Prof. Busia’s Legacy

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ASARE KWAKU-UK 12 years ago

PLEASE: AFRICA IS SUFFERING TODAY BECUASE OF BUSIA AND CO

PLEASE: AFRICA IS SUFFERING TODAY BECUASE OF BUSIA AND CO
PROF 12 years ago

PLEASE LETS TRY TO BE FRANK ON MATTERS; WHY DO YOU HEIL A LOOSER

PLEASE LETS TRY TO BE FRANK ON MATTERS; WHY DO YOU HEIL A LOOSER
POP 12 years ago

CIA MEMEBER LEGACY?

CIA MEMEBER LEGACY?
BONSU 12 years ago

PLEASE HIDE THIS NAME FROM OUR CHILDREN

PLEASE HIDE THIS NAME FROM OUR CHILDREN
KOLA,LONDON MAIN 12 years ago

The author of this article hadly made any proper research about Busia and the disaster he left behind.

Busia was highly intellegent in his time as mentioned by this author, being the first professor at the University of Gh ...
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The author of this article hadly made any proper research about Busia and the disaster he left behind.

Busia was highly intellegent in his time as mentioned by this author, being the first professor at the University of Ghana before entering Politics, His intelligence did not leave any mark in politics as this Busia put a stop to all the development projects by Kwame Nkrumah.

Busia killed off Teacher Training Clleges by cancelling the 'Free Alowa' that the poor teachers used to get. It was Only JJR who found it necessary to bring back teacher Training Colleges 'Allowa' which today had helped a lot of Ghanaians to get to where they are now. I worked for a Headteacher sometime gone by and he so despise Busia for this silly action which made most Ghanaians at the time dropped out of Teacher Training College.

To Talk about corruption, my own observation tells me Busia was most corrupt. He actually started corruption and made his cronies all rich. Appiah Minka was one such beneficiary and was the reason he was disturbed by JJR.

This author is bias about Busia and who he was.
IVY 12 years ago

THAT IS IT; THIS BUSIA MAN REALLY IS PEIN TO GHANA

THAT IS IT; THIS BUSIA MAN REALLY IS PEIN TO GHANA
Rev Dwamina 12 years ago

THE ACO AFFECTED ALL WEST AFRICANS. NKRUMAH SAW BEYOND GHANA, BUSIA COULD SEE ONLY BENEATH HIS NOSE. HE WAS BOOK SMART, BUT NOT INTELLIGENT. JUST LIKE ATTA MILLS WAS PLAYED LIKE A FIDDLE BY AN ILLITERATE YORUBA CON MAN, TB JO ...
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THE ACO AFFECTED ALL WEST AFRICANS. NKRUMAH SAW BEYOND GHANA, BUSIA COULD SEE ONLY BENEATH HIS NOSE. HE WAS BOOK SMART, BUT NOT INTELLIGENT. JUST LIKE ATTA MILLS WAS PLAYED LIKE A FIDDLE BY AN ILLITERATE YORUBA CON MAN, TB JOSHUA.
Ellis 12 years ago

Formal tribalism and Nationalism were introduced into Ghanaian politics during the reign of Busia and we have never healed from that till now.

Formal tribalism and Nationalism were introduced into Ghanaian politics during the reign of Busia and we have never healed from that till now.
Bonso 12 years ago

Pure unadulterated nonsense by those above me...These lies have been recycled since eternity and churned out again and again by the same families who believe they own Ghana and should be their sole preserve so that they can g ...
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Pure unadulterated nonsense by those above me...These lies have been recycled since eternity and churned out again and again by the same families who believe they own Ghana and should be their sole preserve so that they can go to power forever at the back of these lies and propaganda to amass wealth like their corrupt fathers did.

Infact CPP children suck! But they do not bamboozle anyone anymore.

we use to hear these salacious tales then they got power again and ruled with their Nkrumaist Rawlings: These same old Nkrumaists are paraded here as if time stands still: You cannot lie through your flat nonsense again to win plaudits...Rather you expose yourselves as propagandists. Nothing you say here will convince anyone of your stewardship as CPP/SMC/NRC/PNP?AFRC/PNDC/NDC...You are the same thieves and corrupt men with nothing to show for all your covetousness for power. If your lies and filthy propaganda could build states Ghana would be far away ahead than a country engulfed by Nkrumaists filth. Pure unadulterated nonsense you all spew forth here but we know you as nothing but loud sounding nothing...LIAR LIARS!
C.Y. ANDY-K 12 years ago

Indeed, Busia represents ethnocentric politics in Ghana, from his days as leader of the NLM, a fact many NPPians try to hide, to when he became Prime Minister. The 1969 campaign afforded him the opportunity to unleash his pen ...
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Indeed, Busia represents ethnocentric politics in Ghana, from his days as leader of the NLM, a fact many NPPians try to hide, to when he became Prime Minister. The 1969 campaign afforded him the opportunity to unleash his pent up ethnocentrism on Ewes.

