“We have done with the battle and we again re-dedicate ourselves in the struggle to emancipate other countries in Africa, for our independence is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of the African continent”.   (Kwame Nkrumah, Extract from the midnight pronouncement of Independence.5th-6th March, 1957)

Agoo, Agoo. Ene ye dabia anka ewose yeka yeniara yekrom kasa, Fanti, Asante, Ewe, Nkran, Hausa, Mamprusi ene Dagomba. Nso enam ahoho a ewo ha ene yemba a yebewo yen wo ha a womo nka yekrum kase nti,meka  ingresi brofo ama womo so ati asem a me beka no ase. Nne, yeman Ghana adi afe edounum a yesesaa omano di Sika Mpoano baa Ghana na ye yaa yen fawohodie,a ingresifo fre no Independence.

We should today be speaking our own languages-Twi, Fanti, Ga Hausa and Ewe. But because of the presence of so many foreigners here and for the sake of all those who do not understand our languages, I will speak English. 

 I have the very important privilege, compared to most of you here, that I was born at a time which may be regarded as the decisive phase of modern Ghanaian nationalism. Indeed, I was born in a house in Saltpond located at a few yards from the headquarters of the UGCC-United Gold Coast Convention founded on 4 August 1947 by Paa Grant, Dr. J.B. Danquah and others.The UGCC owed a lot to the influences of the Pan African Movement of Dr.W.E.B. Dubois, Sylvester Williams, Edward Blyden and Marcus Garvey Later on I could tell whether Pa Grant, Dr.Danquah, Kwame Nkrumah ,who had been invited by the others to return from London to be Secretary-General, and the other founding fathers were in Office

When I reached an age for proper understanding of political events, we were living in Kumasi. Because of my father’s position in the hierarchy of the Administration of the Asantehene, we had the chance of knowing all the important players in Ghanaian or Gold Coast politics. Those who were in Kumasi, such as Joe Appiah, Baffoe Akoto and Krobo Edusei(who used to work under my father) used to visit our house. Joe Appiah (father of Prof. Kwame Appiah, Harvard, lived opposite us so we knew him and his famous wife, Peggy Appiah(nee Cripps, daughter of the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Stafford Cripps) Their marriage in London  so infuriated the racist South Africans who threatened to leave the Commonwealth. Peggy Cripps knew more about Asante culture than most of us..

Most politicians who came to Kumasi visited the Ashanti Pioneer, leading newspaper in Ghana and no 1 in Asante. Mr. Tsiboe, owner of the Abura Printing Press and his wife, Nancy Tsiboe, were our family friends and at one time we lived almost next door. Whenever, Kwame Nkrumah came to Kumasi, this was one of his places of first call.

For lack of time, I cannot describe for you the atmosphere in Kumasi, whenever Kwame Nkrumah came there. The atmosphere was electrified. You felt the vibrations even a week before he came. Everybody was informed and people talked about nothing but the Show Boy. He was really an admired and loved figure. A true charismatic personality. The effect he had on all of us was just unbelievable. I can only compare meeting or seeing Nkrumah with meeting Nelson Mandela some years later. You feel immediately that you are in the presence of an extraordinary person.     When we were told that Kwame will be speaking at the Subin Valley, baptised Dunkerque by the CPP, the whole town seemed determined to be there and Kumasi has never been a small town.

At Achimota School in those days we were all conscious of our training for leadership and Kwame Nkrumah had been to our school. So what were our expectations for Independence? It is difficult to describe this in a few words. In early January1948, Nii Kwabena Boone III, a Ga Chief organized a boycott of European goods.. A number of riots followed and on 28February 1948, some ex-service men marched on Christiansborg Castle on a peaceful march to bring to the attention of the colonial Governor their situation. Three of them were shot dead and the resulting riots and looting of European and Asian shops led to the arrest of six leaders of the UGCC- Ako Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Dr.Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey,William Ofori Atta and Kwame Nkrumah-the “Big Six”. The Watson Commission of Inquiry was set up and as a result the Sir Henley Coussey Constitutional Committee was established which made recommendations for the 1951 constitution. On 12 June 1949 Nkrumah broke away from the UGCC  and formed his CPP(Convention Peoples Party) to fight for “Self-Government Now” as opposed to the UGCC’S “Self-government in the shortest possible time”.

