Dr Kwame Nkrumah
Beyond the world, whether developed or developing, to the young or old, Kwame Nkrumah’s name is familiar. “Osagyefo, the prime minister, the leader of Ghana, of Africa, of all downtrodden people. There are photographs of Nkrumah everywhere, in the newspapers, on posters, on the flag. The energetic face of a middle-aged man, either smiling or serious,” writes the Polish writer Ryszard Kapuscinski about Kwame Nkrumah when he visited Ghana.
However, Nkrumah’s popularity and fame across the developing and developed world, have nothing to do with what the Polish writer wrote or about Nkrumah’s role as one of the founding fathers of Ghana’s independence. Apart from being an impenetrable leader who will prefer to go hungry than succumbed to the pressures or demands of the British and American governments, he was the one who conceived the idea of the Organization of African Unity, long before the European Union came into existence.
Nkrumah knew the unification of all African countries will not only promote cordial relationship and create trade opportunities but will also be a force to defend the continent. “Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa. That new African is ready to fight his own battles and show that after all, the black man is capable of managing his own affairs,” said Nkrumah.
That vision and inspiration facilitated the formation of ‘The Organisation of African Unity,’ on May 25, 1963, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with 32 signatory governments. It was dissolved on July 2002, with the former South African president, Thabo Mbeki as its last chairperson, when it became African Union. It even makes sense to write that Nkrumah’s role in African politics protected the continent from harm because there were no diseases such as Aids and Ebola during his tenure.
Even though both diseases were long created in the US biological weapon laboratory, the US government couldn’t use it on Africans, who knows, probably because of Kwame Nkrumah. They knew the consequences. It's, therefore, no doubts that the African continent experienced medical crimes of Aids and Ebola after the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah and the killing of the newly elected prime minister of Congo, Patrice Lumumba.
Nkrumah became a star and an international icon when Ghanaians leaders after him demonstrated their inefficiency. The African continent ranks second in the world in terms of population, and in its territory is second only to Asia. There is no Ghanaian political leadership role in the international arena which can be compared with what Kwame Nkrumah achieved.
In Africa, when the leaders are hungry for power, they will first start undermining your efforts and conspire against you. After that, level false accusations against you, followed by promises to get a position in the next government. Nkrumah was therefore labelled a dictator and the cowards waited till he flew to China before they seized power.
After Kwame Nkrumah what is the place or impact of any Ghanaian or African leader in modern world politics and the main trends of socio-political and economic development? How can one explain the numerous coups and protracted armed conflicts that have occurred in a number of countries, including Ghana, Rwanda, Sudan, and Somalia?
Imagine how the Ebola epidemic in the year 2014 and the current one occurring in Congo periodically has affected the continent’s finance and economy, resulting in the destabilization of public and political life in African countries. Africa now stands alone still recovering from Aids and Ebola. All the pride, name and recognition Nkrumah gave to Ghana are completely carried away by the wind and replaced by antagonistic drum beats of the NDC and NPP.