The Progress Party under Busia's leadership sowed the seed of ethnic chauvinism and divisionism in Ghana; a fact captured in Dennis Austin' book “Ghana Observed.” With what he knew already about Ghana, he still marvelled at the highly inflammatory anti-Ewe rhetoric of the PP's campaign - the origin of the Ewes-are-dominating-us-mantra we still hear today on Ghanaweb in particular and elsewhere. So Austin observed in 1969:

“A surprising and disagreeable novelty of the election was the extraordinary anti-Ewe sentiment that was expressed in conversation with many of those who were against Gbedemah and his party. One can explain this strong animus not simply by a dislike of Gbedema’s reappearance in political life but in relations to events after the 1966 coup. Suddenly there were the soldiers and the police, and everyone burst out singing, but when the music died down away it was noticed that the NLC (it seemed) was commanded by minorities: Ewe and Ga. When Ankrah (a Ga), was moved out, and charges were brought over-hastily by Harlley against the Chief of Defence Staff, Michael Otu, the evidence to many was overwhelming. It was all an Ewe plot. Soon Ghana would be run for the benefit of an energetic minority, operating first within the armed forces, and now behind Gbedemah. ‘Appoint an Ewe to a public corporation or to a government department and within a year the entire hierarchy down to the messenger will be an Ewe.’ So the argument ran. And there was always some evidence for it, since the Ewe, deprived of any natural wealth in their own barren region, have been energetic in seizing the opportunities of public employment, including positions in the army and the police, which wealthier communities (like the Akan) did not wish to occupy. In practice, looking through the list of senior officers in government departments and the public corporations, the evidence is certainly not clear of any Ewe domination: it could hardly be in view of their number. But a belief does not, of course, have to be true before people hold it fervently.
Now there is an Akan-dominated government of an Akan dominated society. Were I to become, by some improbable chance of fate, leader of the governing party I would be much less apprehensive of my Ewe opponents in front than of the large and expectant following behind. I would be fearful too of the ambitions of those now excluded from power, remembering the Songs of Innocence that:
The strongest poison ever known
Came from Caeser’s laurel crown” (D. Austin 1976:125)

Austin was writing with hindsight about what befell Busia’s regime, overthrown in a coup led by an Asante.

Of course, this apprehension of Ewe dominance, induced by already held pre-colonial and colonial prejudices against them, led to the sacking of mostly Ewes in the infamous Apollo 585 and the celebrated Sallah case which exposed Busia as not a true believer in the rule of law principles with his infamous shouts of “No court! No court!….”

Of course, he was just another African autocrat in the mold of the right-wing leaders of Africa such as Kenyattah and Houphouet Boigny and would have to entrench himself in power too. So they banned the CPP and took every step to ban any party, e.g., the PPP, with a likely chance of beating them at the elections!

His right-wing economic views would have left the mass of people illiterate and in a feudal, primitive state as one finds in the Horn of Africa, rural Ivory Coast and Kenya.

Andy-K

Sankofa 12 years ago

Busia converted many teacher training colleges to secondary schools under the pretext that we were producing too many teachers!

Such short-sightedness undoing the good foundations Nkrumah had laid led to the perennial shor ...
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Busia converted many teacher training colleges to secondary schools under the pretext that we were producing too many teachers!

Such short-sightedness undoing the good foundations Nkrumah had laid led to the perennial shortage of teachers and decline in educational standards we see today.
Tetteh Q 12 years ago

THE WHOLE AFRICA HATES BUSIA

THE WHOLE AFRICA HATES BUSIA
Bonso 12 years ago

His stupid socialist ideology copied by blind loyalists across Africa is among the reason Africa has fallen far by the wayside...

Kwame Nkrumah's ideology was the major reason for the economic bankruptcy in Ghana, Mali, Co ...
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His stupid socialist ideology copied by blind loyalists across Africa is among the reason Africa has fallen far by the wayside...

Kwame Nkrumah's ideology was the major reason for the economic bankruptcy in Ghana, Mali, Congo, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Guinea.

Nkrumah was a tedious bump with no original mind than an empty copy cat who wore Mao Tse Tung's tunic suits

He was a big fool, indeed, this man from Nzema
Rev Dwamina 12 years ago

DID BUSIA WRITE ANY BOOKS? I HEAR HE WAS A SMART GUY, WHAT DID HE LEAVE BEHIND INTELLECTUALLY? ARE HIS WORKS STUDIED IN ANY UNIVERSITIES?

DID BUSIA WRITE ANY BOOKS? I HEAR HE WAS A SMART GUY, WHAT DID HE LEAVE BEHIND INTELLECTUALLY? ARE HIS WORKS STUDIED IN ANY UNIVERSITIES?
G. K. Berko 12 years ago

Dr. Busia wrote and published several books on Sociology and Education. The ff are some of them:
1. Africa in search of democracy.
2. The challenge of Africa.
3. Self-government for the Gold Coast.
4. The position of the ...
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Dr. Busia wrote and published several books on Sociology and Education. The ff are some of them:
1. Africa in search of democracy.
2. The challenge of Africa.
3. Self-government for the Gold Coast.
4. The position of the Chief in the modern political system of Ashanti.
5. Urban Churches in Britain.
6. Purposeful Education for Africa.
7. Education for Citizenship.
Long live Ghana!!!
Bonso 12 years ago

Kwame Nkrumah wrote about Nuclear Energy when his own people did not have a decent toilet to shit in Nzema

Baloney mixed with schizoid

Kwame Nkrumah wrote about Nuclear Energy when his own people did not have a decent toilet to shit in Nzema

Baloney mixed with schizoid
AbasZ 12 years ago

Africa is suffering b'cos of Busia... Can you explain? Kwasea. Dont advertise your IGNORANCE.

Africa is suffering b'cos of Busia... Can you explain? Kwasea. Dont advertise your IGNORANCE.
krikri 12 years ago

The man stated the TRUTH AND FACT so why are you insulting him? No doubt you are a typical NPP cocaine sniffing elephant

The man stated the TRUTH AND FACT so why are you insulting him? No doubt you are a typical NPP cocaine sniffing elephant
Tetteh Q 12 years ago

that is the charater of nppians, the can not defend themselve but only insulting .

that is the charater of nppians, the can not defend themselve but only insulting .
Sankofa 12 years ago

Busia was not interested in African unity.

