Story: News Desk Report
GOVERNANCE and economic experts, as well as captains of industry, have given the government high performance ratings for 2009 in its handling of key economic variables and the fight against corruption.
Taking a glance back at 2009 and looking ahead into 2010 in separate interviews with the Daily Graphic, the experts cited the swift manner in which the government dealt with allegations of malfeasance against some of its former ministers, the stabilisation of the economy and fiscal policy direction as some of the key indicators.
They were, however, quick to add that it needed to do more to help cushion the economy.
The President of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), Nana Owusu Afari, urged the government to institute measures that would promote the growth of Ghanaian industry in 2010, reports Kofi Yeboah.
The call comes after industries had undergone a tough year in 2009, characterised by high inflation, high lending rates, job cuts and the effects of the global economic crunch.
Nana Afari expressed the hope that after stabilising the economy in 2009, the government would release funds into the economy to help industries to grow.
The AGI President suggested to the government to focus on reasonable levels of growth and infrastructure development that would impact positively on the growth of industries.
Nana Afari said after inheriting a big deficit, the government had to embark on a stabilising programme in 2009, for which reason it did not spend much for industries to also benefit.
Furthermore, he said, industries could not grow because high inflation affected the base and prime rates, which pushed lending rates high, thereby reducing cash flow.
According to the AGI President, 2009 was a very tough year because the repercussions of the global financial crisis also had a negative impact on industries.
He said in view of those challenges, some industries had to lay off some of their workers, adding that the situation also made it difficult for others to employ more workers.
Nana Afari said the AGI was holding discussions with the government to reduce the cost of doing business in order to expand the scope of industrial business and create wealth for Ghana to become strong.
Asked how industry was positioning itself to take advantage of opportunities inherent in oil production in the country scheduled to begin next year, Nana Afari said AGI members had high expectations for the emerging oil economy.
He was, however, worried that the country had not yet put in place a legal framework on the oil industry to ensure that local industries benefited adequately from the natural resource.
“If we don’t take time, we cannot position Ghanian industries well to benefit from the oil find,” he cautioned.
An economist, Mr Kwamena Essilfie Adjaye noted that the fiscal policy direction of the government for the year had yielded the expected results, reports Daniel Nkrumah.
He said in respect of the four major macroeconomic indicators, the government managed to get the economy into the direction it wanted.
Commenting on the specific indicators, he said although inflation had gone down from around 18 per cent in October to 16.92 per cent in November 2009, it would be difficult to attain the end-of-period target of 14.6 per cent, going by the trend in previous years.
He said there had consistently been an increase in inflation between November and December, adding that he was not expecting the trend to change.
On interest rates, he explained that because the government had been trying to control its deficit, it tried to limit domestic borrowing.
Mr Adjaye explained that although interest rates were not the best, the government had not contributed to an increase in demand for credit in the domestic banking and financial industry.
He added that the decreases in remittances, as a result of the global financial crisis, were also a contributory factor.
Commenting on the rate of GDP growth, he said the target set by the government had so far not been met, adding that there were indications that the country would grow at a lower rate.
The Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana (CDD) lauded the government for leading the crusade against corruption last year, Musah Yahaya Jafaru reports.
It mentioned the manner in which it dealt with the allegation of financial malfeasance against the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, and the referral of the Mabey & Johnson case involving the former Minister of Health, Dr George Adjah-Sipa Yankey, and a former Minister of State at the Presidency, Mr Baba Kamara, to the Commission for Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) for investigation as high points in the fight against corruption.
The Head of Programmes of CDD, Mr Kojo Asante, who was reviewing political and democratic events in 2009, said Ghana had a President “who wants to take a strong line against corruption”.
He, however, said the government had not done well in putting in place the necessary systems to make corruption unattractive.
For instance, Mr Asante said, although it was mandatory for public officials to declare their assets, there was no mechanism in place to compel them to comply with the directive.
Mr Asante condemned the violence that characterised by-elections in Akwatia and Cheriponi, which he said was perpetrated by foot soldiers.
He attributed the situation to inaction on the part of the police and “political interference with the process of policing”.
Mr Asante expressed worry at the “heavy-handedness” of the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) in the handling of suspects and stressed the need for it to be “humane” in dealing with them.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Friday, September 18, 2009
Hundreds coming for the celebration (Pg 3) 18-09-09
Story: Kofi Yeboah
HUNDREDS of people from across Africa, America, Europe, The Caribbean, Pacific and other parts of the world are trooping down to Ghana to celebrate the centenary birthday of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which falls on Monday, September 21, 2009.
The centres of attraction will be Nkroful in the Western Region, the birthplace of Dr Nkrumah, and the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra, where his mortal remains are presently accommodated.
The day has been declared by President Mills as statutory public holiday in honour of Dr Nkrumah, one of the most revered black freedom fighters in the world.
Apart from the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Nkroful, places and projects like the Akosombo Dam, the Peduase Lodge, Achimota School and the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO), which strike fond memories of Dr Nkrumah, are expected to attract enthusiastic crowds from far and near.
Last week Friday, the Vice President, Mr John Mahama, launched activities for the centenary celebration, which would be climaxed on African Union (AU) Day on May 25, 2010, when the whole of Africa is expected to celebrate him.
At the 13th AU Summit in Sirte, Libya, this year, African leaders unanimously voted to adopt the centenary birthday of Dr Nkrumah as an AU activity.
The decision followed an appeal made to that effect by President Mills when he addressed the summit.
Activities to commemorate the occasion, include lectures, symposia, exhibitions and cultural performances.
Acknowledged by the BBC as the African of the Millennium, Dr Nkrumah touched the lives of thousands of freedom-loving people in Africa and beyond after leading Ghana to attain political independence from British colonial rule in 1957 and, thereafter, taking a frontline role in the African liberation struggle.
