Public Lecture Marks DR Nkrumah's Centenary Celebration

Apublic lecture has been held in Accra to mark the centenary celebration of the birth of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

Organised by the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, the lecture was on the theme, “Kwame Nkrumah at 100: Celebrating the life and legacies of a Pan African legend”.

Delivering the lecture, Dr Kwesi Jonah, a lecturer at the University of Ghana, said that Dr Kwame Nkrumah as an individual, was far more greater and famous than the country, Ghana.

“It was therefore no wonder that he was voted the man of the millennium in December, 1999 by listeners of British Broadcasting Corporation, (BBC)” he said.

He said Nkrumah stood and fought for social justice and equality of opportunity for all individuals and nations adding “these were what made the man great and for which he would forever be remembered”.

According to Dr Jonah, Nkrumah radiated the highest of human values in the country and the continent adding that “As a strategic thinker, he knew what to do, when and how to do it”.

Whatever struggle Nkrumah engaged in, he fought for unity and equality and that is why we can beat our chest as a nation that we are and would remain a solidly united country he stressed adding that “the man really laid a good foundation”.

 In his welcome address, Mr K. Manu-Asiamah, Director of the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park, noted that the programme was initiated to help project the image and relevance of Nkrumah in Ghana's political history, Africa's liberation struggle and our attempts as African at continental unity.

According to him, Nkrumah incarnated the vision, humanity, pride and dignity of the black man the world over and that is why the park has availed itself with the vision and symbolic humanity of the man through a forum like this.

Mr Manu-Asiamah, however observed that the collection of artifacts on Nkrumah need to be properly taken care of and called for help to build a structure to house and protect them from the sea breeze.

Nkrumah's two official vehicles, Pontiac and Rolls Royce cars would be delivered to the park soon.

He also called on the government and the public to help stock Ghanaian bookshops with Nkrumah's books for the benefit of the public and the youth in particular.

“The availability of these books is one sure way of attracting more visitors,” he emphasised.