CPP: From Glory To Decline And Near Extinction

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah

In the beginning or at the beginning when the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was formed Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was hobnobbing with his colleagues like Nnamdi Azikiwe of Nigeria and Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya in far away Philadelphia.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his fellow African students were meeting on weekly basis as Pan Africanists working to bring independence to their respective countries.

Few of us who lived in the Gold Coast knew little about the exploits of the man Kwame Nkrumah but there was one particular person who was following the exploits of Kwame Nkrumah in Philadelphia.  That man was Ako Adjei, one of the Big Six.

At a point in time the leadership of the UGCC like William Ofori-Atta, Dr. J.B Danquah, Ako Adjei, Paa Grant etc. were so busy as businessmen and lawyers that they seldom had time to visit the office of the UGCC.  The group saw the need to appoint a General Secretary and Ako Adjei suggested Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

It was Paa Grant, a Takoradi based timber merchant who offered money for Mr. Ako Adjei to travel to the US to bring down Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to become the General Secretary of the UGCC. Nkrumah arrived at the shores of Ghana, full of energy and deep insight knowledge of the struggle for independence.

In fact, he brought on board the zeal to prepare as soon as possible for the independence project to take off.

On the other hand, the leadership of the UGCC wanted to tarry small while they understudied the white man before taking over.

This simple difference led to Kwame Nkrumah abandoning the UGCC to form his own political party, the Convention Peoples Party (CPP) at Saltpond.

Whereas the members of the UGCC were elitists, Kwame Nkrumah chose to organize his party around the common man on the streets and villages.  That was why the UGCC referred to them as Veranda Boys.

Kwame Nkrumah was a good organizer who proved to the leadership of the UGCC that organization determines everything.  Nkrumah and his Veranda Boys traversed the land and won more souls for the CPP.

He would visit the villages, sleep with the people in the huts and had time with them in the evenings to talk to the people about the need for Ghana to wrestle herself from the grips of the British colonial masters.  His message was loud and clear: Independence Now!

The dream of Kwame Nkrumah came to pass when on 6 th  March 1957 Ghana attained her independence from colonial rule.  Kwame Nkrumah did not rest on his oars when he was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Ghana.

He worked so hard to earn the respect of all and sundry.  For the eight years that Kwame Nkrumah was at the helm of affairs of this country, Ghanaians tasted honey.

Yes, it is true that our colonial masters left behind money but the money was used judiciously to develop the Country.  The legacies of Kwame Nkrumah are visible for all to see.

The Tema Motorway, Tema Harbour, KNUST, UCC, Teacher Training Colleges, Secondary Schools, factories and many more cannot be easily wiped away.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah's government made sure farmers got the best out of the national cake.  Those were the days when farmers used to sing 'work and happiness' and 'Nkrumah Show Boy'.

The State Farms and Workers Brigade worked so hard to feed the nation while our cocoa farmers always went to the bank, laughing.

For 22 years, the CPP was banned until its off-shoot, the Peoples National Party (PNP) led by Dr. Hilla Limann came to power in 1979 to continue the good works of the CPP.

The 40 year-old doctor, farmer, engineer, lecturer, teacher businessman etc was barely seven years old when Limann took over power.

Such persons did not feel the exploits of the good old diplomat who ruled the country for barely two years and left behind enviable legacies.  Flt. Lt. J.J. Rawlings had launched a bloody coup d'état as we were preparing to go to the polls in 1979.

Three former Heads of State, General Akwasi Amankwa Afrifa, General Acheampong, and General Fred Akuffo were brutally mowed down like common criminals in addition to six top military brasses.

For three months all goods in our shops were sold away cheaply in the name of Control Price. Fuel became one of the most essential commodities and everything was destroyed.

The nation was nearly brought down on her kneels as drunk and drugged junior military officers held the nation at ransom.

We cried to high heavens for deliverance and the Lord Almighty heard our prayers and softened the heart of Mr. Rawlings who handed over power to Dr. Limann when the latter won the 1979 general elections.

It is noteworthy to mention here that the PNP was the only political party that was able to win massive votes from all the then nine regions in Ghana.

During the run-off, the people of the Ashanti Region, the strong hold of the Popular Front Party, led by the late Mr. Victor Owusu voted impressively for Dr. Hilla Limann.

By the time Dr. Limann took over power the country was broke if not bankrupted.  Within six months after taking over the reins of power, Dr. Hilla Limann's government introduced the Trade Liberalization Policy.

Letters of Credit were issued to traders who quickly imported essential commodities like soap, milk, baby food, sugar, flour, canned fish, toothpaste etc to flood the market.

To solve the acute fuel shortage problem, the then Minister of Fuel and Energy, Professor George Benneh negotiated with the Nigerian government for a 91-day credit facility and imported enough fuel to assuage the suffering of commuters and motorists.

In a matter of one year, Dr. Limann's PNP government purchased four brand new cargo vessels from South Korea to add to the 16 ships owned by the Ghana Black Star Line. Life started to become normal when the same J.J Rawlings came storming one more time to turn the apple cart.  What followed is history.

The reason why the Nkrumaists were able to win the 1979 general elections was that they went into the election as a united party.

Today the Nkrumasts are so divided that not even Samia Nkrumah, the daughter of the late Dr. Kwame Nkrumah could unite the hitherto vibrant political party. I wonder how Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is feeling this morning in his grave.

The only seat the CPP has in Parliament has been annexed by the NDC, leaving Samia in a limbo.  Apart from the PNC, a political party formed by Dr. Hilla Limann, none of the Nkrumaists parties has a seat in Parliament.  Will they wise up next time and unite?

No, simply because there are unseen hands working against the CPP.  My late father told me when he was alive that I should always choose the lesser of two evils. For the CPP to come back strong, they should endeavour to choose the lesser of two evils that the CPP came face to face with since 1966.

Dr. Nkrumah's ache enemies were the leadership of the UGCC. The enmity was so strong that JB Danquah, an astute lawyer and doyen of Ghana politics ended up in prison at Nsawam where he died in shackles.

The CPP and UP were at each other's throat and turned the whole country into a big jungle of political hooliganism.

There were times when Dr. Nkrumah could not enter Kumasi.  For so many years the two traditions did not see eye to eye until ex-President Kufour came to power. One of his first appointments landed on the laps of Paa Kwesi Nduom, a member of the CPP.

During the 2000 electioneering campaign, Kufour instructed that the NPP should campaign for CPP candidates like Kojo Armah, Paa Kwesi Nduom and Freddy Blay.

In fact, the NPP never fielded any candidate in these constituencies which paved the way for these gentlemen to become parliamentarians in the name of the CPP.

Kufour was trying to help the CPP build their party in Parliament.

Today, all the three seats have been annexed by the NDC, an offshoot of the AFRC/PNDC.

So as it stands now between the NPP and NDC, the NPP is the lesser of two evils as far as the woes of the CPP is concerned. One gave and the other took away.

The Bible says blessed is the one that giveth and not the one that taketh.

Praise be to the name of the Lord.  When I heard Samia telling the world that she would never accept any ministerial appointment of the NDC, I doffed off my hat for the fair lady.

How can you stab someone at the back and go back to say you are giving her ministerial appointment?

If the NDC had not schemed to snatch the only seat from the CPP, at least, they could boast of having a ball of kenkey on their dining table.

For now, all is lost for the CPP and the only way out is for all the Nkrumaists to put on their thinking caps and reason together as they plan their unity talk for unity is strength.

If they fail again to unite before 2016, children yet unborn will refer to them as irresponsible, good-for-nothing nitwits and halfwits.  This is my story. This is my song.

By Eric Bawah