A visionary leader, he was considered by many as peerless and decades ahead of his generation.
According to a former Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Edmund N. Delle, the difference between Nkrumah and his peers was universality of his person and the manner his messages touched the lives of the suffering and oppressed throughout the world.
“The others also had messages but they (messages) were not drummed home into the souls of the people. Nkrumah could see his future in history,” he remarked.
HUNDREDS of people from across Africa, America, Europe, The Caribbean, Pacific and other parts of the world are trooping down to Ghana to celebrate the centenary birthday of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, which falls on Monday, September 21, 2009.
The centres of attraction will be Nkroful in the Western Region, the birthplace of Dr Nkrumah, and the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra, where his mortal remains are presently accommodated.
The day has been declared by President Mills as statutory public holiday in honour of Dr Nkrumah, one of the most revered black freedom fighters in the world.
Apart from the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Nkroful, places and projects like the Akosombo Dam, the Peduase Lodge, Achimota School and the Volta Aluminium Company Limited (VALCO), which strike fond memories of Dr Nkrumah, are expected to attract enthusiastic crowds from far and near.
Last week Friday, the Vice President, Mr John Mahama, launched activities for the centenary celebration, which would be climaxed on African Union (AU) Day on May 25, 2010, when the whole of Africa is expected to celebrate him.
At the 13th AU Summit in Sirte, Libya, this year, African leaders unanimously voted to adopt the centenary birthday of Dr Nkrumah as an AU activity.
The decision followed an appeal made to that effect by President Mills when he addressed the summit.
Activities to commemorate the occasion, include lectures, symposia, exhibitions and cultural performances.
Acknowledged by the BBC as the African of the Millennium, Dr Nkrumah touched the lives of thousands of freedom-loving people in Africa and beyond after leading Ghana to attain political independence from British colonial rule in 1957 and, thereafter, taking a frontline role in the African liberation struggle.
A visionary leader, he was considered by many as peerless and decades ahead of his generation.
According to a former Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Dr Edmund N. Delle, the difference between Nkrumah and his peers was universality of his person and the manner his messages touched the lives of the suffering and oppressed throughout the world.
“The others also had messages but they (messages) were not drummed home into the souls of the people. Nkrumah could see his future in history,” he remarked.
NKRUMAH - The myth, his vision & mission (Front page) 18-09-09
Story: Kofi Yeboah
SIXTY-THREE years may not be too long a life, but at that age, Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, leaves a bold footprint on the sands of time. His life is a cocktail of myth, vision and ambition.
Seven times he escapes assassination attempts; three times he is buried — once abroad and twice in Ghana; many times his effigy is burnt to ashes; for many years he is mocked and scorned by the very people he liberated from oppression; for a long time his books and everything about him are ordered for destruction in an attempt to wipe out his memory, at least from Ghanaian history; but he survives and remains the most celebrated person ever to grace the soils of Ghana and Africa.
Nkrumah, indeed, never dies! His memory remains indestructible, and with the celebration of his centenary birthday and the declaration of same as statutory public holiday, Osagyefo the President, as the media call him, has gained immortality. In the opinion of Dr Edmund N. Delle, a former Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nkrumah has achieved Martyrdom. "There is only one Nkrumah; you will not get such a person again for the next thousand years," he believes.
From his birth on September 21, 1909 to his death in 1972, and even in his grave thereafter, the life of Nkrumah is extremely sensational. In spite of all his foibles, as human as he is, his admirers, critics and enemies alike unanimously acknowledge him as the greatest African of the second millennium.
Childhood and education
Born at Nkroful, a hitherto unknown village in the Western Region, Nkrumah shows signs of vision, academic intellect, leadership qualities and mythical disposition during childhood. The date and day of his birth, as well as his family background, particularly the identity of his father, are all shrouded in mystery. One profound mystery that Nkrumah himself recalls in his autobiography is a story her mother often tells, that one day, as his mother travels with little Nkrumah strapped to her back, they wade through a stream on the way and when they get to the middle of it, he cries out in excitement that he is standing on a fish, and his mother, to her utter surprise, realises that she has actually trapped a fish under her feet and catches it for a meal in the evening.
Growing up, Nkrumah attends elementary school at Half Assini and his academic prowess is made manifest even at a tender age. Instead of the normal 10 years of elementary education, he completes it in eight years, suggesting that he may have been "jumped" over some stages of elementary education. Somewhere in 1926, as the Principal of the Government Training College (later Achimota College) visits the school, he finds Nkrumah very impressive and offers him admission to become a pioneer student of the college.
After graduating as a teacher from Achimota in 1930, Nkrumah takes up teaching appointments at the Roman Catholic Junior School at Elmina and later at the Roman Catholic Seminary at Amissano. During this period, his popularity and charisma take shape, while his appetite for politics keeps whetting every day, as he interacts with some influential figures in society. His sense of nationalism is inspired more by Nnamdi Azikiwe, a Nigerian journalist who edits The African Morning Post. Nkrumah’s interest in politics is deepened following the deportation of Azikiwe by the colonial government for sedition.
Like Moses going to the Palace of Pharaoh to acquire training to liberate the people of Israel from bondage years later, Nkrumah has to travel to the United States of America and the United Kingdom for academic, political and leadership training to redeem his people from oppressors’ rule. In 1935, young Nkrumah, desirous of pursuing higher education, and with money raised from family relations, sets out on a journey from Accra to New York. He manages to enrol at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, to study Theology and Philosophy.
It is at Lincoln University, the oldest Black American university college, that Nkrumah develops the consciousness of the Black and African personality as he interacts with Black American intellectuals. Buoyed by this new worldview, he moves to London after World War II and helps to organise Pan-African congresses with other black activists, writers, artists, and well-wishers.
