Stop Disgracing Nkrumah

If indeed "Asamando" is a place inhabited by the souls who have passed on like Ghana's first President and Africa's Man Of the century, yesterday the 21st of September will be a bad day for him. President Mills and his administration in attempt to chase out Papa J and his cronies and to transform the NDC built on June 4th and 31st December revolutions into a CPP and Nkrumaist tradition chose the day of birth of one of Africa's most pwerful leaders to celebrate him. However, his resting soul was awakened yesterday only to subject him to humiliation and disgrace.

When President Mills took over the reigns of leadership of mother Ghana he somewhat single handedly enforced the celebration of this day and even endorsed it as a statutory holiday. On the other hand from when he was sworn into office till this day he has not attended a single June 4th and 31st December ceremony, the revolutions which led to the formation of the party he is leading. Wikkileaks has however cleared why all these happened so let us lay that to rest and look at the 3rd commemoration of the birth of Osagyefo Dr Francis Kwame Nkrumah.

One expected that on a day like this Osagyefo's family and relatives will have taken refuge under the tender care of the government who has promised his love to preserve anything Nkrumah left behind. But painful, yesterday Dr SEKOU Nkrumah, the third son of the man they claim they were remembering stormed out of the program and went home in tears, shame, anger and grief. When I heard him lament on radio, I was sincerely touched. The guy was given a very late invitation as the son of Dr Nkrumah. And when he ignored that disdain and arrived at the program he was given a seat in a far corner miles away from his brothers and sister. Not only was he refused a place on the podium but he was also relegated to a place any common attendant of the program could sit. That aside, he was not even allowed to sit with the former first family of the land. They actually disowned the man they were celebrating's own son from his family and from among his children.

If Dr Kwame Nkrumah was watching this program yesterday am sure he left just when Sekou Nkrumah left. Such vindictiveness needed not to have been shown on a day like this. Apart from the pettiness of it, it actually mudded the very beauty of the whole program. The cameras searched in vain to see one of the sons of Osagyefo conspicuously missing at such a wonderful gathering. I think it should have been a day of bringing all Nkrumaist together and especially his family together in the beauty of it, but a Mills led NDC's victimization left all on lookers with ill feelings.

At the same ceremony, according to The Enquirer, Alhaji Asuma Banda granted an interview to them in which the later is said to have claimed that President Mills matches the BBC Africa's Most Influential Man of the 21st century; Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. I read the interview, and if I was Dr Nkrumah my "SAMAN" will have tormented both Mills and Asuma Banda. How on earth can you compare the father of Africa to Mills. Under which criteria? Please.

I heard him mention sincerity and wondered if he meant sincerity in itself or in another sense. Because I will not call it sincerity when you make an open promise of drastic reduction of fuel prices and later turn round to say it was a political talk. I don't see any sincerity in saying I will consult my "Godfather" 24 hours a day only to throw him out into the cold after he has sacrificed for you to win. Sincerity certainly is not when you lie to everybody about your health. Sincerity is not near defending and promoting your insulting ministers whilst pretending you hate the culture of politics of insult. Sincerity can never be when you defend a tape of evidence to arrest Ya Na's Killers only to turn round and say the tape is not a credible evidence after we have voted for you. If appointing him Asuama Banda as a member of council of state is what he calls sincerity and honesty, then so be it. But even there, Spio Gabrah was also promised a ministerial appointment and has not been given, so what will he call that?

Nkrumah inspite of all that one may hold against him was full of ambition and corresponding action, millions of miles away from President Mills slow pace and targetless leadership. How on earth will you compare the man who constructed the International conference center in 90 days to one who cannot complete a few kilometers of road from Achimota to Ofamkor in 3 long years? Nkrumah did not wait until elections will be near before starting projects. He did his projects because Ghana needed them.

Dr Nkrumah's vision was that all children under school going age will have access to education without any impediments which the NPP implemented. His vision was that the children be fed at school, which the NPP implemented. His vision was that Ghanaian pregnant women should have free medical care. It was the NPP who brought this dream to being. He wanted free medical care for the aged. The NPP did it. All these projects are collapsing under the watch of Mills. On what basis then, will you compare Mills to Dr Nkrumah.

Nkrumah was a fore runner when it comes to issues bordering on Africa. President Mills gave Ghana the greatest disgrace ever by reversing on a decision he paricipated in taking on Ivory Coast. At the current ongoing UN general Assembly I heard Obama mention the parties who helped to re-install democracy in Cote d'Ivoire. He mentioned France, Nigeria and the UN. Ghana's name was missen because of the double standards we showed in our diplomacy. Nkrumah was a bold leader who will say no or yes anywhere and mentain it. Dr Nkrumah will have never said yes in Abuja and say No or "Dzi Wo Fie Asem" in Accra.

It is a good innitiative to set a day aside to remind Ghanaians of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah but if such days will be used for victimization, false propaganda and division then am sorry. Nkrumah deserve a better honor than chasing his son from his commemoration program and for comparing him to people too far below his personality.

God bless our homeland Ghana.

Noah Dugubrame Asare. Frankfurt, Germany.