 

In January 1950 the CPP declared “Positive Action” that called for a srike and non-cooperation with the colonial government. Nkrumah and his colleagues were arrested. The CPP contested the 8 February  195551Elections whilst Nrumah was still in jail. The CPP won 34 of the 38 popularly  elected seats in a Legislative Assembly of 84 members.  Kwame Nkrumah himself won the seat in Central Accra Constituency by obtaining 22,780 votes out of 23,122. We felt things would be better and indeed things were getting better almost on a daily bases when Kwame Nkrumah became the Leader of Government Business in 1951, still under British colonial and imperialist government. More schools were being built and there were plans  for  more universities-Kumasi, Cape Coast and Tamale -with lots of opposition by the so-called Ghanaian intellectuals and the opposition. Under the independent Government, a Compulsory Free Education Act was passed in 1961 and the University of Ghana and the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology became autonomous degree awarding universities. In 1961 the University College of Cape Coast was established. In 1958 The Ghana Airways and the Black Star Lines were established and in 1966, the Akosombo Dam-Hydro Electric Project was completed.

 I did not understand or agree with Nkrumah’s views     on all matters (we all became very shocked by his use of the Preventive Detention Act 1958 to detain opponents and the creation of the one-party State) but on one point he convinced me right from the beginning, namely the need for African Unity and as means thereto the need to learn the languages used in Africa. My reaction was to get deeply involved in French and study the French colonies. I spent most of my secondary school at Achimota in learning Latin, French, English, some Ga and Hausa. Twi and Fante I brought from home. My best friends were from neighbouring West African countries, Adolphus Tolbert (Liberia) later assassinated by Samuel Doh and Elpidio Olympio (Togo), the only man I personally encouraged and allowed to speak with my sister.Later on at University of London , LSE,I got to know Gil Olympio his senior brother who had also been at Achimota School.My best friend at LSE however, was Winston Tubman(Liberia).Pan-Africanism and African Unity have been the essential keys for my political understanding and the impetus came from Kwame Nkrumah. Incidentally, his favourite interpreter was Charles Paterson (Santa Lucia) who taught me French and some Spanish at Achimota. My art teacher,Kofi Antubam(1922-1964) was busy designing the State Mace and the panels to the doors of the Legislative Assembly and my music teacher,Philip Gbeho(1904-1976) was composing the national anthem. There was no way you could escape the Independence fever.

When in 1955 I returned from a visit to Abidjan, the Asantes were active in promoting separatism. The NLM did not want a unitary Ghana. So another general election was held on July 1956. The CPP won again with 72 out of the 104 seats and on 3 August Nkrumah moved the “motion of destiny” in the Legislative Assembly for independence for the Gold Coast and Britain accepted. (Previously, in on 15th June 1954 the CPP had won 71 out of 104 seats). But what was or is the real significance of the independence of Ghana?

1. Ghana was the first State, south of the Sahara to gain independence from colonial and imperialist domination and rule.

2.The independence of Ghana strengthened the fight  against colonialism and imperialism-Nkrumah set up the Bureau of African Affairs which assisted other Africans fighting colonialism-training facilities were offered-Dr Kamuzu Banda, Robert Mugabe and many others all benefited from the independent Ghana under Nkrumah. 

3 African Unity and Pan-Africanism gained dynamic momentum. Nkrumah had stated on the eve of independence that the independence of Ghana would be meaningless unless it was linked with the total liberation of the whole of Africa.