He did not care about promoting the African personality, and did not advocate self-determination for African countries still under colonial rule.

Busia was a stooge and lackey ...
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Busia was not interested in African unity.

He did not care about promoting the African personality, and did not advocate self-determination for African countries still under colonial rule.

Busia was a stooge and lackey of the imperialist powers. He worked against the economic interests of our country by renewing the concession for Ashanti Goldfields for another 50 years on very favourable terms to the company.

Busia was an academic with reactionary ideas who worked against the best interests of our country.

mensah abrampa 12 years ago

Are you without any faults yourself? Busia had his faults just like any human being but we must also recognize his immense contributions and his unique characteristics.Should we not celebrate our leaders just because in our o ...
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Are you without any faults yourself? Busia had his faults just like any human being but we must also recognize his immense contributions and his unique characteristics.Should we not celebrate our leaders just because in our opinion they had some faults? Who doesn't? Even Rawlings and Mills have their admirers. Why not Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia? What about Dr Kwame Nkrumah and Dr Joseph Boakye Danquah, the doyen of Ghana politics? All of these men had their faults but they were very unique individuals in their own special ways and no amount of hatred can erase their significant and worthwhile contributions to the nation. We need to celebrate our heroes not denigrate their memories . No wonder we keep getting minnows and thieves as leaders . Like the Jews who killed the true prophets sent by God but hailed the false prophets who told them the lies they wanted to hear we also as a nation find fault with the leaders who sacrificed everything including their lives for this ungrateful nation while we heap praises on self-seekers whose greed and recklessness know no bounds and are quickly choking the life out of this nation.We will no longer be blessed with visionary and selfless leaders until we learn to appreciate the ones already gifted us by God.
IVY 12 years ago

PLEASE MEMSAH; THE FAULT OF BUSIA ALONE IS MAKING AFRICA TO SUFFER OR TO REMAIN DEPENDANT ON THE WESTERN NATIONS UPTIL TODAY; SO TELL ME WHAT IS THERE AGAIN ON THESE FAULER HERO TO REMEMBER? SUFFERING? PLEASE BUSIA SENT GHANA ...
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PLEASE MEMSAH; THE FAULT OF BUSIA ALONE IS MAKING AFRICA TO SUFFER OR TO REMAIN DEPENDANT ON THE WESTERN NATIONS UPTIL TODAY; SO TELL ME WHAT IS THERE AGAIN ON THESE FAULER HERO TO REMEMBER? SUFFERING? PLEASE BUSIA SENT GHANA AND THE WHOLE AFRICA FAR BACKWORD AND THAT CAN NEVER BE FORGOTTEN AS THE FIRE KEEP ON BURNING IN AFRICA:
mensah abrampa 12 years ago

I'm talking about celebrating the life and achievements of the man Busia. He had his faults but so was Nkrumah and so is everyone of us. If you want to talk about faults then lets do it and with a little clarity of mind you'l ...
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I'm talking about celebrating the life and achievements of the man Busia. He had his faults but so was Nkrumah and so is everyone of us. If you want to talk about faults then lets do it and with a little clarity of mind you'll realize the net will not spare any of our leaders, both past and present. Nkrumah for instance imposed socialism,the culture of silence, a police state,a one party rule and made himself president for life by an act of parliament after he had succeeded in imprisoning opposition politicians and forcing the rest into political exile. The collapse and fall of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republic is now a well documented historical fact. The western style of democracy and the free market economy, the political and economic system we're practising today had been preached ad nauseam by Busia and Danquah as far back as the early 1950s but the obstinacy of Dr Nkrumah and his CPP made that impossible. They're both responsible for setting the nation back politically and economically and are also partly responsible for our political and economic woes of today.Dr Nkrumah's faults notwithstanding I still have great admiration and respect for his tenacity and visionary spirit .Lets criticize objectively but at the same time not failing to give credit where it's due.
G. K. Berko 12 years ago

Hindsight is always 20/20. As much as we all agree that dictatorship of any kind, be it under some Aristocracy or Communism or fascism or Military Rule, is unacceptable to most people and repressive, we need to honestly consi ...
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Hindsight is always 20/20. As much as we all agree that dictatorship of any kind, be it under some Aristocracy or Communism or fascism or Military Rule, is unacceptable to most people and repressive, we need to honestly consider the factors that led Nkrumah's regime to drift towards Socialism and closer to the Soviet Union

Was the Economic decline Ghana experienced in the latter days of Nkrumah' s rule a natural consequence of his Economic policies, or the orchestration of certain forces discontent with his Political fallout with the West?

We are often presented Singapore under Lee Kuan Yew as a model contrast of what Ghana could have been, had Nkrumah not been dictatorial. But the truth is that it is more the nifty pulling of the rug from under Nkrumah's feet by the West than just his autocratic governance that spelt the decline of our Economy.

This reasoning is supported by the fact that Lee Kuan Yew was no more benign dictator than Nkrumah was. His tenure lasted from 1959 to 1990, 31 years.

The main reason his economic Agenda succeeded was the general peace that his country enjoyed, without any interference from the Cold War primary pugilists, especially the West.

Without Western sabotage, and, in fact, with unfettered access to the bloc's financial facilities Singapore could only move upwards and forward.

Both Lee and Nkrumah shared similar vision for their respective countries. In fact, they were friends with similar aspirations. But as Nkrumah was forced to distant himself from the West, politically, the West became more disruptive and prevailed upon his opponents to be more aggressive in stopping him.

We must honestly acknowledge that China emerged this huge of an economic power not because it abandoned Socialism and embraced Western democracy but because it had the necessary peace within its borders and less obligation to allies around the World than Soviet Union to put her economic reforms and plan into action.

