African leaders have been urged to return to the founding ideals of intercontinental unity by Ghana's first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah. Prof. P.L.O. Lumumba, a renowned Pan-Africanist and Kenyan legal luminary, made the call at this year's NkrumahFest celebration at Nkroful, the birthplace of Dr Nkrumah in the Western Region. He stated that 66 years after independence, Africa remained politically divided and economically colonized amid its enormous natural resource endowment.
Prof. Lumumba described the situation as a betrayal of Nkrumah's vision of a united Africa, which must be reversed. He emphasized that Nkrumah's vision for a united, dignified Africa remained relevant and intergenerational decades after his death. According to Prof. Lumumba, Dr Nkrumah was one of the greatest Africans to have lived, and his contribution to the liberation and dignity of Africa went far beyond his country of birth, Ghana.
The NkrumahFest celebration, an annual heritage and cultural festival, was spearheaded by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah. The event, which started on Friday, saw the unveiling of a roundabout with the statue of Dr Nkrumah in the Ellembelle District in the Western Region. The celebration was attended by several dignitaries, including the Paramount Chief of Essikado Traditional and President of the Western Regional House of Chiefs, Nana Kobina Nketsia V.
The event also drew the presence of the former running mate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general election, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh; the daughter of Osagyefo Dr Nkrumah, Samia Nkrumah; and a Pan-Africanist and veteran journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. Prof. Lumumba recalled Nkrumah's advocacy for African unity, including his role in the establishment of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), now the African Union, in 1963 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Prof. Lumumba referenced Nkrumah's book "Africa Must Unite," which reflected his strong conviction that African countries needed to work together to protect their independence and sovereignty. He linked Nkrumah's Pan-African vision to the civil rights struggle in the US, saying Ghana became an important source of inspiration for leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. Prof. Lumumba noted that although Nkrumah's political career was cut short following the 1966 coup, attempts to suppress his legacy could not extinguish his ideas even after death.
The convener of the event, Mr Buah, who is also the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, said Nkrumah's legacy should inspire renewed commitment to self-determination, Pan-Africanism, and shared prosperity, particularly among the younger generation. He highlighted that during Nkrumah's regime, major institutions of learning, infrastructure projects, and factories were established, which could best be described as intergenerational.
Key points
- African leaders must return to Nkrumah's founding ideals of unity.
- Nkrumah's vision for a united Africa remains relevant decades after his death.
- The continent's political division and economic colonization are a betrayal of Nkrumah's vision.
