On March 6th the west Afrikan state of Ghana became one-year shy of its golden jubilee of independence. However, a much more contentious anniversary passed days before that on 24th February – the coup d’état that overthrew the government of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.While not the first government upheaval in the independence era, the plot executed by the curiously titled National Liberation Council is arguably the most significant – before or since. Author and academic Charles Quist-Adade of Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Vancouver unequivocally asserts: “It was a major setback, not only for Ghana but the whole of Africa!” (1) It is a sentiment shared by commentator Kwesi Atta Sakyi:
“50 years after Nkrumah’s overthrow, we have not been able to match our contemporaries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, among others. Since his overthrow, we have been wallowing in policy obfuscation, political wrangling, and economic downturn, with high inflation, high unemployment, low standards of living, and downward trend in the spirit of patriotism among our Ghanaian leaders and rank and file.” (2)
Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, widely regarded as the “father of Afrikan nationalism” was the leader whose vision spread far beyond the national boundaries of Ghana to embrace the entire continent. Indeed, on assuming the reigns of power on March 6th 1957 he declared:
“The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.”
Nevertheless, reports at the time of the coup, in the midst of alleged economic decline, political turmoil and personal paranoia, were of spontaneous celebrations in the streets. As one of the coup leaders, Lieutenant-Colonel Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka proclaimed at the time: “Kwame Nkrumah is overthrown, and the myth surrounding him is broken.” Dr. Nkrumah’s contention that the coup was orchestrated by the CIA was dismissed by his detractors as “delusional” and “an excuse for his mismanagement of the country through his dictatorial leadership.” (3)
Yet history, and reams of declassified documents has proved the Osagyefo right. Not only were the spontaneous placards prepared in the US embassy (4), US intelligence operatives like John Stockwell were spilling the beans:
“Howard Bane, who was the CIA station chief in Accra, engineered the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah. Inside the CIA it was quite clear. Howard Bane got a double promotion, and was awarded the Intelligence Star for the overthrow of Kwame. The magic of it was that Howard Bane had enough imagination and drive to run this operation without ever documenting what he was doing and there wasn’t one shred of paper that was generated that would name the CIA hierarchy as being responsible.” (5)
Aside from the self-congratulatory sentiments of the CIA, a letter from the Ghana president to his US counterpart Lyndon B Johnson on February 26th 1964 suggests they were not as slick as they thought they were:
“…the C.I.A., seems to devote all its attention to fomenting ill-will, misunderstanding and even clandestine and subversive activities among our people, to the impairment of the good relations which exist between our two Governments… If my analysis of this situation is correct, and all the indications are that it is, then I could not, Mr. President, view this without some alarm.” (6)
In the 50 years since the National Liberation Council ouster, Ghana has seen at least 11 coups, attempted coups or plots, the last being members of disbanded 64 Infantry Regiment in 2004. (7)
During his 9 years in office Nkrumah and his Convention People’s Party (CPP) government put Ghana on an unprecedented road to development by cultivating the intellectual and skills capital, introducing free basic education for all children and building teacher training colleges, technical colleges, secondary schools and three universities (University of Ghana, Cape Coast University, and the University of Science & Technology); established free medical care and built new hospitals and constructed pipe-borne water systems, new roads and expanded the Civil Service.
The government also actively pursued the industrial development of the state, centred around the pioneering Akosombo Dam project to provide cheap electricity for not just Ghana but the entire region. They built factories and industries such as the Tema City Harbor and broke the monopoly of the multinational corporations in the Ghanaian economy, through nationalization policies. They created more jobs in the economy and increased wages and also set up the main Ghana Shipping Line – the Black Star Line.
Much of this effectively screeched to a halt in February 1966 replete with attempts within the country to downplay his legacy, but as James Annan in an editorial for NsromaMedia.Com indicates, even this is beginning to change:
“Even though Dr Nkrumah’s economic and social policies were undeniably the best, his opponents made every effort to discredit him. Undoubtedly, he is so far the best President Ghana and even Africa has ever had… Dr Kwame Nkrumah demonstrated patriotism and eschewed parochialism as a visionary leader. Let’s mourn him for his exceptional leadership which was wrongfully deposed 50 years ago.It is not surprising that in June 2009, President JEA Mills commissioned the Nkrumah Centenary Celebration Planning Committee to organise a befitting ceremony on Nkrumah’s 100th birthday.” (8)
(1) Quist-Adade, Charles (02/03/16) The coup that set Ghana and Africa 50 years back. http://www.pambazuka.net/en/category.php/features/96756/print.
(2) Sakyi, Kwesi Atta, (25/02/16) That Fateful Day On 24th February 1966 — Part 2. http://www.modernghana.com/news/677036/that-fateful-day-on-24th-february-1966-part-2.html.
(3) Quist-Adade, Charles (02/03/16)
(4) Quist-Adade, Charles (02/03/16)
(5) The Alkebulan Exodus Project (17/09/15) The CIA, Kwame Nkrumah, and the Destruction of Ghana. http://rastafari.tv/cia-kwame-nkrumah-destruction-ghana/
(6) Foreign Relations Of The United States 1964–1968: Volume XXIV, Africa, Document 243 (26/02/64) Letter From President Nkrumah to President Johnson. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1964-68v24/d243.
(7) Marshall, Dr. Monty G. (14/10/05) Conflict Trends In Africa, 1946-2004 A Macro-Comparative Perspective, Annex 2b. Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP).
1967 (lead by Lt. Samuel Benjamin Arthur); 1972 (Lt. Col. Ignatius Kutu Acheampong), 1977 (Lt. Col. George Minyila, Attoh Quarshie), 1978 (Gen. F.W.K. Akuffo), 1979 (Flt. Lt. Jerry Rawlings), 1979 (Jerry Rawlings), 1981 (supporters of Rawlings), 1982 (followers of Sgt. Alolga Akata-Pore), 1983 (Lt. Col. Ekow Dennis, Capt. Edward Adjei-Ampofo) 1984 (unspecified ) 2004 (Members of disbanded 64 Infantry Regiment)
(8) Annan, James (01/03/16) How Kwame Nkrumah Was Overthrown By Kotoka/Afrifa With The Help Of CIA. http://www.nsromamedia.com/politics/how-kwame-nkrumah-was-overthrown-by-kotokaafrifa-with-the-help-of-cia/
So we ask the question:
Has Ghana squandered the legacy of Kwame Nkrumah?
1. What should Ghana be celebrating?
2. Has Ghana fully embraced the legacy of Kwame Nkrumah?
3. Was his ousting really a “major setback” for Afrika and Ghanat?
4. How does Nkrumah’s record compare with Ghana’s subsequent leaders?
5. Are agencies like the CIA the real cause in instability in Afrika, or was Ghana a one off ?
6. What lessons can we learn from Kwame Nkrumah’s presidency and overthrow?
Our special guests are:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and UNIA-ACL Ambassador for the UK and national co-Chair of the interim National Afrikan People’s Parliament. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of over 30 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An Africentric Guide To Excellence.
Dr. Kwame Osei: is a well-travelled Afrikan Historian, Writer, Political Commentator and Entreprenuer that has been on study tours to Kemet, Australia and India. He has written over 100 articles that have appeared in a range of international publications and outlets including BBC, Black Britain, New African Magazine, as well Ghanaian journals The Daily Graphic, The Catalyst and Public Agenda. Bro. Kwame also presenter on Insite Radio (www.insiteradio.info), where he hosts a weekly magazine show on Saturday afternoons called Inside Afrika.
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