Ghana was in a unique situation that caused her to share the burden of emancipation of the rest of Africa and cost her the sincere assistance from the West to succeed.

I think had Nkrumah lived longer and not been taunted so violently by his opponents he would have re-assessed his relationship with the West to find a way to improve it before his country totally collapsed economically. He was too obsessed with seeing Ghana succeed under his term to linger too long in foolhardiness.

His humbled, almost prodigal entreaty to the USA for her assistance to complete the Akosombo Dam attests to that notion. Unfortunately, the USA saw that as a sign of his vulnerability and took advantage of that. The USA squeezed him harder with expensive interest on loans Nkrumah got from the IMF and cheap power and water for Valco and plotted to strike him a final political blow. I think the West simply wished for his failure and hoped to have him pushed out without the people believing that it sought for just that.

The uneasiness that weighed on Nkrumah never was attendant on Busia or Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore.

Long live Ghana!!!
Kojo T 12 years ago

Arthur my friend , Busia was weak, had NO vision and could not lead.Tell us what he did? Closing down 400+ factories and creating unemployment? Locking up students and paying himself 2 years salary advance? Please spare us th ...
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Arthur my friend , Busia was weak, had NO vision and could not lead.Tell us what he did? Closing down 400+ factories and creating unemployment? Locking up students and paying himself 2 years salary advance? Please spare us the bull
PROF 12 years ago

WE ARE SUFFERNG TODAY IN GHANA ALL BECAUSE OF BUSIA AND HIS CIA MASTERS

WE ARE SUFFERNG TODAY IN GHANA ALL BECAUSE OF BUSIA AND HIS CIA MASTERS
AbasZ 12 years ago

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.
AbasZ 12 years ago

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.
AbasZ 12 years ago

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.
AbasZ 12 years ago

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.

AbasZ 12 years ago

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.

It was Nkruma who misused Ghana's money. Building Edifices in neighbouring countries.
IVY 12 years ago

WHAT DO YOU SAY? NEIGHBORING AFRICA COUNTRIES NOT LIKE BUSIA GIVEN GHANA BACK TO SLAVE MASTER TO MILCHED US WELL WELL TILL TODAY

WHAT DO YOU SAY? NEIGHBORING AFRICA COUNTRIES NOT LIKE BUSIA GIVEN GHANA BACK TO SLAVE MASTER TO MILCHED US WELL WELL TILL TODAY
Bonso 12 years ago

Please type in the Google bar - Ghana's GDP - and read the Graphic results...

Please do so now to end all the argument about who has done what for Ghana

Liars

Internet has exposed Nkrumaists as nothing but Baloney

Please type in the Google bar - Ghana's GDP - and read the Graphic results...

Please do so now to end all the argument about who has done what for Ghana

Liars

Internet has exposed Nkrumaists as nothing but Baloney
busia, also run 12 years ago

he has no legacy to celebrate. he is just an also run

he has no legacy to celebrate. he is just an also run
Captain 12 years ago

Arthur Kennedy,remember that Busia sent Africa back ahundred and fifty years.

Arthur Kennedy,remember that Busia sent Africa back ahundred and fifty years.
mensah abrampa 12 years ago

Don't we deserve the minnows and thieves we're getting as leaders because we're so blind we cannot see, so dumb we cannot hear and so brain dead we can't even reason? We can never progress as a nation until we recognize those ...
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Don't we deserve the minnows and thieves we're getting as leaders because we're so blind we cannot see, so dumb we cannot hear and so brain dead we can't even reason? We can never progress as a nation until we recognize those who sacrifice everything including their lives for the good of this nation.
Captain 12 years ago

That guy Busia was nothing but a traitor to the nation and Africans at large.Why won't Nixon be impressed when he knew he had a traitor to work with.You probably might be an agent too.Bastards.

That guy Busia was nothing but a traitor to the nation and Africans at large.Why won't Nixon be impressed when he knew he had a traitor to work with.You probably might be an agent too.Bastards.
Ghanabiya 12 years ago

Citing Nixon's comment about the difference between Busia and Nkrumah should not be a plus to Busia. After all, what do you expect from an American - a Republican - to say about these 2 men.

Citing Nixon's comment about the difference between Busia and Nkrumah should not be a plus to Busia. After all, what do you expect from an American - a Republican - to say about these 2 men.
Nana 12 years ago

Half truths are more dangerous than reasoned errors. Kobina, this time your article has lots of holesin it.

Half truths are more dangerous than reasoned errors. Kobina, this time your article has lots of holesin it.
Bernard 12 years ago

Arthur Kobina, please be reminded that the reason why President Nixon was impressed about Busia than Nkrumah was later events would turn out to prove to Ghanaians and Africans that indeed, it was these same Busia & Co that th ...
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Arthur Kobina, please be reminded that the reason why President Nixon was impressed about Busia than Nkrumah was later events would turn out to prove to Ghanaians and Africans that indeed, it was these same Busia & Co that the CIA will use to overthrow Kwame Nkrumah. On corruption, please do not throw dust into the eyes of Ghanaians. Did you forget how they stole properties belonging to foreigners especially Nigerians when Busia introduced the Alliens Compliance Order? Did you forget how they sold State Owned Assets on Cheap to themselves and filled their foreign bank accounts in the UK and elsewhere? Because the way they undertook to steal Ghanaians in your dictionary did not appear to be corruption. Kobina, why are you trying so hard to rewrite history and force it down on us? By the way, can we genuinely trust you too if you are not already a paid agent of the CIA giving sensitive information about Ghana to your masters? We know of the J. B. Dankwa,s and many more, so please get off that silly bus and leave us in peace. Thank you.
Repugnant. 12 years ago

Ye are witnesses saith the Lord[Is42:12]
Thanks again Bernard!

