Dr
Kwame
Nkrumah
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I
sincerely
looked
forward
to
letting
my
pen
breathe
for
a
week
at
least,
but
in
walked
NAPO.
And
so,
on
behalf
of
Nkrumah,
I
protest!
On
July
9,
2024,
at
the
Jubilee
Park
in
Kumasi,
the
New
Patriotic
Party
(NPP)
introduced
the
running
mate
to
their
flagbearer,
Dr.
Mahamudu
Bawumia
:
Dr.
Matthew
Opoku-Prempeh
(AKA,
NAPO).
He
is
no
stranger
to
the
terrain
and
no
surprise
to
observers
either.
The
boisterous
fanfare
that
accompanied
the
event
was
no
revelation,
but
I
will
tell
you
what
was
startling:
a
portion
of
Dr.
Matthew
Opoku-Prempeh’s
speech
which
brazenly
asserted
that
President
Nana
Akufo-Addo
has
been
the
most
impactful
leader
in
Ghana’s
history
since
1957,
even
surpassing
Kwame
Nkrumah!
First,
I
would
like
to
say
that
you
do
not
compare
the
mundane,
uninspiring,
and
unimpressive
with
LEGACY.
It
is
laughable
and
presents
your
candidate
as
one
willing
to
throw
caution
to
common
sense
and
reach
for
boisterous
lies
just
to
energize
your
base.
No,
it
is
not
a
good
look
from
a
former
education
minister.
If
Napo’s
aim
was
to
be
bold
and
impressive,
then
he
failed.
But
if
his
aim
was
to
be
contentious
and
offensive,
then
I
am
here
to
deliver
his
applause.
You
may
wrangle
over
the
legacies
of
other
past
Ghanaian
presidents,
although
the
Akufo-Addo
Administration,
at
present,
pales
in
comparison
to
the
worst.
Nonetheless,
may
I
point
out
that
Osagyefo
Dr.
Kwame
Nkrumah
is
not
Jerry
John
Rawlings
or
John
Atta
Mills,
or
any
other
past
president
of
Ghana
whose
legacies
we
can
be
divided
over
based
on
bias.
This
is
Kwame
Nkrumah.
There
is
no
confusion
or
debate
over
his
legacy;
there
is
clear
local
and
international
consensus.
He
is
in
a
league
that
President
Akufo-Addo
may
only
aspire.
The
assertion
is
so
lofty
and
arrogant
that
I
am
tempted
to
believe
NAPO
purposely
set
his
party
up
for
ridicule-
was
it
deliberate,
sir?
Because
your
claim
not
only
overlooks
the
monumental
achievements
of
Nkrumah
but
also
glosses
over
the
numerous
shortcomings
and
controversies
of
the
Akufo-Addo
administration.
How?!
Where
Nkrumah’s
legacy
illuminates,
Akufo-Addo’s
confuses,
and
possibly
so
will
the
Dr.
Mahamudu
Bawumia
and
Opoku-Prempeh
ticket.
After
all,
you
have
already
set
the
tone
for
what
to
expect.
To
contend
with
the
legacy
of
Nkrumah
is
to
contend
with
the
very
foundations
of
our
country,
Ghana.
Apart
from
being
the
principal
architect
of
Ghana’s
independence
from
British
colonial
rule
in
1957,
Kwame
Nkrumah’s
time
in
office
as
the
first
president
of
Ghana
was
marked
by
transformative
economic
policies
and
visionary
projects
that
paved
way
for
Ghana’s
multi-sector
development.
Osagyefo’s
government
has
become
a
catalyst
for
movements
across
the
globe,
because
of
him,
we
need
no
introduction.
His
government
is
remembered
for
remarkable
industrialization,
establishing
numerous
state-owned
enterprises
and
infrastructure
projects
aimed
at
making
Ghana
self-sufficient.
