HAVE YOUR SAY: 02071930174
On March 6th the republic of Ghana is 60 years old, although no longer considered to be the fountainhead of the west Afrikan state is nevertheless lauded in some quarters for its electoral and economic stability and for being a “wonderful success story economically on the continent.” (1)
At the time of independence then president, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah, stressed the inexplicable link between his country’s fortunes and that of the entire continent (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTTdi8AjZg8):
“Nkrumah’s Ghana had had a huge role in liberating Africa. He set up training camps in Ghana for African freedom fighters, and through financial, political and other support, Nkrumah’s Ghana kept the African liberation torch burning very brightly.” (2)
At home, Nkrumah set about industrialising the nation with gusto. Within his nine year tenure, “Ghana had 68 sprawling state-owned factories producing every need of the population: from shoes, to textiles, to furniture, to lorry tyres, to canned fruits, vegetables and beef; to glass, to radio and TV; to books, to steel, to educated manpower, virtually everything!” (3)
The programme was brought to screeching halt by the CIA inspired coup in February 1966. Consequently, many of the pioneering initiatives like compulsory free education for all citizens and free medical care were reversed, while others were sold off or “left to rot.” (4)
Externally, Nkrumah articulated a vision of a United States of Afrika. This began tentatively with the Ghana-Guinea-Mali Union, with considerations that this could have been expanded to include Congo and Nigeria. (5) The More expansive, continent-wide project, the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) was founded on 25th May 1963, termed Afrika Liberation Day. However, in service of a symbolic unifying structure the body was essentially a compromise between the revolutionary, reformist and reactionary perspectives that dominated the political scene at the time and even this was largely due to the diplomatic acumen of His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie. (6)
“…the OAU, intended to form the continental base for pan-Africanism but resulting in a watered-down compromise between competing ideological blocs. At the outset, then, complete unification seemed unattainable. The divisions rendered the construction of a union government based on a consensus of structural, military and political institutions untenable. The OAU was thus founded with the intention that the organisation would proceed, incrementally, with unification until the eventual goal of a Union of African States was realised.” (7)
The goal was not realised and in May 2001 the OAU was replaced with the African Union (AU). Arguably, the constituents of the new body determined that the OAU’s goal was not necessary – if not already achieved, given that it’s founding document only refers to ‘liberation’ in the past tense. (8)
This is not to say that the current continental leadership doesn’t in some way acknowledge the challenges still facing the continent. At a Heads of State and Government retreat in July 2016, in Kigali, Rwanda, host president was tasked with conducting a study on the institutional reform of the AU. He delivered his report on January 29 2017. The Background and Introduction begins:
“As unprecedented challenges multiply and spread across the globe at a dizzying pace, new vulnerabilities are increasingly laid bare, in rich and poor nations alike.
Every country must adapt, but the distinctive feature of recent developments is that even the wealthiest and most technologically advanced nations cannot hope to deal with the changes alone.
Even as the dramatic political upheavals unfolding in many states create new uncertainties about the future of multilateral cooperation, it is clear that effectively confronting issues such as climate change, violent extremist ideologies, disease pandemics, or mass migration requires close cooperation with others, mediated in many cases by focused and effective regional organisations.
This is nowhere more true than in Africa, where the arbitrary internal divisions imposed on us by history, have left us relatively more isolated, both from each other and the world as a whole.” (9)
The report has met with some criticism. Henry Makori, an editor with Pambazuka News asserts that the AU “needs a total overhaul, not mere reform.” He chides the report for using the language of neo-liberalism and essentially gutting the AU of any sense of Pan-Afrikan mission. Makori concludes that with “the imperialists” contributing 74% towards its overall costs and funding 97% of its programmes the AU is incapable of carrying out a Pan-Afrikanist mandate.
“Please read that again: Africa’s internal divisions were “imposed on us by history.” Oh, really? Which history? Whose history? Like the unprecedented challenges multiplying and spreading virally across the globe apparently on their own, some impersonal thing called history imposed divisions on Africa. Not the European colonialists. No, it is history that is guilty. Could there possibly be a more brazen attempt by a group of Africans to absolve European colonialists of one of the most egregious crimes against humanity, as that great son of Africa Samora Machel described it? If this is the thinking within the African Union, will this organization ever raise the issue of reparations for colonialism and the Slave Trade (which, by the way, was also imposed on us by history)?” (10)
(1) Faith Karimi (09/03/12) – Obama hails Ghana as ‘model for democracy’ in Africa. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/08/world/africa/obama-ghana-president/
(2) Baffour Ankomah (2007) Ghana Celebrates, African Rejoices. New African Magazine # 460. p. 28. https://www.newsghana.com.gh/achievements-of-nkrumah-and-where-ghana-would-have-been-today/
(3) Ibid.
(4) Convention People’s Party (2017) Achievements. http://conventionpeoplesparty.org/?q=node/41
(5) Hilary Ojukwu (01/07/13) Kwame Nkrumah: A True Champion Of African Unity By Hilary Ojukwu.http://uhuruspirit.org/opinion/opiniondetail.php?x=21#.WLzpbjjE24I
(6) Asfa-Wossen Asserate (2015) King of Kings: The Triumph and Tragedy of Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Haus Publishing Ltd. p. 253-4
(7) South African History Online (03/04/11) Organisation of African Unity. http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/organisation-african-unity-oau
(8) African Union (11/07/00) Constitutive Act Of The African Union. https://au.int/web/sites/default/files/pages/32020-file-constitutiveact_en.pdf
(9) Paul Kagame (29/01/17) The Imperative To Strengthen Our Union: Report on the Proposed Recommendations for the Institutional Reform of the African Union.
(10) Henry Makori (23/02/17) Not reform, overhaul the African Union. https://www.pambazuka.org/pan-africanism/not-reform-overhaul-african-union
So we ask the question:
Ghana@60: Is there still a Pan-Afrikan vision?
1. In what way is Ghana a “wonderful success story”?
2. Does current regard for Ghana show how much Afrika has progressed?
3. How would an Nkrumahist vision fit into modern Ghana?
4. Has the African Union abandoned it’
5. Does Afrika lead a leader like Kwame Nkrumah to galvanise the Pan-Afrikan mission?
Our very special guests:
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 African-Centred Guide To Excellence.
Dr. Kwame Osei (invited): 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.
Hear weekly discussions and lively debate on all issues affecting the Afrikan community, at home and abroad. We talk it straight and make it plain!
ASwA Hosted by Sis Kai Ouagadou-Mbandaka and Bro ShakaRa
CLICK HERE to view latest AFRIKA SPEAKS show details. Leave a comment and contribute to the discussion.
Afrika Speaks with Alkebu-Lan
Galaxy Radio | 102.5fm | http://www.galaxyafiwe.com (To listen live)
HAVE YOUR SAY: 02071930174
MONDAY 8pm-10pm
International Listeners:
4-6 pm Eastern Caribbean Time
12-2 pm Pacific Standard Time
1-3 pm Mountain Standard Time
2-4 pm Central Standard Time
3-4 pm Eastern Standard Time