Kwame Nkrumah - Independence Speech (Colour) - Accra, 6th March 1957

[wanlov]

e talk am for bl3 inside tho

[thomas72062]

africain heros

[Ghanapedia]

@pictureframeGH - yes, and I think Ghana tried to return to democracy a little too early. Busia was handed an economy that was still in debt & far too weak. True, his government ran out of ideas, but ANYONE would of at that time.

Unfortunately, whatever poisoned chalice that Busia inherited, it was only set to get far worse under Acheampong......

[peasah2005]

Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah is one of the greatest ever African leaders of our history.

Doctor Kwame Nkrumah made sure he wanted to unite Africans, because he dedicated his life onto us.

Nkrumah was cut short with his Presidency, because of those who foolishly wanted to be heard and didn't want Africans to be united.

I owe a great knowledge by the works of Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, 1909-1972.

[Ghanapedia]

I would agree with much of your comments, but mainly about Nkrumah's work as an activist, and his early rule.

Later, by creating a one-party state, suppression & even imprisonment of critics of his rule, and the rapidly declining economic fortunes in Ghana (to a degree not all his fault), Nkrumah became the architect of his own demise.

There is no doubt that had he allowed opposition, he might have lost & gained power again, but he clearly refused to relinquish power legally.

[peasah2005]

@Ghanapedia

But you got to remember that his enemies were planning so much sickening plots to kill Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.

We might think it was harsh of him bring his Detention Petition Act, but what I understand if he didn't stop those who wanted continue to murder and to bomb, then Ghana would suffer and suffer.

[Ghanapedia]

The only plot that came to anythng was the Kulungugu grenade attack in 1962, in which Nkrumah was wounded by a grenade fragment. Unfortunately, he blamed Ako Adjei, who was with him on his tour in the Upper East Region when it occurred. When Edward Akufo-Addo, who was the judge at the trial, acquitted Ako Adjei, another kangaroo court trial was ordered, and Ako Adjei was given a death sentence (not carried out due to coup), and Akufo-Addo was imprisoned !

[peasah2005]

@Ghanapedia

Well both Ako Adjei and Akufo-Addo were part of the so-called Big Six.

When Doctor Nkrumah was in it, he wanted to go his own separate way and that's why the other five apart from Ako-Adjei and Akufo-Addo and in-particular J.B. Danquah who was just a mear puppet for the West weren't happy with Nkrumah and so when Nkrumah won power fifty-three years, it was obivious they planned his downfall the sooner the better.

[Ghanapedia]

The west actually granted Ghana assistance for the Akosombo Dam, despite being concerned about his socialist leanings. It is important to remember that it was the Cold War - socialism was considered pro-Soviet in that environment, and it is true that the West had concerns that Ghana may officially become a communist state allied to the Soviets. This alignment did more to hurt Ghana's economy, because the West were Ghana's main trade partners, while the Soviets traded little with Ghana.

[peasah2005]

@Ghanapedia

I will have to totally disagree with you in one point.

Although yes, Nkrumah added a socialist program during his Presidency, but the one thing, he didn't do was to accept what the West were telling him, because Nkrumah soley wanted to unite Africans all over the place and it is true he should've stay way out of the affairs betwen the West and the East during their Cold War battles.

Nkrumah knew it was right to make Ghana great, because of all his efforts.

[Ghanapedia]

No, true he didn't, but in the Cold War, "socialist" countries like Cuba, for example, were pro-Soviet, so for Nkrumah to proclaim Ghana this way meant that the West would only see it one way. Nkrumah's problem was that sometimes he put African unity before what was right for Ghana. The "loan" he gave to Sekou Toure was a good example, something Ghana itself couldn't afford and could better be spent on development in Ghana itself.

[Ghanapedia]

In a true democracy, people like Danquah/Busia and those politically opposed to Nkrumah would have the right to act as an opposition party, and to criticize the policies of the sitting government (like NDC & NPP today). But Nkrumah eventually banned that, clearly in fear of losing his power. Furthermore, he did not start the P/Detention Act, but merely underwrote an old colonial law.