Nkrumah’s homecoming
Back in the Gold Coast, the political temperature for independence is rising to a boiling point. The triumph of India over British colonialism in 1947 is strengthening the resolve of other colonies to go for the Golden Fleece. As Nkrumah returns home to join the struggle on the invitation of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), the leading political grouping in the country, his mission is clearly defined — "We prefer self-government in danger to servitude in tranquillity." His vision for an independent Ghana is also well cut out — "If we get self-government, we'll transform the Gold Coast into a paradise in 10 years."
Yes, he succeeds in giving Ghana independence. But no, he fails to transform Ghana into paradise after nine years’ rule. Perhaps, his setback is because he fails to make milk flow through the taps in Ghanaian homes. Nkrumah later admits this failure, but it is too late in the day because his regime is already overthrown.
On his return home, Nkrumah is welcomed to a charged political atmosphere for self-government. As the newly appointed General Secretary of the UGCC on the recommendation of Ako Adjei, one of its members, Nkrumah immediately unfolds his sleeves and gets down to work. He and five other members of the UGCC, namely Ako Adjei, Obetsebi-Lamptey, J. B. Danquah, Akufo-Addo and William Ofori-Atta, are imprisoned by the colonial government for allegedly causing widespread agitation, protests and violence across the country. However, their incarceration rather makes them more popular by earning reverence as the "Big Six".
After his release from prison, and dissatisfied with the UGCC’s sluggish approach towards the cause of independence, Nkrumah falls apart with the group to form the CPP. Armed with charisma, eloquence and extraordinary organisational ability, Nkrumah makes an onslaught on independence. His slogan, "Self-government now!", provides a more potent arsenal for political freedom under the circumstances than the UGCC’s cautious approach of "Self-government within the shortest possible time".
Nkrumah manages to prevail over all forms of opposition, both internal and external, but not without paying the price of incarceration. However, the masses will pronounce judgement in his favour by overwhelmingly voting for him in local election while in prison, to become the Prime Minister of the Gold Coast in 1952.
With the promised land clearly in sight, Nkrumah keeps his foot on the accelerator and at the Old Polo Grounds in Accra on March 6, 1957, he stands before an enthusiastic crowd and proclaims, "At long last, the battle has ended, and Ghana, your beloved country, is free forever." The spontaneous applause that greets the proclamation reverberates in the heavens.
Nkrumah instantly becomes a national hero. The name "GHANA" is even explained as the acronym for "God Has Appointed Nkrumah Already". Many songs are composed in his honour. He has virtually become a deity.
Religion and culture
Nkrumah is a huge symbol of culture in the country. He projects the Ghanaian culture through the wearing of "batakari" (smock) and Kente cloth. Everyone desires to be an "Nkrumah look-alike" and so the wearing of "batakari" and Kente becomes very fashionable. Some people even try their best to mimic him in speech and gesture. It is even considered a blessing for one to have a forehead that looks like Nkrumah’s.
Nkrumah is very religious and while teaching at the Roman Catholic Seminary at Amissano, he writes, "I gained the religious fervour to such an extent that I seriously formed the idea of taking the vocation of priesthood myself." He takes this desire to a higher level by studying Theology at Lincoln University, but Nkrumah has his own worldview about religion. "I believe strongly that church-going should be a matter of conscience and should not be obligatory," he argues.
Nkrumah’s philosophy on religion does not rob off well with orthodox Christians. He makes matters worse after he is believed to be a faithful of African religion by worshiping "Kankan Nyame", an African deity.
Nkrumah and African liberation
Ghana’s independence, according to Nkrumah, is not an end to the fight against colonialism, but the beginning of the emancipation of Africa from foreign domination. "Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent," he declares at the Old Polo Grounds. In that regard, he devotes much attention and energy to the African liberation struggle, sometimes sacrificing the interest of Ghana and his own commitment to the country. He exhibits extreme passion for the unity of Africa and emphasises the point in his 1961 book, I speak of freedom, "Divided we are weak; united, Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world.”
Sadly, no one is listening to him and painfully, Africa is now paying the price of its deafness to the vision and wisdom of Nkrumah. It is for this reason that a renowned African scholar and historian, Prof. Ali Mazrui, observes at one of Ghana’s Golden Jubilee Lecture series in Accra in 2007 that Nkrumah is a great son of Africa but never a great son of Ghana.
In his zeal to protect the interest of Africa, Nkrumah marshals every force at his disposal, including positive action, to resist what he considers to be "neo-colonialism and imperialism". It is on the basis of this resolve that Nkrumah convenes the "Positive action conference for peace and security" in Accra on April 7, 1960, for a united Africa response to the testing of nuclear weapon in the Sahara by France earlier in February that year. "There is no force, however impregnable, that a united and determined people cannot overcome," he tells the conference.
Angered by what he describes as "France’s arrogance", Nkrumah responds swiftly by freezing all French assets until the extent of the damage to the lives of the people becomes known. After carrying out another nuclear test in the Sahara, Nkrumah takes further action by recalling Ghana’s Ambassador to France.
As a fearless character, Nkrumah takes the fight against neo-colonialism to the arena of a world heavyweight like the USA. On March 22, 1965, for instance, Nkrumah goes on a foray and verbally assaults the US in a public speech for causing political turmoil in Africa, citing alleged American interference in the Congo. His outburst against the US is also based on the conviction that America is behind the assassination attempts on him.
The US is extremely disturbed by the comments of Nkrumah. The US Ambassador to Ghana at the time, Mr William P. Mahoney, therefore, seeks audience with Osagyefo to register America’s protest. In a telegraph to the US Department of State, Mr Mahoney recounts, "I looked up and I saw he was crying. With difficulty he said I could not understand the ordeal he had been through during the last month. He recalled that there had been seven attempts on his life…". He suspects America is behind the assassination attempts.
