Re: Nkrumah Did Not Even Found His Own Nzema Nation

Without hesitation, let me nonchalantly disclose to this author that I am a proud and ultraconservative Nkrumahist because I have no registered oath in God’s kingdom to sink the image and development of Ghana into oblivion through ethnic bigotry. Not Nkrumah as a person but his ideals and anybody who shares such visions. I equally support President Akufo Addo’s industrialization agendum and President Mahama’s community Senior High Schools project. Dr. Kwame Okuampa Ahoofe, history is a subject that goes beyond solipsism or your usual obstinate and narcissistic grandiosity over lexicographical and loquacious prowess. Tribal and family oral traditions can hardly suffice as a substitute for Ghanaian history. Notwithstanding the fact that they are important sources of history.

You better show at least a soupcon of respect to Nkrumah because the unrestrained synergy between intellectuals like you in diaspora and other ingrates in the Ghanaian academia (who probably benefitted from Nkrumah’s magnanimity) to swindle the pride of Nkrumah for J. B Danquah cannot erase the fact that Nkrumah founded Modern Ghana. Mr. writer, to be in the same boat with you, Danquah also could not even found his own Kyebi Adadietam nation. Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah, Paa Grant, Edward Akufo Addo, Ako Adjei, Obetsebi Lamtey and William Ofori Atta were part time politicians. They did not adopt any radical approach to independence struggle because they were afraid of the consequences, especially after 1948 riots. Judging from the level of British intimidation and to borrow from Ayi Kwei Armah, mosquitoes could have than better than forming a political party and demand self-rule in the shortest possible time, especially when the Bond of 1844 had expired in 1944. How did they measure their shortest possible time? You know that the radicalism of Nkrumah yielded a great deal of dividends for the independence struggle.

Dr. Okuampa, I did not write anywhere in my article that President George Washington is regarded as the founder of United States. I argued that United States has founding fathers but George Washington is regarded as “the father of the nation”. I quoted professor Alfred Cobban that the price to pay for American War of Independence was the 1789 French Revolution to reveal to the discerning readers; the substantial contributions of Loius XVI to American Revolution. Loius XVI is never mentioned anywhere as having contributed to the founding of the United States. My simple point in the article you responded was that not every soul who contributed to the founding of Ghana could be exaggerated. Danquah and his team were not different from Mr. Dan Lartey because they all formed political parties which did not win any election.

Dr. Okuampa, you knew with perfect certainty that Independence struggle did not begin with the birthing of United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). The contributors could be mentioned ad infinitum. Before, the so-called Bond of 1844, which duplicitously mortgaged the freedom of our ancestors for 100 years, Kwaku Ackah was Nzima chief who fought against the then Judicial Assessor of the Gold Coast, Captain George Maclean, in 1838. Nudged by their egoistical and Eurocentric convenience, some expatriate historians claimed Nana Kweku Ackah did so because of the abolition of Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. This was not true.

Apart from Kweku Ackah, the traditional chiefs who were hoodwinked to endorse the so-called Bond of 1844, the formation of Fanti Confederation in 1868, the Sagrenti War of 1874, the formation of Aborigines Rights Protection Society (ARPS) in 1897, The Yaa Asantewaa War of 1900. J. E Casely-Hayford’s National Congress of British of British West Africa in 1919, up to the post WW2 nationalist movements, all contributed to the Gold Coast nationalism. Before UGCC was formed, Gold Coasters were aware of self-rule. Why did the signatories of the Bond of 1844 select an expiration date? They were aware of independence. The Burns Constitution which was promulgated in 1946, for example nominated three Africans namely: Nana Sir Ofori Atta I, Sir Ako Korsah, and Nana Sir Tsibu Darko into the executive council. The idea of independence struggle was not mooted by members of UGCC. Danquah and his people formed a political party but never won any election just as Mr. Dan Lartey formed a political party but never won an election. After UGCC’s birth in 1947, Emmanuel Quist became the first speaker of the legislative council in 1949 when the governor ceased to be an ex-officio member of the legislative council. Is it not equally hypocritical to only single out leaders of the UGCC as the fighters of independence? Many people contributed but Nkrumah’s Charisma made him tallest of all.

Apostle Paul who wrote almost half of the New Testament was a different Saul during the time of Jesus. Saul transformed impressively to become Paul because of his encounter with Jesus in Acts Chapter 9. Jesus, the Christ changed Paul. In the same way Nkrumah dressed up Gold Coast in a new territorial and political garment known as Ghana. Danquah who did diddly to warrant the recognition he is getting opposed Nkrumah. How can USSR share the victory with the Capitalist USA during the cold War? It defies logic for UGCC members to share the glory of the same vision they opposed.

To Dr. Okuampa and Professor Mike Oquaye, why do you have Danquah-Busia tradition but not the big five-Busia tradition? Probably because of the special role of Danquah within UGCC. Why can’t the special role of Nkrumah make him a founder of Ghana? Thomas Jefferson was not the only person who wrote the declaration of American Independence in 1776, yet he is credited. Nkrumah is also the father of Ghana because he was the first President. Although Asantes existed before Osei Tutu I, there was nothing like Asante Kingdom before Osei Tutu I. There was nothing like a sovereign Republic of Ghana before Nkrumah. By the courtesy of Nkrumah’s diplomatic brinkmanship, Trans- Volta Togoland (TVT) joined what is now modern Ghana in 1956 (By Referendum). Don’t forget that Nkrumah became a leader of the government business in 1951, when Ghana attained internal self-government. Sylvanus Olympio of Togo had a friction with Nkrumah over TVT and where was DANQUAH? Let met set the record straight that I am not a critic of President Akufo Addo as you intimated. Cheers Dr. Okuampa!

By Nana Yaw Osei, Minnesota, USA
[email protected]