaist Limann government or the the Pseudo -Nkrumaists who defected to the P-ndc and have now taken over the party; or FONKAR or YFL which actually fought the usurpation of the Pseudo-Nkrumaists; or the 10,000 fragmented Nkrumaists parties; or the Ghanaian people whom she said have abandoned the CPP?

Ms. Nkrumah sounded very proud of herself that she had forgiven and forgotten and had returned home to "help." But I hope she has not lost sight of the fact that the democracy which has enabled her to return was the same system that many fought for in the past, in the near past and are still fighting for in the present. Are the enemies of her father then the descendants of those who fought and died for our democracy?

If one were to take a critical look at the fatal end of dictators in history, one 'd realize that Ghanaians treated Dr.Nkrumah majestically. Ghanaians overthrew Nkrumah when he was outside the country. This was gratefully and gracefully done to ensure his freedom as a citizen in exile, instead of ending up as a prisoner with the humiliation and the soul wrecking trials and the possible death that could have befallen him and have befallen many a dictator.

But let me clue Ms. Nkrumah in on the real enemies: until 2009, Nkrumah was resting in relative peace. But the Pseudo-Nkrumaists in the present administration, in their attempt to usurp the PNDC Chairman, have resurrected the ghost of her father. Instead of using Nkrumah's ideas, and writings and vision, they are rather using his name and his ghost in a carefully orchestrated ploy to distract citizens and hide the abysmal record of the pseudo-Nkrumaist president- Mills. Even Sekou Nkrumah, for the first time, was denied a seat on the podium during the celebration of Founders Day- simply because he had dared to question the competence of President Mills.

"Who killed Nkrumah", "a particular party hates Nkrumah", a tribe hates Nkrumah" etc have become their campaign mantra. They are trying to use the old wounds of pre-1st Republic politics to win 4th Republic elections- a dangerous combination. As a result, we don't even hear anything on Consciencism or African Unity or Neo-colonialism or even the PNDC Chairman's phantom "Probity and Accountability". And until they return Nkrumah's desecrated ghost to pre-2009 status- the grave, Samia's paranoia would continue to get worse. She'd actually start believing that she indeed lives among her father's enemies- a dangerous situation for the rest us.

But in the end, Ghanaians have welcomed Ms. Nkrumah and have given her a chance to partake in our democracy -built upon the sacrifices of many. It is our prayer that she doesn't consider this opportunity as a privilege. We don't owe her anything -although by Law she receives State "stipend"....blood ties. Nor do we need her forgiveness. Political opponents are not "enemies." There is no war going on. What happened then was nothing personal. Many of who have opposed Nkrumah and his ideas then and now have done so purely on philosophical grounds, the rest, as they say, is politics.

The last thing Ghana needs right now is the personal vendettas of our presidents' children.

AFTERWORD The removal of Nkrumah's mortal remains to Accra was also a political gimmick to win votes. If I were Samia, I'd petition the government to return the body with the mausoleum to Nkroful. Imagine the development and the transformation it 'd bring to the area and region, through tourism.

Akwasi A. Afrifa Akoto.