[Ghanapedia]

BTW, if you go to my channel page, you will see the link to my website on there. We have lengthy and strongly researched articles on most of the heads of state of Ghana, particularly Nkrumah, and also references to the events of Operation Cold Chop. Many of the historical clips uploaded to You Tube are due to be linked to these articles for people to read & watch.

[Ghanapedia]

Ako Adjei & Akufo-Addo were just a few that suffered when they were innocent. The man standing next to him on the podium in the clip is Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, who fled Ghana in 1961 in fear of his life after making a minor criticism of Nkrumah's rule. Danquah & Obetsebi-Lamptey died in custody, and Dr Busia (of all people !) was accused of plotting to kill Nkrumah and also fled.

[peasah2005]

@Ghanapedia

Kofi Busia was just like his mentor J.B. Danquah, because Busia was an idiot, by being so predjuce against our people and telling the British that Ghana needs their help.

It was an utter disgrace.

[Ghanapedia]

I would disagree with your assessment of Busia, the guy was an academic, and a big believer in the westminster system of government. For a time, Nkrumah allowed opposition parties, and Busia was his main opponent, but it increasingly became clear that Busia was at risk to even stay in Ghana, and he fled. There is no doubt what would have happened to Busia and several like him if they had stayed.

[Ghanapedia]

Busia was not part of the commission that chose to adopt a system similar to the British model - that was a commission derived of NLC stalwarts, chaired by Afrifa & Harlley. Busia simply won the election and became the Prime Minister of Ghana, until he was overthrown by Acheampong. But Busia was certainly a champion of this system, no doubt due to his time spent abroad and seeing these forms of government in action.

[peasah2005]

@Ghanapedia

Acheampong was the only geninue solder who stood up for Nkrumah, while Afrifa and Harlley where a bunch of idiotic traitors and Kotoka should've been killed earlier.

[Ghanapedia]

Acheampong was a gambler and womanizer who was broke, and needed a promotion to full Colonel or he would be in financial trouble, and even that might not help. Ironically, he got his promotion, but had already placed his cadres and was compromised, so he had no choice but to go through with his coup or face being exposed for his treachery. His period of rule sent Ghana into an economic collapse that has not been rivaled since.

[Ghanapedia]

Kotoka was a magnificent soldier, a fantastic officer whose service in the Congo was only rivalled by Ankrah, who won a Military Cross there for his valor in bravely disarming a potential assassin of Patrice Lumumba bare-handed. When the NLC took power, they actually ran the economy very well, allowing the country to recover to a degree from virtual collapse. It is seen very differently in contemporary times to what it was in February 1966, thanks largely to the nationalism of Rawlings.

[Ghanapedia]

Busia's only serious rival was Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, but given he was instrumental in the CPP (which had just been overthrown three years before), Gbedemah was somewhat "tainted" as a candidate in the minds of the general public, and he was convincingly beaten in the 1969 elections by Busia, who had a standing as the previous opposition leader to Nkrumah before he was obliged to flee Ghana.

[Ghanapedia]

I think Nkrumah was a better activist than leader, personally....he did a great job in agitating for independence, and the early years of his rule were ok, but making Ghana a one-party state and making himself Osagyefo for life was tantamount to dictatorship. So I credit him with founding modern Ghana, but I feel by his banning & imprisonment of opposition, the army were completely justified in removing him from power given the situation in Ghana in 1966.

[Ghanapedia]

Indeed, Busia inherited Ghana beset by debt and an ailing economy, then came the sharp decline in cocoa prices, which had steadily collapsed since the mid-1960s and had been a major problem with Ghana's economy. The Cedi was also in decline, hence the issue of devaluing the Cedi becoming an issue in the later period of Busia's rule. Overall Busia could do little, and things got majorly worse once Acheampong's economics were applied after his coup.