A man of ambition
Dr Nkrumah is overly ambitious. That character initially lifts him to the heights of fame and reverence, but later plunges him into the depths of shame and malevolence. Through his ambition, he manages to fast-track Ghana’s liberation from British colonial rule. After independence, he undertakes many ambitious projects, including the Accra-Tema Motorway, the Tema Harbour, schools, hospitals, railway lines, and factories, using them as the foundation for making Ghana an industrialised nation. Indeed, Nkrumah’s legacies to Ghana are too numerous to recount. His ambitious Seven-Year Development Plan meant to establish factories and public institutions, however, fails to achieve results. Consequently, the country’s economy suffers and the popularity of Nkrumah wanes rather badly.
Nevertheless, one singular ambitious project that stands tall among his legacies is the Volta River Project, involving the construction of a hydroelectric dam and smelter. This is a project described as "the most complex since Queen Marie was selling Romanian bonds". After lengthy negotiations for its construction, Nkrumah proudly inaugurates the dam on January 22, 1966, just in good time before his overthrow a month later on February 24, 1966.
Dr Nkrumah’s ambitious character sometimes makes him wallow in fantasies, some people say. Otherwise, he would not believe that the President of a tiny and new independent country in West Africa can broker peace between a world superpower like America and Vietnam, engaged in war.
"The Vietnam issue is a world issue and the world should be grateful to anyone who would succeed in making contribution towards its speedy solution," he confidently tells a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, as he embarks on a 10,000 mile journey from Accra to Hanoi, Vietnam, to broker peace.
While on his way to China, CIA-backed military and police officers overthrow his government in a coup. Back in Accra and elsewhere in Ghana, Nkrumah is crucified by the very people who have been singing his praise. They destroy his effigy and insignia on the streets amid singing and chanting, denouncing the Osagyefo (liberator).
"The myth surrounding Kwame Nkrumah has been broken," an army officer declares in a radio announcement after the coup. Nkrumah does not seem shattered by developments back home, not even when his trusted stewards are deserting him. His ego has not been betrayed yet as he remarks, "If I were there, who will dare!"
Interestingly, Nkrumah liberates Ghana in 1957 and becomes the happiest man on earth, but at age 57, soldiers, known as the National Liberation Council (NLC), decide to liberate Ghanaians from "Nkrumah’s dictatorial rule" and makes him the most disappointed man on earth.
After his overthrow, Nkrumah finds favour with Guinean President Sekou Toure, who, in appreciation of Osagyefo’s benevolence to Guinea, makes him co-president of Guinea.
However, in keeping with the biblical injunction that, "Where a man’s treasure is, there his heart lies," Nkrumah keeps his eyes, ears, mind and heart on Ghana, despatching shortwave broadcasts across Conakry to Accra and writing voluminous letters, ideological treaties and books, all in the hope of winning back the hearts of the people he so much loves and for whose political freedom he has devoted greater part of his life.
After six years in exile, he succumbs to sickness, and later death in 1972. He does not live a little longer to see the end of the military regime that overthrew him and to witness the emergence of another military regime that will restore some of his lost dignity.
SIXTY-THREE years may not be too long a life, but at that age, Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, leaves a bold footprint on the sands of time. His life is a cocktail of myth, vision and ambition.
Seven times he escapes assassination attempts; three times he is buried — once abroad and twice in Ghana; many times his effigy is burnt to ashes; for many years he is mocked and scorned by the very people he liberated from oppression; for a long time his books and everything about him are ordered for destruction in an attempt to wipe out his memory, at least from Ghanaian history; but he survives and remains the most celebrated person ever to grace the soils of Ghana and Africa.
Nkrumah, indeed, never dies! His memory remains indestructible, and with the celebration of his centenary birthday and the declaration of same as statutory public holiday, Osagyefo the President, as the media call him, has gained immortality. In the opinion of Dr Edmund N. Delle, a former Chairman of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Nkrumah has achieved Martyrdom. "There is only one Nkrumah; you will not get such a person again for the next thousand years," he believes.
From his birth on September 21, 1909 to his death in 1972, and even in his grave thereafter, the life of Nkrumah is extremely sensational. In spite of all his foibles, as human as he is, his admirers, critics and enemies alike unanimously acknowledge him as the greatest African of the second millennium.
Childhood and education
Born at Nkroful, a hitherto unknown village in the Western Region, Nkrumah shows signs of vision, academic intellect, leadership qualities and mythical disposition during childhood. The date and day of his birth, as well as his family background, particularly the identity of his father, are all shrouded in mystery. One profound mystery that Nkrumah himself recalls in his autobiography is a story her mother often tells, that one day, as his mother travels with little Nkrumah strapped to her back, they wade through a stream on the way and when they get to the middle of it, he cries out in excitement that he is standing on a fish, and his mother, to her utter surprise, realises that she has actually trapped a fish under her feet and catches it for a meal in the evening.
Growing up, Nkrumah attends elementary school at Half Assini and his academic prowess is made manifest even at a tender age. Instead of the normal 10 years of elementary education, he completes it in eight years, suggesting that he may have been "jumped" over some stages of elementary education. Somewhere in 1926, as the Principal of the Government Training College (later Achimota College) visits the school, he finds Nkrumah very impressive and offers him admission to become a pioneer student of the college.
After graduating as a teacher from Achimota in 1930, Nkrumah takes up teaching appointments at the Roman Catholic Junior School at Elmina and later at the Roman Catholic Seminary at Amissano. During this period, his popularity and charisma take shape, while his appetite for politics keeps whetting every day, as he interacts with some influential figures in society. His sense of nationalism is inspired more by Nnamdi Azikiwe, a Nigerian journalist who edits The African Morning Post. Nkrumah’s interest in politics is deepened following the deportation of Azikiwe by the colonial government for sedition.