Ye are witnesses saith the Lord[Is42:12]
Thanks again Bernard!
USMAN 12 years ago

That was how Busia failed Ghana.

That was how Busia failed Ghana.
Adongo 12 years ago

Ah Kobina!Well written!Busia understood democracy indeed

Ah Kobina!Well written!Busia understood democracy indeed
Joe Solo - Accra 12 years ago

He was short but nt diminutive. There's a difference.

He was short but nt diminutive. There's a difference.
Repugnant. 12 years ago

Ok! he was a small person, how about that? The man had a two page lips for crying out loud!

Ok! he was a small person, how about that? The man had a two page lips for crying out loud!
419 12 years ago

No amount of rebranding will erase stupid Busia's legacy. So please don't insult our intelligence with is nonsense revisionist history

No amount of rebranding will erase stupid Busia's legacy. So please don't insult our intelligence with is nonsense revisionist history
Kofi Ata, Cambridge, UK 12 years ago

Doc, I think you have been very magnanimous on the "no court" matter. If Busia had acted as he did under the current democratic dispensation, he would have been impeached. What do you think?

Yes, I agree with you that Busi ...
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Doc, I think you have been very magnanimous on the "no court" matter. If Busia had acted as he did under the current democratic dispensation, he would have been impeached. What do you think?

Yes, I agree with you that Busia' centenary should have been a national affair and not only the Busia-Danquah-Dombo Tradition. I remember as a kid a health centre that was built in our area under his Rural Development Programme and it still remains the only health centre in the area.
G. K. Berko 12 years ago

Fundamentally, the feeder roads project under Busia was the first indication of continuity in progress by a subsequent regime. But could you justify the total abandonment of our factories built all around the country and not ...
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Fundamentally, the feeder roads project under Busia was the first indication of continuity in progress by a subsequent regime. But could you justify the total abandonment of our factories built all around the country and not just in Accra, Tema and Kumasi?

Had Busia taken over from Nkrumah directly and not pinned to the NLC propaganda that Nkrumah had wasted our funds building the factories he would have retained the factories and sought for their modernization and better management instead of letting them rot away while our youth idled about with no jobs.

Unless anyone could argue that Busia undertook the feeder roads project just to entice the votes of the rural folks and facilitate their influx to the urban areas, I would maintain that deep down he was as sincere as Nkrumah to develop all the country and not just the Cities.

Sometimes, I feel like the contest in simple ownership of credit as to who built what for us was what drove a permanent wedge between these two leaders. But that is too simplistic, knowing what I know thus far.

Long live Ghana!!!
Bonso 12 years ago

Sorry to read this from you too...Then why did the Nkrumaists followers of socialist pedigree who ruled with Nkrumaist Rawlings government, containing well known socialists and Nkrumaists could not save Nkrumah's factories? ...
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Sorry to read this from you too...Then why did the Nkrumaists followers of socialist pedigree who ruled with Nkrumaist Rawlings government, containing well known socialists and Nkrumaists could not save Nkrumah's factories? Busia was in power for only 2 years: Why did the socialist revolutionaries of PNDC who ruled Ghana for 19 years sold all the State Assets Nkrumah built? I mean why did Totobi Quakyi, Kojo tsikata, Justice Annan, Kojo Botsion, Rawlings, Ahwoi Brothers, Fui and Tsatsu Tsikatas and many, many CPP ideologues who worked with JJ Rawlings could not do what you wanted Busia to do in 2 years within their 19 year Dictatorial rule?

Shame on all of you...You go to school for nothing!
Bonso 12 years ago

IMPEACHED FOR SALLAH'S TRIVIAL CASE, BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION BY CPP PRESS UNDER CORRUPT EDITOR KOFI BADU?

CPP CHILDREN LIKE LIES LIKE THEIR LYING FATHERS...

IMPEACHED FOR SALLAH'S TRIVIAL CASE, BLOWN OUT OF PROPORTION BY CPP PRESS UNDER CORRUPT EDITOR KOFI BADU?

CPP CHILDREN LIKE LIES LIKE THEIR LYING FATHERS...
Al Gashari 12 years ago

Arthur Kobina Kennedy did not mention all the negatives on Busia's balance sheet. In addition to the four major ones he mentioned, there were others:

1. Busia was tribalistic. He was not like that in the late colonial and ...
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Arthur Kobina Kennedy did not mention all the negatives on Busia's balance sheet. In addition to the four major ones he mentioned, there were others:

1. Busia was tribalistic. He was not like that in the late colonial and early post-colonial days. He became so when he was Prime Minister. It was during his reign that the tribe to which you belong became an important and negative trend in our politics.

2. He was still elitist when he was in power. He introduced the idea of university students paying fees which would have cut off many poor people's children. It was true that the education cost was becoming a burden on government but what he wanted to do with university attendance was not the best way to solve it.

3. Kennedy is disingenuous about Busia's vindication about the dialogue with apartheid case. It was the armed struggle, the militant stand with the support of a militant outside world that brought the apartheid lords to the negotiation (dialogue) table. Without that, we would still, today be in dialogue with apartheid South Africa. No, Busia was not vindicated.

If Richard Nixon said he was more impressed by Busia than the govt leader, it was because the USA did not like the semi-socialist politics of a radical Nkrumah.

As for corruption, the problem was not so much the leader in particular (Nkrumah was not corrupt but those under him were) but those whom he would control. Busia was in power for only 27 months which was too short for us to see the effects of any anti-corruption stance he had.

