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| In Honour of Dr Kwame Nkrumah: Africa''s true Patriot |
12/20/2006 |
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Feature Article of Wednesday, 20 December 2006
In Honour of Dr Kwame Nkrumah: Africa''s true Patriot
On 6th March 2007 Ghanaians and those who believe in the ideology of Dr Kwame Nkrumah will celebrate the first black African country south of the Sahara to become independent of colonial rule.
Ghana’s chequered history mirrors the plight of sub-Saharan African countries. Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first president and the man BBC listeners in Africa named as man of the Millennium, declared at the old Polo grounds in Accra that, “the independence of Ghana is meaningless without the total liberation of Africa”. Prior to 1963 Dr Nkrumah proposed for a united Africa based on the same lines and principles as the European Union. He was opposed by some of his peers and their colonial masters. The essence was to keep plundering Africa and keep her people dependent on their handouts. Nearly 43 years later he has Africans have come to regret this lost opportunity. Nkrumah was a dreamer and philosopher. His blue print to make Africa a super power has been adopted by the very powers who called him names! In 1963 African leaders rejected Dr Nkrumah’s African Union as Utopian! Today he is regarded as the best African leader.
Dr Nkrumah was also awarded posthumous medal by the United Nation long after he has passed away. Dr Nkrumah was vilified, criticised, abuse and branded a dangerous communist same people who are today singing his praises! Some of the world’s greatest thinkers have acknowledged that Dr Nkrumah was perhaps the greatest African statesman that ever lived. Most have acknowledged that Dr Nkrumah was far ahead of his time. He was a great thinker and visionary. Dr Nkrumah foresaw the present plight of black Africans some 60 years ago. Nkrumah stated that without uniting our economies, we would become the economic and political grave yard of the world. Some 37 years after his death, this prophecy is staring Africa in the face.
Today Africa is the only continent where illiteracy is the highest and where income inequality is greatest. Today Africa is the only continent where money stolen by past corrupt leaders cannot be accounted for. To the EU and United States of America, Africans want their money back, not aid or handouts!
Today in Africa every child born, comes to the world owing the International financial institutions $400.
Today in Africa orphaned children with no home or hope (like late Nkosi Johnson) are branded as “street children” and vilified by society. They are looked down with disdain.
Today in Africa, persistent hunger and malnutrition among young Africans is rising!
Today, Africa is the only region in the world where HIV/AIDS is killing people with frightening speed.
Today, Africa is seen as perhaps the richest continent in resources, yet her people are now the poorest of the poor in any region.
Today Africa is the only place that children, some as young as 5 years old, go to bed with no food.
Yet some 50 years ago Nkrumah saw this coming and advocated for the total unification of Africa with one destiny and one economy.
Yes Nkrumah made mistakes and was criticised, rightly so, but the stooges and their colonial paymasters made sure that his dream of uniting his people was shattered.
The West stood by as thousands of Rwandans were massacred; they look on as thousands of black Africans are being killed in Darfur. Yet they intervened to stop the massacre in former Yugoslavia. What hypocrisy! Nkrumah has been vindicated!
So who is the next leader to step into Dr Nkrumah’s shoes? Currently no one has emerged who has the same intellect, charisma and the ability to lead the continent.
Dr Nkrumah was one off. At the turn of the century majority of those who voted him African man of the millennium were either too young to know him or were not even born during the period in question, including this writer, yet his work and ideas still lives on! The CIA admitted their role in his overthrown and acknowledged that he is the best leader ever, ever to come out of Africa. They acknowledged that Dr Nkrumah was the only African Head of State who never, ever stole from his people. He was a real Pan-Africanist.
On 6th March 2007, exactly 50 years ago since Dr Nkrumah declared at the old Polo grounds that Ghana is “free for ever”, many Ghanaians are still be living in abject poverty. His educational policies enable many Ghanaians and other African nationals to go to school. Many became the first in their families to go to university. Nkrumah gave blacks the world over the opportunity to feel proud of their race. Today many Africans, from Bamako to Cape Town mention Nkrumah’s name with awe! Africans now realised how much Nkrumah did in his quest to set the continent free from economic exploitation.
Today in the Western world most qualified Africans can be seen sweeping train stations or collecting trash.
Sadly Nkrumah’s dream of “true freedom for Africa” was cut short. Today China is showing the world how unity can bring great economic success! That was the same dream behind Dr Nkrumah’s struggle to unit Africa. He is seen by young Africans, both on the continent and in Diaspora as a true African patriot and leader. His name will forever live on. Kwame Nkrumah NEVER DIES. THE SHOW BOY LIVES ON!
Peter Jeffrey MSc BSc(Hons)Lond.
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