Like Moses going to the Palace of Pharaoh to acquire training to liberate the people of Israel from bondage years later, Nkrumah has to travel to the United States of America and the United Kingdom for academic, political and leadership training to redeem his people from oppressors’ rule. In 1935, young Nkrumah, desirous of pursuing higher education, and with money raised from family relations, sets out on a journey from Accra to New York. He manages to enrol at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania, to study Theology and Philosophy.
It is at Lincoln University, the oldest Black American university college, that Nkrumah develops the consciousness of the Black and African personality as he interacts with Black American intellectuals. Buoyed by this new worldview, he moves to London after World War II and helps to organise Pan-African congresses with other black activists, writers, artists, and well-wishers.
Nkrumah’s homecoming
Back in the Gold Coast, the political temperature for independence is rising to a boiling point. The triumph of India over British colonialism in 1947 is strengthening the resolve of other colonies to go for the Golden Fleece. As Nkrumah returns home to join the struggle on the invitation of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), the leading political grouping in the country, his mission is clearly defined — "We prefer self-government in danger to servitude in tranquillity." His vision for an independent Ghana is also well cut out — "If we get self-government, we'll transform the Gold Coast into a paradise in 10 years."
Yes, he succeeds in giving Ghana independence. But no, he fails to transform Ghana into paradise after nine years’ rule. Perhaps, his setback is because he fails to make milk flow through the taps in Ghanaian homes. Nkrumah later admits this failure, but it is too late in the day because his regime is already overthrown.
On his return home, Nkrumah is welcomed to a charged political atmosphere for self-government. As the newly appointed General Secretary of the UGCC on the recommendation of Ako Adjei, one of its members, Nkrumah immediately unfolds his sleeves and gets down to work. He and five other members of the UGCC, namely Ako Adjei, Obetsebi-Lamptey, J. B. Danquah, Akufo-Addo and William Ofori-Atta, are imprisoned by the colonial government for allegedly causing widespread agitation, protests and violence across the country. However, their incarceration rather makes them more popular by earning reverence as the "Big Six".
After his release from prison, and dissatisfied with the UGCC’s sluggish approach towards the cause of independence, Nkrumah falls apart with the group to form the CPP. Armed with charisma, eloquence and extraordinary organisational ability, Nkrumah makes an onslaught on independence. His slogan, "Self-government now!", provides a more potent arsenal for political freedom under the circumstances than the UGCC’s cautious approach of "Self-government within the shortest possible time".
Nkrumah manages to prevail over all forms of opposition, both internal and external, but not without paying the price of incarceration. However, the masses will pronounce judgement in his favour by overwhelmingly voting for him in local election while in prison, to become the Prime Minister of the Gold Coast in 1952.
With the promised land clearly in sight, Nkrumah keeps his foot on the accelerator and at the Old Polo Grounds in Accra on March 6, 1957, he stands before an enthusiastic crowd and proclaims, "At long last, the battle has ended, and Ghana, your beloved country, is free forever." The spontaneous applause that greets the proclamation reverberates in the heavens.
Nkrumah instantly becomes a national hero. The name "GHANA" is even explained as the acronym for "God Has Appointed Nkrumah Already". Many songs are composed in his honour. He has virtually become a deity.
Religion and culture
Nkrumah is a huge symbol of culture in the country. He projects the Ghanaian culture through the wearing of "batakari" (smock) and Kente cloth. Everyone desires to be an "Nkrumah look-alike" and so the wearing of "batakari" and Kente becomes very fashionable. Some people even try their best to mimic him in speech and gesture. It is even considered a blessing for one to have a forehead that looks like Nkrumah’s.
Nkrumah is very religious and while teaching at the Roman Catholic Seminary at Amissano, he writes, "I gained the religious fervour to such an extent that I seriously formed the idea of taking the vocation of priesthood myself." He takes this desire to a higher level by studying Theology at Lincoln University, but Nkrumah has his own worldview about religion. "I believe strongly that church-going should be a matter of conscience and should not be obligatory," he argues.
Nkrumah’s philosophy on religion does not rob off well with orthodox Christians. He makes matters worse after he is believed to be a faithful of African religion by worshiping "Kankan Nyame", an African deity.
Nkrumah and African liberation
Ghana’s independence, according to Nkrumah, is not an end to the fight against colonialism, but the beginning of the emancipation of Africa from foreign domination. "Our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent," he declares at the Old Polo Grounds. In that regard, he devotes much attention and energy to the African liberation struggle, sometimes sacrificing the interest of Ghana and his own commitment to the country. He exhibits extreme passion for the unity of Africa and emphasises the point in his 1961 book, I speak of freedom, "Divided we are weak; united, Africa could become one of the greatest forces for good in the world.”
Sadly, no one is listening to him and painfully, Africa is now paying the price of its deafness to the vision and wisdom of Nkrumah. It is for this reason that a renowned African scholar and historian, Prof. Ali Mazrui, observes at one of Ghana’s Golden Jubilee Lecture series in Accra in 2007 that Nkrumah is a great son of Africa but never a great son of Ghana.
In his zeal to protect the interest of Africa, Nkrumah marshals every force at his disposal, including positive action, to resist what he considers to be "neo-colonialism and imperialism". It is on the basis of this resolve that Nkrumah convenes the "Positive action conference for peace and security" in Accra on April 7, 1960, for a united Africa response to the testing of nuclear weapon in the Sahara by France earlier in February that year. "There is no force, however impregnable, that a united and determined people cannot overcome," he tells the conference.