His positive sides? Of course, every leader who tried to rule us was genuinely interested in moving the country forward. Busia was no exception. And yes, he was a decent guy who spoke clearly and simply. But he was not a born leader (for which he cannot be blamed, anyway).

I will understand that we should mark the centenary of his birth but perhaps we should remember him more for other things than his leadership qualities.
' and Jesus wept ' 12 years ago

You have nailed it right on the spot. There are more down sides of Kofi Abrefa Busia than Doc Kenny is trying to sell. Had it not been all the subversive activities championed by Busia which eventually sent Osagyefo to his de ...
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You have nailed it right on the spot. There are more down sides of Kofi Abrefa Busia than Doc Kenny is trying to sell. Had it not been all the subversive activities championed by Busia which eventually sent Osagyefo to his demise in Conakry, the 7 year development plan initiated by Nkrumah would have blossom to discourage a lot of us including Ken himself from seeking refuge in Obroni land. For this treachery alone by our own citizen, most Ghanaians have not forgotten let alone forgiven Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia.
JohnD 12 years ago

Don't try to re-write history. It was not Busia who introduced the National Service Scheme. That honour belongs to Acheampong.

Don't try to re-write history. It was not Busia who introduced the National Service Scheme. That honour belongs to Acheampong.
alfred 12 years ago

dont be discouraged by some insinuations that might come your way. discerning minds appreciate you. very objective Dr.kennedy keep it up!!

dont be discouraged by some insinuations that might come your way. discerning minds appreciate you. very objective Dr.kennedy keep it up!!
Kwame 12 years ago

Prof. Kofi Abrefa Busia was an agent of Great Britain. The Great Russian intellectual and son of a farmer and not a royal has this to say: I am not a slave to the Tsar or God Himself. Kofi Busia held the belief that we Negroe ...
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Prof. Kofi Abrefa Busia was an agent of Great Britain. The Great Russian intellectual and son of a farmer and not a royal has this to say: I am not a slave to the Tsar or God Himself. Kofi Busia held the belief that we Negroes are properties of the white man or the Blanco hence he stated in 1957 why the British are in haste to grant us independence because their experiment is not over.
Thus to Kofi Busia we are just things to be experimented with an we suppose that Busia has even the belief that without the white man we will not be animated.
We stated on this forum that education and technology was not something given free to us by our colonial masters. Britain left Ghana in 1960 still underdeveloped and there was nothing to show that we were subjects of the British crown.
Busia did not believe in himself and saw himself as a property of the white man and has the belief that without the white man he can not achieve anything.
After the spate of terrorist attack on the Prime Minister later President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah from 1958 which led to the death of scores of school children, mainly members of the Young Pioneer Movement Busia fled the country. In that case Busia did not believe in the right of the Ghanaian Child and therefore the people of Ghana to freedom of association since he and members of his party the United Party (UP) and later Progress Party did not talk anything evil about any neocolocial youth organization.
Kwame Nkrumah did not adopt piecemeal approach to youth development and employment. Thus by 1962 he has already step up the Ghana Industrial Holding Corporation, Council For Scientific And Industrial Research, Farmers' and Workers' Brigade which were to employ and train graduates from Middle, Secondary and University with salary and contribution towards their retirement which Busia earlier opposed and will later introduce into a Social Security Scheme.
Busia's National Service did not put the youth in full employment, but on some allowance and after the one year national service the youth were left without employment.
It is on record that at the time Busia was cooperating with both Britain and U.S. to overthrow Nkrumah's CPP government which is a government of Africans and Negroes and that in 1966 the U.S. Constitution place in the position of being an animal less than the white man's dog. In 1966 when Negroes were barred from certain employments which whites were entitled to in Britain, though they are British citizens.
In 1966 the fascist regimes in Southern Europe except Italy has colonies in Africa. Members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) want us to believe that colonialism, fascism and apartheid is the best that has happened to mankind as a democratic system. If that is the case then, why they did not negotiate with another dictator Kwame Nkrumah since the belief is that you must negotiate with dictators to resolve the undemocratic policies.
Democracy means that there should be the freedom of conscience and association. Which means that people have the right to chose their world outlook and belong to political or social organizations of their choice, form and leave one.
Busia was one of the adviser of the military cum police junta called the National Liberation Council which banned the CPP, workers and youth organization which in itself is against the freedom of association and how can Busia a hound of association a military junta be said to be a democratic person.
In I969 the Ghana Constitution was based on that of the U.S. one which banned both communist and socialist parties. In 1969 Mr. Lutheriot has his party banned by the military regime because it was alleged that it was formed on socialist principles. It was also a crime for a person to be seen reading any literature apart from rightist ones, hanging the picture or reading any work of Kwame Nkrumah carries with it terms if imprisonment.
In 1969 Busia dismissed 518 people from both the Civil and Public Service because they were Ewhes and when a court ruled that he should reinstate them he said that no court can force him to reinstate them. That also shows how undemocratic Busia was because we do not think that members of the NPP and Nana Akuffo Addo want to let us believe that Ghana was a company formed by Busia and in that case he can refuse to reinstate his employee and declare him redundant and pay his redundancy benefits.
We had free education to the university level in 1969 when Busia became the Prime Minster, then he introduced the Student loan scheme, when even Britain then was still having free education at all levels.
The UP always accuse Kwame Nkrumah of being corrupt, however the fact remains that Nkrumah did not owe any property apart from his books when he dead in 1972.
Busia as prime minster completed his Odorkor house as soon as he became the head of government business. Justice Akuffo-Addo the president also together with some members of the then Progress Party bought and acquired properties during the NLC regime from 1966 to 1969 together with some members of the NLC.
It was even alleged that Busia took two years salary in advance at a time when there was mass unemployment.
Busia accepted servitude in tranquility so long as the slave master is a white man and to freedom under a black man. Mr. Akoto a finance minister under Kufuor was yesterday mocking Ghanaians of setting up Guinea fowl farms as opposed to importation of chicken from Britain and the U.S.
When John Kufuor who was a deputy minister of foreign affairs under Busia came to power in 2001 he did the waste of declaring Ghana a Poor Indebted Country.
KOFI MINTA 12 years ago