With this in view, on 15 April 1958 he called a conference of independent African States in Accra-(I was there).8 African States attended-Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, the Sudan.Tunisia,Egypt(then the United Arab Republic).Again in December 1958,the All African Peoples Conference was called in Accra and was attended by prominent Africans from the Diaspora such as Dr.Dubois who started the Encyclopaedia Africana Project and by George Padmore who had been joint Secretary with Nkrumah of the 1945 Pan African Congress in Manchester,1945.

With this in view, on 15 April 1958 he called a conference of independent African States in Accra-(I was there).8 African States attended-Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Libya, Morocco, the Sudan.Tunisia,Egypt(then the United Arab Republic).Again in December 1958,the All African Peoples Conference was called in Accra and was attended by prominent Africans from the Diaspora such as Dr.Dubois who started the Encyclopaedia Africana Project and by George Padmore who had been joint Secretary with Nkrumah of the 1945 Pan African Congress in Manchester,1945. It is no exaggeration to state that the Organization of African Unity (OAU) was established largely due to Nkrumah’s persistent and urgent warnings that Africa’s fate will depend on our ability to unite. Kwame Nkrumah hardly spent a day without urging the other African leaders about the need to unite. Nkrumah forged unions between Ghana and Guinea and later on with Mali. Future historian will surely agree with  what Amilcar Cabral said at the burial of Nkrumah: «  Nous vivons ici auprès de la dépouille mortelle du President Kwame Nkrumah- l’un des plus grands hommes que l’humanité ait eu dans ce siecle-nous vivons un moment transcendant de l’histoire de la lutte pour la libération et le progrès de l’Afrique. Nous pourrions dire, de l’histoire to court ». In any case the BBC’s oversears listeners have chosen  in 2000 Kwame Nkrumah as the Personality of the Millennium.

4. Ghana’s admission into the United Nations and the subsequent admission of other African States into the United Nations meant that the fight against colonialism, imperialism and racism was entering a new phase of pressure on illegal occupants such as the French, British, Belgians, Spanish and the Portuguese. Apartheid in South Africa was going to face tremendous attacks from the United Nations and African States.

It is often said that in the economic field Ghana has not done so well. Such a conclusion must be carefully examined.

1.    Criticism of Ghana’s economic performance since independence is almost always based on the assumption that the colonial days were a golden era. But is this true? Slavery is conveniently forgotten or is declared irrelevant without examining its permanent effect on our economy and on the mentality of all involved. Can one separate slavery entirely from the persistence of racism and racial attitudes?

2. More important than colonialism and imperialism is slavery. Let us reflect. Slavery lasted longer,16 to 19th century The African slave trade played an important role in the stabilization of European economy, in its transition to capitalism, in the development of the Nation State and in  the establishment of empires. The opening of the Atlantic and its trade led to the development of Europe’s commercial empire and industrial revolution. Africans were recruited to do all the necessary job of extracting wealth from America-New World-sugar, tobacco, metals, gold, cotton etc was done by African labour and exported from the colonies through the capitalist enterprises of Western Europe. It is no accident that the great European cities which were built on slave labour were ports  such as Liverpool, Marseilles, Amsterdam, Antwerp Bordeaux, Hamburg, Nantes Lisbon and London etc

3) The capital and raw materials from the Atlantic slave trade contributed enormously to the commercial and industrial revolution of Europe. What did AFRICANS GAIN FROM ALL THIS, EXCEPT PAIN AND SORROW? Where is our compensation? Our reparation? We have not even got a word of “sorry” from the Christian Churches that actively supported this nefarious trade or from the leaders of those Western countries that benefited from this wicked and sinful enterprise of slavery. On the contrary, they laugh in your face and even deny that they benefited from the trade. So what was all the enormous displacement and suffering of Africans for? Did they all die for nothing?

THE LEGACY BEFORE INDEPENDENCE 

The foundations laid down by slavery, colonialism and imperialism over the centuries clearly laid down the patterns of the independent African States. Decades of neglect, exploitation and oppression are not the best preparation for democracy and human rights. Colonialism and slavery are not preparatory schools for human rights.