Angered by what he describes as "France’s arrogance", Nkrumah responds swiftly by freezing all French assets until the extent of the damage to the lives of the people becomes known. After carrying out another nuclear test in the Sahara, Nkrumah takes further action by recalling Ghana’s Ambassador to France.
As a fearless character, Nkrumah takes the fight against neo-colonialism to the arena of a world heavyweight like the USA. On March 22, 1965, for instance, Nkrumah goes on a foray and verbally assaults the US in a public speech for causing political turmoil in Africa, citing alleged American interference in the Congo. His outburst against the US is also based on the conviction that America is behind the assassination attempts on him.
The US is extremely disturbed by the comments of Nkrumah. The US Ambassador to Ghana at the time, Mr William P. Mahoney, therefore, seeks audience with Osagyefo to register America’s protest. In a telegraph to the US Department of State, Mr Mahoney recounts, "I looked up and I saw he was crying. With difficulty he said I could not understand the ordeal he had been through during the last month. He recalled that there had been seven attempts on his life…". He suspects America is behind the assassination attempts.
A man of ambition
Dr Nkrumah is overly ambitious. That character initially lifts him to the heights of fame and reverence, but later plunges him into the depths of shame and malevolence. Through his ambition, he manages to fast-track Ghana’s liberation from British colonial rule. After independence, he undertakes many ambitious projects, including the Accra-Tema Motorway, the Tema Harbour, schools, hospitals, railway lines, and factories, using them as the foundation for making Ghana an industrialised nation. Indeed, Nkrumah’s legacies to Ghana are too numerous to recount. His ambitious Seven-Year Development Plan meant to establish factories and public institutions, however, fails to achieve results. Consequently, the country’s economy suffers and the popularity of Nkrumah wanes rather badly.
Nevertheless, one singular ambitious project that stands tall among his legacies is the Volta River Project, involving the construction of a hydroelectric dam and smelter. This is a project described as "the most complex since Queen Marie was selling Romanian bonds". After lengthy negotiations for its construction, Nkrumah proudly inaugurates the dam on January 22, 1966, just in good time before his overthrow a month later on February 24, 1966.
Dr Nkrumah’s ambitious character sometimes makes him wallow in fantasies, some people say. Otherwise, he would not believe that the President of a tiny and new independent country in West Africa can broker peace between a world superpower like America and Vietnam, engaged in war.
"The Vietnam issue is a world issue and the world should be grateful to anyone who would succeed in making contribution towards its speedy solution," he confidently tells a press conference in Cairo, Egypt, as he embarks on a 10,000 mile journey from Accra to Hanoi, Vietnam, to broker peace.
While on his way to China, CIA-backed military and police officers overthrow his government in a coup. Back in Accra and elsewhere in Ghana, Nkrumah is crucified by the very people who have been singing his praise. They destroy his effigy and insignia on the streets amid singing and chanting, denouncing the Osagyefo (liberator).
"The myth surrounding Kwame Nkrumah has been broken," an army officer declares in a radio announcement after the coup. Nkrumah does not seem shattered by developments back home, not even when his trusted stewards are deserting him. His ego has not been betrayed yet as he remarks, "If I were there, who will dare!"
Interestingly, Nkrumah liberates Ghana in 1957 and becomes the happiest man on earth, but at age 57, soldiers, known as the National Liberation Council (NLC), decide to liberate Ghanaians from "Nkrumah’s dictatorial rule" and makes him the most disappointed man on earth.
After his overthrow, Nkrumah finds favour with Guinean President Sekou Toure, who, in appreciation of Osagyefo’s benevolence to Guinea, makes him co-president of Guinea.
However, in keeping with the biblical injunction that, "Where a man’s treasure is, there his heart lies," Nkrumah keeps his eyes, ears, mind and heart on Ghana, despatching shortwave broadcasts across Conakry to Accra and writing voluminous letters, ideological treaties and books, all in the hope of winning back the hearts of the people he so much loves and for whose political freedom he has devoted greater part of his life.
After six years in exile, he succumbs to sickness, and later death in 1972. He does not live a little longer to see the end of the military regime that overthrew him and to witness the emergence of another military regime that will restore some of his lost dignity.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
OVER-AGED VEHICLES TO BE BANNED (Back page) 10-06-09
Story: Kofi Yeboah & Francis Yaw Kyei
THE importation of vehicles aged more than 10 years is to be banned as part of government measures to reduce wastage in fuel consumption, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Dr Kwabena Donkor, has hinted.
According to him, 30 per cent of fuel imported into the country was wasted, and old vehicles, particularly in traffic situations, were responsible for a high chunk of the wastage.
Interacting with journalists in Accra on Monday, Dr Donkor said the nation could no longer afford to waste fuel of that magnitude vis-a-vis the substantial increase in petroleum prices.
Currently, the importation of vehicles aged more than 10 years attract a penalty, the essence of which is to discourage the importation of such vehicles.
Last weekend, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) announced a 30 per cent increment in petroleum products.
Dr Donkor explained that the 30 per cent increase in petroleum prices was the result of a huge debt inherited by his ministry.
He said that debt, in addition to the GH¢11.46 million debt of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), “has left the Energy Ministry in a very tight financial situation”.
Dr Donkor said the Government paid GH¢7 million to TOR as subsidies to maintain fuel prices in May, but that could last for only two weeks, adding that the Government could no longer pay for those subsidies due to lack of funds.
He denied assertions that President Mills promised to reduce fuel prices to GH¢2, and explained that the President rather promised to reduce fuel tax by 20 per cent.
Dr Donkor said the Energy Ministry had fulfilled that promise, pointing out that fuel prices would have increased further if fuel taxes had not been reduced.