Busia's whole life in Britian was paid for by the entire community of Gold Coast--under the title Ashanti confideracy. He enjoyed the most prestigious scholarship of our dear nation, as no one had or can ever have in the hist ...
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Busia's whole life in Britian was paid for by the entire community of Gold Coast--under the title Ashanti confideracy. He enjoyed the most prestigious scholarship of our dear nation, as no one had or can ever have in the history of mankind. Just four years after independence, Dr. Nkrumah introduced FREE EDUCATION in Ghana, from class one to the 6th form of secondaty school, a time when Busia had exiled himself in Britain. After he had successfully induced Afrifah and Kotoka to overthrow Nkrumah, Busia returned to Ghana and was given two appointments: "Advisor to the NLC, and Chirman of Centre for Civic Education". In this capacity, he convinced the NLC gov't to abolish Nkrumah's free education which has become a norm in the country to this time. This alone renders Busia the most selfish man we can ever have on Ghanaian soil.
James 12 years ago

You are equally narrow-minded and ignorant like Arthur Kennedy and those MP's who don't know what they are doing.

You are equally narrow-minded and ignorant like Arthur Kennedy and those MP's who don't know what they are doing.
Lordy 12 years ago

You had to "quote" the disgraced Nixon to validate your "farce"??

You had to "quote" the disgraced Nixon to validate your "farce"??
Abeeku Mensah 12 years ago

Authur Kobina Kennedy lives in South Carolina, a state in the US where history and everyday lives of minorities can only be recorded through the prism or perspectives of the majority inhabitants. This illusionary existence se ...
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Authur Kobina Kennedy lives in South Carolina, a state in the US where history and everyday lives of minorities can only be recorded through the prism or perspectives of the majority inhabitants. This illusionary existence seems to be clouding Arthur Kennedy's judgment to the point where he relies on the late ex-President Richard Nixon's observations as certifiable reason to view Prof. Busia as a viable leader in the string of Ghana leaders having forgotten that Nixon abused the constitution of the United States and thus left office as the only impeached president.
The problem with Busia is not lack of education, Arthur Kennedy, but lack of wisdom and applied intellect. What ailed Busia is what continues to ail all of you intellectually dishonest zealots of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition; cowardly hypocritical and intellectually inferior bunch. Please tell us Mr. Arthur Kennedy which North American and or Western democratic nation has ever allowed the president or prime minister (it’s your call) to take a two year salary advance upon assuming office? Busia did. Do you know of any Ghanaian civil servant who has ever received a two-year salary advance? The hypocrisy of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo crowd is and will always be a danger to Ghana because they live above the very rules of governance they proclaim to be desirable for all Ghanaians. When members of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo crowd steal and or engage in tribal preferences or acts of nepotism and favoritism Ghanaians are to look at it from the prerogatives of the governing party except that the same prerogatives cannot be applied to previous or subsequent governments. We do not all live in your corner of the world neither is classroom accolades synonymous with wisdom. Busia was a failure just as Kufour was a thief.
Kojo Essuman 12 years ago

Arthur kennedy,I am surprised at your misinformation and disinformation.To state that Kofi Abrefa Busia had "an insight into development that even Nkrumah did not match",is not only outrageous but it is also a clear indicatio ...
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Arthur kennedy,I am surprised at your misinformation and disinformation.To state that Kofi Abrefa Busia had "an insight into development that even Nkrumah did not match",is not only outrageous but it is also a clear indication of how intellectually dishonest you are.I have some questions for you.Do you know that Busia opposed the construction of the Volta dam? Do you know that the Rural development aspect of Nkrumah's Seven Year Development Plan which was halted in 1966? Do you also know that in the Nkrumah regime a separate Ministry of Rural Industries was set up to accelerate Rural Development and the establishment of what was called Cottage industries?
Kojo Essuman 12 years ago

Do you know THE Rural development aspect of Nkrumah's Seven Year Development plan which was halted in 1966?

Do you know THE Rural development aspect of Nkrumah's Seven Year Development plan which was halted in 1966?
Bonso 12 years ago

Kwame Nkrumah deceived the most vain and vile ignoramus with his idiotic writings carved as 7-year development plans...it was all so foolish writing all these things when he was running down the economy through unbridled corr ...
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Kwame Nkrumah deceived the most vain and vile ignoramus with his idiotic writings carved as 7-year development plans...it was all so foolish writing all these things when he was running down the economy through unbridled corruption that led to our bankruptcy...Communism was all Nkrumah knew as he wore Mao's collarless suits with his grin and God is my barber face speaking like a Guinean...Ghanaians like foolish leaders like Kwame Nkrumah and J J Rawlings...talkatives!

Nkrumah's 7 years Development Plans built Krobo Edusei, Ayeh Kumi, BA dadson, Imoru Egala, Ambrose Yankey, J G Aggrey and Kojo Botsio 42 Houses each with several stinking arse concubines

Oyae soommii

Children of Thieves

Armed robbers of Ghana Politics

If development plans make a nation, Castro's Cuba would be ahead of US and not have donkey carting people as transport in this day and age...If Nkrumah had no been overthrown by Afrifa, Ghana would have ended up as North Korea with Sekou Nkrumah as our President surrounded by authors of more 7 year Development Plans
James 12 years ago

Kojo Botsio had 42 houses? HAHAHAHA.....What is your level of education? Don't be a laughing stock on this forum.

