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Mrs Sinare's paternity news for the unknown son of Osagyefo

By GNA
Opinion Mrs Sinare's paternity news for the unknown son of Osagyefo
AUG 3, 2015 LISTEN

A GNA feature by Nana Kodjo Jehu-Appiah
Accra, Aug. 3, GNA - Three years ago Dr Onzy Nathan Nkrumah, stirred controversy, when he made known his paternity to Ghanaians, stating categorically that he was the son of the late Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana's first President.

As the battle for recognition ranged on a member of Dr Nkrumah's immediate family suggested the need for Dr Onzy Nathan Nkrumah to go for DNA test to confirm his story.

The social media also stoke the war of words with different twist of the story to serve the platform the speculations could be best be served.

In a rebuttal to the conjecture that Dr Onzy Nathan Nkrumah was probably an imposter; Nana Bulumia Twum, a nephew of Dr Nkrumah said at a news conference in Accra that it is on record that the late President had six children-Francis; Nasser; Sekou; Samia; Mrs Elizabeth Koranteng, and Dr Onzy Nathan Kwame Nkrumah.

Nana Twum said Dr Nkrumah often spoke about his son in Egypt and when Dr Nathan Onzy visited Ghana in June 2012, to introduce himself to the family; his physical presence was the replica of Osagyefo.

At the news conference organised on Thursday, July 30, by Mrs Souad Mohammed El Rouby Sinare, an 89-year-old Egyptian, she confirmed Dr Onzy Nathan Kwame Nkrumah, as son of the first President Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

'Onsy Nathan Kwame Nkrumah is a biological son of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana and he must be treated as such,' she said in her Labone residence.

'I have taken this decision because the matter has become a subject of public discussion in recent times, laden with several interpretations and misrepresentations by people who do not know the facts.

'As someone who was very close to Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who knows the fact, I owe it a patriotic duty to the nation and to the memory of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah to make the facts known.

'But before I address the main topic, I want to introduce myself, and my relationship with Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which has made me to know about the subject which I am about to address, since many people do not know me and therefore will be tempted to challenge my capacity to talk on this subject about Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the great Ghanaian and African statesman.

Mrs Sinare, widow of Major Alhaji Saleh Said Sinare, first Chief Imam of Ghana Armed Forces said: 'I want to use this occasion, to appeal, once again to the children of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the great friend of the Sinare Family, to be united and work hard to uphold the good name of their father and the legacy he left for Ghana, Africa and the world.'

Mrs Sinare said Dr Onzy Nkrumah mother, who is Isis Nashid had a secret relationship with Dr Nkrumah when she visited the country, the then Gold Coast to work for the colonial establishment.

She said Madam Nashid became pregnant and was kept a secret due to Dr Nkrumah's involvement in the independence struggle.

'Isis Nashid, unfortunately on arrival in Egypt, got married to an Egyptian man, in order to avoid the implications of having a child without a husband in a land governed by strict moral codes,' she said.

Mrs Sinare said Dr Nkrumah who was obsessed with the affairs of Ghana was encouraged by her late husband to take a wife and so he gave the green light for a search for a partner for him.

She said the hunt led to Madam Fathia Nkrumah who was then Fathia Rizk.

'When we informed Dr Nkrumah of our find of a bride, he was very happy that he also informed the President of Egypt, Gamel Abdul Nasser, who was happy that his friend…had decided to marry from his country.

'President Nasser, subsequently, paid the dowry to engage Madam Fathia to Dr Kwame Nkrumah, even when he had not yet seen his wife-to-be, 'she said.

Mrs Sinare said: 'My husband's father, the late Sheikh Said Sinare, was a very close friend of Madam Nyaniba, the mother of Dr Nkrumah 'and so Dr Kwame Nkrumah, in his youth was like a son to my-father-in-law and so Dr Kwame Nkrumah and my husband knew each other from childhood days.'

Mrs Sinare said he informed former President John Agyekum Kufuor about the paternity of Dr Onzy Nkrumah to foster unity among the children of Dr Nkrumah 'as a mother, and also to free my conscience from keeping a truth, which affects someone's life secret'.

'In spite of this story I told the children about their brother Onsy Nkrumah, I still hear comments and statements from some social commentators and others, in the media, which challenged the legitimate claim of Onsy Kwame Nkrumah as the son of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.'

So now that the 'die is cast 'would Dr Onzy Nathan be accepted by Dr Nkrumah's children as one their own or the sceptics still wants him to go for DNA test and perhaps what for? GNA

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