Trans-generational
examples
of
his
visionary
stewardship
include
the
construction
of
the
Akosombo
Dam,
which
considerably
boosted
agriculture
and
industry,
Nkrumah
initiated
numerous
factory
projects
to
reduce
Ghana’s
dependence
on
foreign
goods
and
foster
economic
self-reliance,
he
also
established
the
Ghana
Atomic
Energy
Commission
and
invested
in
research
and
development,
signaling
a
forward-thinking
approach
to
national
security
and
scientific
advancement,
prioritized
education
and
built
schools,
such
as
the
University
of
Ghana,
Legon,
the
Kwame
Nkrumah
University
of
Science
and
Technology
(KNUST),
University
of
Cape
Coast,
Ghana
National
College
among
countless
others.
What
exactly
is
the
comparison
Dr.
Matthew
Opoku-Prempeh
seeks
to
make?
Don’t
tell
me
the
Free
Senior
High
School
(SHS)
program
is
the
main
point
for
this
argument
because
my
God,
is
it
hackneyed!
President
Nana
Akufo-Addo’s
administration
is
not
a
period
any
Ghanaian
seeks
to
relive.
It
has
been
marked
by
significant
economic
challenges
and
controversies.
Even
Free
SHS
has
come
with
overcrowded
classrooms,
inadequate
infrastructure,
and
insufficient
teaching
materials.
We
have
not
finished
the
argument
over
how
the
banking
sector
crisis
was
handled
and
Let
us
not
forget
staggering
inflation,
unemployment,
and
unprecedented
debt.
Ghana’s
debt-to-GDP
ratio
had
surged
to
GH¢658.6
billion
as
of
February
2024.
The
fiscal
recklessness
of
this
administration
has
left
the
futures
of
Ghanaians
in
balance
while
we
are
flogged
raw
by
consumer
inflation
which
galloped
as
high
as
50.3%
in
November
2022,
driven
by
utilities,
food
and
fuel.
The
highest
consumer
inflation
in
21
years
and
all
under
the
Akufo-Addo
administration
but
we
are
sitting
around
in
2024
arguing
over
Nkrumah’s
legacy!
Should
we
forget
the
constant
allegations
of
corruption
and
mismanagement
that
have
tainted
Akufo-Addo’s
administration?
High-profile
corruption
scandals
such
as
the
PDS
and
Agyapa
have
completely
eroded
public
trust
in
this
government.
These
issues
stand
in
stark
contrast
to
Nkrumah’s
era,
where
the
focus
was
on
nation-building
and
reducing
foreign
dependence
through
strategic
investments
in
key
sectors.
The
Akufo-Addo
Administration
introduced
a
‘Ghana
Beyond
Aid’
mantra
that
remained
a
dreamy
mantra
never
to
be
realized.
They
have
become
more
of
masters
at
sloganeering
and
less
of
masters
at
delivering
results
for
the
good
people
of
Ghana.
So
how
did
we
arrive
at
this
outlandish
claim?
Nkrumah’s
vision
for
a
united
Africa
and
his
efforts
in
promoting
pan-Africanism
extended
beyond
Ghana’s
borders,
positioning
the
country
as
a
leader
on
the
continent
and
turning
his
memory
into
an
inspiration
to
individuals
and
movements
across
the
globe.
It
is
also
important
to
recognize
that
leadership
is
not
solely
about
economic
metrics
or
infrastructural
achievements.
And
yet
even
in
uneconomic
areas,
the
Akufo-Addo
government
has
been
found
wanting.
The
true
measure
of
a
leader
includes
their
ability
to
unite
the
nation,
uphold
democratic
principles,
and
foster
an
inclusive
society.
Under
President
Akufo-Addo’s
administration,
there
has
been
erosion
of
press
freedom
and
increasing
political
polarization.
Again,
he
is
found
wanting
even
in
simple
areas.
So
this
claim
by
Dr.
Mathew
Opoku-Prempeh,
made
boldly
and
without
substantial
evidence,
risks
distorting
history
and
undermining
the
contributions
of
previous
leaders
who
have
laid
the
foundation
for
Ghana’s
progress.
Such
claims
should
not
come
from
a
serious
running
mate.
Let
us
be
guided.
SHALLOM!
By
Nuong
Faalong