He entreated Ghanaians to have confidence in the Government and gave the assurance that government would do its best to keep the current economic situation under control.
THE importation of vehicles aged more than 10 years is to be banned as part of government measures to reduce wastage in fuel consumption, a Deputy Minister of Energy, Dr Kwabena Donkor, has hinted.
According to him, 30 per cent of fuel imported into the country was wasted, and old vehicles, particularly in traffic situations, were responsible for a high chunk of the wastage.
Interacting with journalists in Accra on Monday, Dr Donkor said the nation could no longer afford to waste fuel of that magnitude vis-a-vis the substantial increase in petroleum prices.
Currently, the importation of vehicles aged more than 10 years attract a penalty, the essence of which is to discourage the importation of such vehicles.
Last weekend, the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) announced a 30 per cent increment in petroleum products.
Dr Donkor explained that the 30 per cent increase in petroleum prices was the result of a huge debt inherited by his ministry.
He said that debt, in addition to the GH¢11.46 million debt of the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR), “has left the Energy Ministry in a very tight financial situation”.
Dr Donkor said the Government paid GH¢7 million to TOR as subsidies to maintain fuel prices in May, but that could last for only two weeks, adding that the Government could no longer pay for those subsidies due to lack of funds.
He denied assertions that President Mills promised to reduce fuel prices to GH¢2, and explained that the President rather promised to reduce fuel tax by 20 per cent.
Dr Donkor said the Energy Ministry had fulfilled that promise, pointing out that fuel prices would have increased further if fuel taxes had not been reduced.
He entreated Ghanaians to have confidence in the Government and gave the assurance that government would do its best to keep the current economic situation under control.
FUEL PRUCE INCREASES TO SAVE ECONOMY (Pg 31) 10-06-09
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng-Agyei, says the recent increases in the prices of petroleum products are to save the national economy from collapse.
He said although the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as a social democratic party, was concerned about the welfare of the people, the total national debt inherited by the Mills administration was so huge that subsidising the price of petroleum products would be disastrous for the national economy.
"We all have to bear with the government in the short term. In the long term, we will decide, as a social democratic party, on something to reduce the pressure," the minister told the Daily Graphic.
Without giving exact figures, Dr Oteng-Agyei said the national debt portfolio which the government inherited from its predecessor in January 2009 had enlarged as previously unknown debts trickled in from various sources.
He said his ministry, for instance, had a debt of about GH¢126 million, involving commitments to local contractors for work done on the extension of electricity to rural areas, some of which debts had been outstanding since 2003.
In addition, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) had a debt of about GH¢114.6 million (¢1.146 trillion), all of which had to be offset by the government.
He said failure by the government to clear the TOR recovery debt or fulfil its financial commitments to oil marketing companies (OMCs) could lead to shortage in the supply of petroleum products, since the OMCs might not have the financial capacity to import crude.
Currently, TOR supplies about 60 per cent of the country’s petroleum consumption, while the OMCs make up for the remaining 40 per cent.
Recently, the government has come under intense pressure from sections of the public, particularly activists of the largest minority party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), a political pressure group, to reduce the prices of petroleum products in fulfilment of the NDC’s campaign promise, describing the recent price increases as a breach of faith.
The reduction in the prices of petroleum products was a major campaign promise made by the NDC in the run-up to the December 2008 elections but since assuming office last January the prices have increased intermittently, with the latest being last weekend’s 30 per cent increase in prices.
Dr Oteng-Agyei disagreed with the critics, contending that the NDC had, indeed, fulfilled its campaign promise by taking off various taxes on the petroleum price build-up soon after assuming office, which essentially reduced the ultimate price of petroleum products.
He said the NDC had been justified in calling on the then ruling NPP government to reduce the prices of petroleum products because at that time there was a slump in the price of crude oil on the world market.
Therefore, the minister argued, the critics of the government could only be justified in their assertion if the government did not reduce the prices of petroleum products to reflect a reduction in the price of crude oil on the world market.
On the current intermittent power cuts, Dr Oteng-Agyei said the problem was due to the fact that most of the sub-stations were old and cited the Achimota Sub-station, which was about 40 years old.
He said there was the need to change equipment at all the sub-stations but the problem was that anytime work was being done on one station, the weakness in other stations emerged, resulting in the power cuts.
Dr Oteng-Agyei urged the institutions responsible for electricity generation and supply to communicate the difficulties well to the public because "it is not acceptable to always wait for electricity to go off before coming out to say it’s a technical problem".
"We are really working to take the public out of this situation," he assured the nation, adding that the reinforcement programme on the sub-stations would be completed by the end of December 2009.
THE Minister of Energy, Dr Joe Oteng-Agyei, says the recent increases in the prices of petroleum products are to save the national economy from collapse.
He said although the National Democratic Congress (NDC), as a social democratic party, was concerned about the welfare of the people, the total national debt inherited by the Mills administration was so huge that subsidising the price of petroleum products would be disastrous for the national economy.
"We all have to bear with the government in the short term. In the long term, we will decide, as a social democratic party, on something to reduce the pressure," the minister told the Daily Graphic.
Without giving exact figures, Dr Oteng-Agyei said the national debt portfolio which the government inherited from its predecessor in January 2009 had enlarged as previously unknown debts trickled in from various sources.
He said his ministry, for instance, had a debt of about GH¢126 million, involving commitments to local contractors for work done on the extension of electricity to rural areas, some of which debts had been outstanding since 2003.
In addition, the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) had a debt of about GH¢114.6 million (¢1.146 trillion), all of which had to be offset by the government.
He said failure by the government to clear the TOR recovery debt or fulfil its financial commitments to oil marketing companies (OMCs) could lead to shortage in the supply of petroleum products, since the OMCs might not have the financial capacity to import crude.
