Politics

CPP commemorates 50th anniversary of Dr Nkrumah’s demise

The Convention People’s Party (CPP), has expressed disquiet about the low key manner the State honoured the 50th anniversary of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s death.

Dr Nkrumah was the founder of the CPP whose restless effort led to the attainment of Ghana’s independence in 1957. But his government was overthrown in a military coup d’état on February 24, 1966.

According to the party, the former first Prime Minister and President of the Republic, whose ideology inspired many political activists worldwide, should not be underrated for political gains and individual selfishness.

The General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Akyempim Jantuah said this yesterday when some leading members of the party visited the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum and Memorial Park in Accra, to pay their respect to the late president.

After his overthrow, Kwame Nkrumah lived out his life in Conakry, Guinea. Diagnosed with prostate cancer, in August 1971 he flew to Romania for treatment, but died in Bucharest, Romania, on April 27, 1972 at the age of 62.

The mausoleum has been his final resting place after he was earlier buried in Conakry, capital of Guinea and his hometown, Nkroful in the Western Region of Ghana.

The mauseleum hosts rare artefacts relating to Ghana’s independence.

Nana Jantuah said the party still believed in the ideals of the former president, describing him as an Africanist, political theorist and revolutionist, who deserved a befitting burial after his death.

She said the CPP would organise a befitting funeral this year and that the party would soon release the timetable and also inaugurate a funeral committee.

Nana Jantuah appealed to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, to use his good office to support the funeral, stressing that, “this is the time we need the support of the two former presidents, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor and John Dramani Mahama as well as all comrades for a successful funeral.”

A leading member of the CPP, Mr Bright Akwetey said the party was focused on liberating the African continent and that, the soul of Nkrumah would be sad to see Africa being mentally and economically colonised.

He added that the party was committed to ensuring Africa was fully liberated – financially, politically and economically to address the suffering and hardship of her people.

He noted that the party was positioning itself to strengthen unity among members, saying “the internal wrangling among members is no problem”.

Nkrumah was born on September 21, 1909, at Nkroful, in the then Gold Coast. Although raised in a small fishing village, he had higher education in the United States.

 He received both his Bachelor of Arts (1939) and Bachelor of Theology (1942) from Lincoln University and continued his education at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received Masters of Philosophy and Education (1942, 1943).

BY BERNARD BENGHAN

Show More
Back to top button