Kojo Botsio had 42 houses? HAHAHAHA.....What is your level of education? Don't be a laughing stock on this forum.
James 12 years ago

The only outstanding legacy that Busia left was that he masterminded a series of bomb explosions which killed innocent Ghanaians and school children.Arthur Kennedy,wake up!

The only outstanding legacy that Busia left was that he masterminded a series of bomb explosions which killed innocent Ghanaians and school children.Arthur Kennedy,wake up!
James 12 years ago

Arthur Kennedy like the present ignorant and narrow-minded MP's need to know more about Ghana's Political history and Economic Development from the foundation of UGCC to the fall of the CPP government on February 24th,1966.

Arthur Kennedy like the present ignorant and narrow-minded MP's need to know more about Ghana's Political history and Economic Development from the foundation of UGCC to the fall of the CPP government on February 24th,1966.
JOHN---CANADA 12 years ago

HERE THEY GO AGAIN;WITH BUSIA- DANKWA TRADITION.MOVE FORWARD !

HERE THEY GO AGAIN;WITH BUSIA- DANKWA TRADITION.MOVE FORWARD !
Left Critic 12 years ago

Anybody admired by Nixon the immoral criminal couldn't possibly be good for Ghana and Africa.

Anybody admired by Nixon the immoral criminal couldn't possibly be good for Ghana and Africa.
BOY KOFI 12 years ago

I have nothing against Busia because I was just 15 years old when Busia won the 1969 general élections.The only legacy I do remember of Busia is when he passed the Alliance Compliance Order against some foreigners living in ...
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I have nothing against Busia because I was just 15 years old when Busia won the 1969 general élections.The only legacy I do remember of Busia is when he passed the Alliance Compliance Order against some foreigners living in Ghana for a very long time.This did not affect me directly but I was sad to some of my old friends leaving the shores of Ghana in a hasty manner.On the contrary,when Busia sacked all Ghanaian workers who went on strike was very shocking,undemocratic and unproductive.It affected many families in the Sekondi/Takoradi Metropolis where I used to stay.Many were seamen and boat yard workers.If you ask anybody in Ghana what is the meaning of Busia seaman,you will get a very negative response to Busia's legacy.Thank you.
G. K. Berko 12 years ago

The Government missed a great opportunity to honor the great late Professor and our second Prime Minister on this occasion of his birth centenary.

Such are the moments when every alert Administration would capitalize on t ...
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The Government missed a great opportunity to honor the great late Professor and our second Prime Minister on this occasion of his birth centenary.

Such are the moments when every alert Administration would capitalize on to show it is for all Ghanaians, in spite of its Political affiliation.

Dr. Busia had his strengths and good works that we should all acknowledge and be thankful to him for, even posthumously.

His avid love for openness in governance, attention to our Culture and appeal for quality Education for all must be well remembered. We should not dwell too much on the initial enmity between him and Nkrumah to denigrate him or deny him the credit due him. Besides, we should understand that his vigorous opposition to Nkrumah's Administration turned violent was more coerced by incumbering outside forces.

He was too mild and meek to have directed the violence that we often hear others attribute to him. It was all the coincidence of purposes with the violent enemies abroad.

May the Lord forgive his sins and errors. After all, like Nkrumah, he was a human and fallible. And we should all be proud for his contributions to the country.

We should all hope wherever he resides now in the spirit World, he and Nkrumah would have occasion to mend their differences and jointly intervene on our Nation;s behalf with the Almighty.

Long Live Ghana!!!
Bonso 12 years ago

who cares about ceremonies...not npp

who cares about ceremonies...not npp
Sankofa 12 years ago

Nelson Mandela did not adopt Busia's discredited dialogue policy.

How could one negotiate with an undemocratic regime which was oppressing our people and denying them the vote?

The Apartheid regime was forced to release ...
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Nelson Mandela did not adopt Busia's discredited dialogue policy.

How could one negotiate with an undemocratic regime which was oppressing our people and denying them the vote?

The Apartheid regime was forced to release Mandela and abandon apartheid due to external and internal pressure and economic reality.

Busia's government was riddled with corruption. In 3 years his ministers enriched themselves and amassed ill-gotten wealth. They were exposed after Acheampong's coup.

Rural development was only a propaganda tool. Under this guise Busia developed his home-town Wenchi. A few radios were distributed to villages. What else passed for development? Why did NPP criticise Prof Mills and NDC for commissioning boreholes in rural areas if the party believed in rural development?

Public money was spent on a booklet 'Courtesy for boys and girls' distributed to secondary students. It explained how to use a fork and knife! Did Busia, a whiteman in black skin, want to turn us into his clones?

Busia and his cronies caused a huge disservice to Ghana by actively opposing all the progressive policies of Nkrumah including self-government. Busia campaigned against the building of Akosombo dam, asking the World Bank not to fund it. He had a hand in the numerous assassination attempts against Nkrumah and attempts to cause mayhem and destabilise our country.

Busia only came to power because the NLC proscribed the CPP and appointed him head of the Centre for civic education. This was a ploy to get him to go around the country effectively campaigning well before the ban on politics was lifted, giving Busia a significant head-start against potential rivals in the ensuing elections.

Ghana is much better off without Kofi Abrefa Busia, the effeminate 'Bukom Prime Minister'.

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Prof. Busia’s Legacy

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