Currently, TOR supplies about 60 per cent of the country’s petroleum consumption, while the OMCs make up for the remaining 40 per cent.
Recently, the government has come under intense pressure from sections of the public, particularly activists of the largest minority party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the Committee for Joint Action (CJA), a political pressure group, to reduce the prices of petroleum products in fulfilment of the NDC’s campaign promise, describing the recent price increases as a breach of faith.
The reduction in the prices of petroleum products was a major campaign promise made by the NDC in the run-up to the December 2008 elections but since assuming office last January the prices have increased intermittently, with the latest being last weekend’s 30 per cent increase in prices.
Dr Oteng-Agyei disagreed with the critics, contending that the NDC had, indeed, fulfilled its campaign promise by taking off various taxes on the petroleum price build-up soon after assuming office, which essentially reduced the ultimate price of petroleum products.
He said the NDC had been justified in calling on the then ruling NPP government to reduce the prices of petroleum products because at that time there was a slump in the price of crude oil on the world market.
Therefore, the minister argued, the critics of the government could only be justified in their assertion if the government did not reduce the prices of petroleum products to reflect a reduction in the price of crude oil on the world market.
On the current intermittent power cuts, Dr Oteng-Agyei said the problem was due to the fact that most of the sub-stations were old and cited the Achimota Sub-station, which was about 40 years old.
He said there was the need to change equipment at all the sub-stations but the problem was that anytime work was being done on one station, the weakness in other stations emerged, resulting in the power cuts.
Dr Oteng-Agyei urged the institutions responsible for electricity generation and supply to communicate the difficulties well to the public because "it is not acceptable to always wait for electricity to go off before coming out to say it’s a technical problem".
"We are really working to take the public out of this situation," he assured the nation, adding that the reinforcement programme on the sub-stations would be completed by the end of December 2009.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
MORE OIL EXIST IN EASTERN CORRIDOR (Pg31) 09-06-09
Story: Kofi Yeboah
THE UN International Seabed Authority (ISA) has confirmed the existence of about eight billion barrels of crude reserves in the ultra-deep waters of the country's eastern corridor.
Ghana is, therefore, seeking the expansion of her continental shelf to help redeem that natural resource.
A Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Solomon Korbieh, told the Daily Graphic that Ghana had already made a submission to the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) for the expansion of the continental shelf, which has a lot of prospects for more oil discovery.
The submission, which was made to the CLCS on April 28, 2009, in accordance with Article 76, paragraph 8 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, seeks to expand Ghana's exclusive economic zone from the current 200 nautical miles to 350 nautical miles, thus widening the scope of the country's oil potential.
Information gathered indicates that in the absence of any objections, consideration of Ghana's submission is likely to be included in the agenda of the 24th session of the commission scheduled to be held in New York from August 10, 2009 to September 11, 2009.
Mr Korbieh, who confirmed the submission, said it was very certain that Ghana’s request would be approved by the UN commission.
Under laid down procedure, proposals submitted will be published on the website of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea to entertain criticisms and objections, after which a subcommittee will be set up by the commission to sit on the merits of individual proposals.
Ghana is among 50 countries worldwide, including Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Kenya, who beat the May 13, 2009 deadline for UN member countries to seek expansion of their territorial waters.
Experts say the oceanographic work required to research and fine-tune submissions for extension is very costly.
The National Co-ordinator of the Ghana National Continental Shelf Delineation Project, Mr Lawrence Apaalse, said $8 million was budgeted for the preparation of the document.
He said if no objection was raised against the submission, the next step was for Ghana to make a presentation of the technical details to the commission for consideration.
Mr Apaalse, who is also a Lead Geologist at the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC), said but for issues of overlapping boundaries that might arise from submissions made by neighbouring countries, the success of Ghana's submission was not in doubt.
THE UN International Seabed Authority (ISA) has confirmed the existence of about eight billion barrels of crude reserves in the ultra-deep waters of the country's eastern corridor.
Ghana is, therefore, seeking the expansion of her continental shelf to help redeem that natural resource.
A Foreign Service Officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Solomon Korbieh, told the Daily Graphic that Ghana had already made a submission to the United Nations (UN) Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) for the expansion of the continental shelf, which has a lot of prospects for more oil discovery.
The submission, which was made to the CLCS on April 28, 2009, in accordance with Article 76, paragraph 8 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, seeks to expand Ghana's exclusive economic zone from the current 200 nautical miles to 350 nautical miles, thus widening the scope of the country's oil potential.
Information gathered indicates that in the absence of any objections, consideration of Ghana's submission is likely to be included in the agenda of the 24th session of the commission scheduled to be held in New York from August 10, 2009 to September 11, 2009.
Mr Korbieh, who confirmed the submission, said it was very certain that Ghana’s request would be approved by the UN commission.
Under laid down procedure, proposals submitted will be published on the website of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea to entertain criticisms and objections, after which a subcommittee will be set up by the commission to sit on the merits of individual proposals.
Ghana is among 50 countries worldwide, including Nigeria, Cote d'Ivoire and Kenya, who beat the May 13, 2009 deadline for UN member countries to seek expansion of their territorial waters.
Experts say the oceanographic work required to research and fine-tune submissions for extension is very costly.
The National Co-ordinator of the Ghana National Continental Shelf Delineation Project, Mr Lawrence Apaalse, said $8 million was budgeted for the preparation of the document.
He said if no objection was raised against the submission, the next step was for Ghana to make a presentation of the technical details to the commission for consideration.
Mr Apaalse, who is also a Lead Geologist at the Ghana National Petroleum Company (GNPC), said but for issues of overlapping boundaries that might arise from submissions made by neighbouring countries, the success of Ghana's submission was not in doubt.
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