With the colonial economy based on monoculture-mainly to extract wealth and provide raw materials, the African states like Ghana, entered independence with enormous handicaps-inadequacies everywhere-in education, in infrastructures-roads and hospitals. Independent governments did make remarkable progress. For example under Nkrumah more schools were built between 1957 -1965 than under British rule from 1844 -1957! 

Instability in prices of raw materials and foreign manipulation, aided by internal strife- using colonial methods led to coup d’Etats supported by colonial powers (1965 in Nigeria and 1966 in Ghana). The Western support for military regimes and hatred of civilian rule is not difficult to explain. Most strong Pan Africanists have been assassinated or overthrown by Western powers-Nkrumah, Lumumba, Cabral, Mondlane, Samora Machel etc.

History shows us that the African people cannot rely on others for their well being. We have to take our own destiny into our own hands. We have survived many tribulations and can count on our own resources, if we will only draw the hard and obvious lessons of some 500 years of relationship with Western Europe The Portuguese came in 1471 and the British left in 1956. We shoulkd not be deceived by those,Africans and Europeans who want us to convinve us that 500 years of spoilation and domoination have nothing to do with the present poor peformances of many African economies. The history of Ghana is full of lessons and we should be proud of the country of Nkrumah ,Aggrey and Danquah. As Africans, we have the ideas of Kwame Nkrumah, Amilcar Cabral, Frantz Fanon, Walter Rodney and Cheikh Anta Diop, among others, to guide us in our quest for freedom and prosperity.

Kwame Opoku.` 6 March, 2007 Vienna.

Select Bibliography

Kwame Nkrumah

•    Ghana: The Autobiography of Kwame Nkrumah (1957) ISBN 0901787604

•    Africa Must Unite (1963) ISBN 0901787132

•    African Personality (1963)

•    Neo-Colonialism: the Last Stage of Imperialism (1965) ISBN 090178723X

•    Axioms of Kwame Nkrumah (1967) ISBN 090178754X

•    African Socialism Revisited (1967)

•    Voice From Conakry (1967) ISBN 9017870273

•    Handbook for Revolutionary Warfare (1968)

•    Consciencism: Philosophy and Ideology for De-Colonisation (1970) ISBN 0901787116

•    Class Struggle in Africa (1970) ISBN 0901787124

•    The Struggle Continues (1973) ISBN 0901787418

•    I Speak of Freedom (1973) ISBN 0901787140

•    Revolutionary Path (1973) ISBN 0901787221

•    Amilcar Cabral

Unity and Struggle:Speeches and Writings Revolution in Guinea;Selected Texts(1970)

No fist is Big Enough to Hide the Sky (1984)

 

 

Cheikh Anta Diop

•    The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or Reality

•    Civilization or Barbarism: An Authentic Anthropology

•    Precolonial Black Africa

•    Black Africa: The Economic and Cultural Basis for a Federated State

•    The Cultural Unity of Black Africa: The Domains of Patriarchy and of Matriarchy in Classical Antiquity

•    Towards the African Renaissance: Essays in African Culture and Development, 1946-1960

•    The Peopling of Ancient Egypt & the Deciphering of the Meroitic Script

 

Frantz Fanon

•    Black Skin, White Masks, transl. Charles Lam Markmann (1967: New York, Grove Press)

•    A Dying Colonialism

•    Toward the African Revolution

•    The Wretched of the Earth, transl. Constance Farrington (1963: New York, Grove Weidenfeld)

•    Toward the African Revolution, transl. Haakon Chavalier (1969: New York, Grove Press)

•    "Reciprocal Bases of National Culture and the Fight for Freedom" A Speech by Frantz Fanon included in The Wretched of the Earth Walter Rodney How Europe Underdeveloped Africa 1972, Bogle-L'Ouverture Publications (ISBN 0-9501546-4-4)

 

Chinweizu

The West  and the  Rest of US(1975) ISBN 0 394-71522-5.

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