When the west Afrikan state of Ghana became independent on 6th March 1957, its first president, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah declared: “the independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up to the total liberation of Africa.” (1) Enthused by the example of Marcus Mosiah Garvey, this established the country as the fountainhead of modern Pan-Afrikanism. (2) However, this fervent Pan-Afrikan orientation led to a strident programme of destabilisation by the west, ultimately leading to his toppling in 1966, aided by entrenched internal forces. (3) This coup, as predicted by the Osagyefo instituted generations of “neo-colonialism” (“The last stage of imperialism”) that has gripped the continent to this day. (4)
However, in recent times Ghana’s current president, Nana Akufo-Addo has gone viral calling for Africa to end its dependency on the West as well as praising Marcus Garvey and reaching out to the diaspora for initiatives like “The Year of Return.” (5). Some see this as quite a transformation given that the president is both an ideological and biological descendent of decidedly the anti-Nkrumah, anti-independence, anti-Pan-Afrikan “Danquah-Busia Tradition” of Ghanaian politics. (6)
Nevertheless, Akufo-Addo’s NPP administration boasts that it has turned things around and is rated higher than that of the first president in the areas of health, education and industry. The fact that Nkrumah’s tenure ended abruptly over fifty years ago is an indication of how large he still looms over Ghanaian politics. (7)
Arguably, even more contentious is the NPP government’s bid to vaccinate 66% of the population from Covid-19 by the end of this year even though cases have affected 0.27% of the population, with fatalities occurring among 0.002% of all Ghanaians. (8) This is at a time when Afrikans globally are expressing “vaccine hesitancy.” (9)
(1) Kow A. Essuman (07/03/10) The Independence of Ghana Is Still Meaningless Unless… https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/The-Independence-of-Ghana-Is-Still-Meaningless-Unless-178029.
(2) Ama Biney (04/05/17) Film review: ‘Footprints of Pan-Africanism’. https://www.pambazuka.org/arts/film-review-%E2%80%98footprints-pan-africanism%E2%80%99
(3) Kwame Osei (23/01/16) Ghana’s Day Of Shame– https://www.modernghana.com/news/676718/ghanas-day-of-shame-the-legacy-dr-kwame-osei.html
(4) Mark Langan (03/02/18) Ghana’s first president accurately predicted what Africa’s former European colonizers would do. https://qz.com/africa/1196232/ghanas-first-president-accurately-predicted-what-europes-former-colonizers-would-do-in-africa/
(5) Kwasi Gyamfi Asiedu (04/12/17) A speech by Ghana’s president calling for Africa to end its dependency on the West is a viral hit. https://qz.com/africa/1145953/ghanas-president-akufo-addo-shocks-frances-macron-with-africa-non-dependent-speech/; Paul H. Williams (21/06/19) Ghana president pays tribute to National Hero Marcus Garvey. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20190621/ghana-president-pays-tribute-national-hero-marcus-garvey; Jessica Ankomah (17/04/20) How Ghana’s “Year of Return” Sparked a Pan-African Phenomenon. https://theculturetrip.com/africa/ghana/articles/how-ghanas-year-of-return-sparked-a-pan-african-phenomenon/
(6) Fact Evidence Law (05/08/19) Danquah-Busia founding fathers? They cannot change these facts!. https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Danquah-Busia-founding-fathers-They-cannot-change-these-facts-769489; https://ghanapoliticsonline.com/akufo-addo-wicked-father-assassinated-kwame-nkrumah-akua-donkor-video/
(7) Ruth Aboagye (04/11/20) PPD rates Akufo Addo’s performance above Dr. Nkrumah. https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/PPD-rates-Akufo-Addo-s-performance-above-Dr-Nkrumah-1100410
(8) Christian Akorlie (02/03/21) Ghana kicks off coronavirus vaccination campaign with COVAX shots. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-ghana-vaccination-idUSKBN2AU18W; https://ghanahealthservice.org/covid19/
(9) Linda Geddes (16/01/21) Covid vaccine: 72% of black people unlikely to have jab, UK survey finds. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/16/covid-vaccine-black-people-unlikely-covid-jab-uk; Lianna Matt McLernon (09/02/21) Experts seek to allay COVID vaccine hesitancy in Black Americans. https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2021/02/experts-seek-allay-covid-vaccine-hesitancy-black-americans; The Gleaner (28/02/21) Growing vaccine hesitancy in Caribbean. http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20210228/growing-vaccine-hesitancy-caribbean
We ask the question:
GHANA: Still the fountainhead of Modern Pan-Afrikanism?
1) Has Nana Akufo-Addo’s revived Pan-Afrikanism through his anti-colonial comments, praise of Marcus Garvey and the Year Of Return?
2) Is Akufo Addo’s performance in governemnt really above Nkrumah’s?
3) Why is Ghana vaccinating 66% of the population when less than 0.3 have been affected (most of whom recovered)?
4) How did the 1966 coup effect Ghana and Afrika and what is Kwame Nkrumah’s legacy today?
Our Special Guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centred Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of almost 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Kwame Osei: is a Ghanaian born Historian, writer, broadcaster and entrepreneur. who has been studying World history particularly Afrikan history for over 25 years and has been on study tours to Kemet, Australia and India. As a freelance writer for Modern Ghana.com Kwame has written over 100 articles in publications like Ghanaian Times, Daily Graphic, New African, Black Britain and The World Bank Group. Kwame’s business interests including real estate, land, financial services and farming and is an ardent and unapologetic Pan-Africanist.