Ghanaians Observe 40th Anniversary Of Nkrumah's Death

Activists and sympathisers of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) across the country have marked the 40th anniversary of the death of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, with a renewed call on Ghanaians to join hands with the party in the struggle to totally liberate Ghanaians from foreign exploitation.

The leadership of the party Friday held a memorial service in his honour at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra, during which the two presidential aspirants for the 2012 elections, Mr Bright Akwetey and Dr Abu Sakara, took turns to extol the virtues of Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah, who was also the founder of the CPP.

Forty years ago, the first President passed away in Bucharest, Romania, after enduring six years of exile in Conakry, Guinea.

His overthrow and subsequent death, many in the CPP believed, were the result of a conspiracy led by the Central Intelligence Agency of the US and other Western intelligence agencies and their Ghanaian collaborators.

A priest from the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Rev Father Stephen Kofi Sapkaku, who presided over the memorial service, based

his sermon on James 1:16-26 and added his voice to the appeal to politicians to eschew hate speech and protect the prevailing peace in the country.

Predicating his advice on what he described as the three key words to peace which he named as thoughts, speeches and actions,

he explained that any attempt to act on those key words in a negative sense was a potential for conflict and that what people thought about, what they said and their actions could make and unmake a peaceful situation depending on how they were used.

“We are shaped by our thoughts, utterances and actions and for whatever we say or do let us be minded that things we say and actions we make have the tendency to create a violent situation for which reason our politicians must be mindful especially in this election year,” he advised.

Describing Kwame Nkrumah as a man of peace who selflessly led Ghana to independence, he remarked that not only was Nkrumah loved by Ghanaians but the world at large particularly for his foresight at linking the total liberation of the African continent to Ghana’s independence.

Mr Bright Akwetey described Dr Nkrumah as incorruptible, hardworking, courageous, visionary and humble and an outstanding thinker and intellectual who was totally committed to serve the majority poor of Ghana.

According to him, not only was his achievements remarkable but he was globally recognised, admired and celebrated, for which ordinary citizens and friends of Africa and Africans in the Diaspora voted him the greatest African in the 20th century.

“How many African leaders or even world leaders have grown larger than life in our country, in Africa and globally in death than our revered Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah?” he queried.

Mr Akwetey reminded Ghanaians about the inspiration Dr Nkrumah gave the African people and their leaders in the political struggle against apartheid and for the total liberation of the continent from colonial rule.

Dr Sakara, when he took his turn, said Nkrumah gave his life for the liberation of Africa from economic, social and political emancipation.

He expressed concern over the failure of Africa to unite as envisioned by the Osagyefo, saying that his quest to unite the continent was cut short as a result of his demise.

He decried the falling value of the cedi which he observed had serious consequences for the economy, which invariably impacted negatively on the living conditions of the people.

The leadership of the party led by its Chairman of the Council of Elders, Mr Amoah Awuah, laid a wreath in honour of Dr Kwame Nkrumah.

Meanwhile, the Socialist Forum of Ghana (SFG) has, in a statement to mark the anniversary, said Ghana’s predicament of large-scale unemployment, poverty and hopelessness was shared by millions of Africans across the continent who also suffered from neo-colonial exploitation.

“The only way out of this mess is relentless, long-term, democratic mass action inspired by the core principles of Nkrumahism,” it said.