GRAND FORUM FOR NKRUMAH

Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah

By Ekow Mensah

The 106th birthday of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, founder of the Republic of Ghana will be marked with a grand forum in Accra.

The forum is a collaboration Of the Socialist Forum of Ghana, the All African Students  Union (AASU), the National Union Of Ghana Students (NUGS) and the African Youth Improvement Foundation.

 The theme for the forum is “ Youth and Students in National Development; An Nkrumaist Perspective”.

 The forum will take place at the Accra International Conference centre on Friday , September 18,2015 under the chairmanship of Comrade Kwesi Pratt, Jnr a member the Socialist Forum of Ghana .

The speakers at the event will be Prosper Dzitse, President of the National Union of Ghana (NUGS) , Dr Gamal Nasser Adam of the University of Ghana and Albie Walls, a leading member of the All African Peoples Revolutionary Party (APRP).

 The organisers say that they have invited all pro- Nkrumah political parties in Ghana as well as socialists and progressives to participate in the event.

 The Ambassadors and High Commissioners of friendly and progressive countries have also  been invited to participate in the event.

Organised labour has also been invited.

 Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah Spearheaded the independence struggle throughout Africa south of  the Sahara.

He declared at Ghana’s independence on 6th March 1957 that “ the independence of Ghana  is  meaningless unless it is linked with  the total liberation of Africa from the colonial yoke.

Nkrumah made some attempts at building a socialist state between 1957 and 1966 and the extent to which he succeeded is still a debatable issue.

 On February 24, 1966, the Nkrumah government was overthrown by local forces of reaction working for the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America and other western intelligence agencies.

 In a dispatch to the British Secret Service and his home Government dated 15,1961, the British High Commissioner in Accra ,A.W Snelling  wrote “His (Nkrumah ) knack of giving expression to the feeling of so many Africans, who are all the time rapidly becoming more politically conscious, is exasperating …..  we shall be better off without him…”

The  Socialist Forum of Ghana has called on all progressive in Ghana to actively participate in the event.

September 21 was declared as a national  holiday by President John Evans Mills to honour the memory of the Osagyefo.

 Parliament has however failed to pass the necessary legislation to back the declaration.

Editorial

Professor Mills’ Move.

 Very soon it will be September 21 the birth day of Osagyefo  Dr Kwame Nkrumah , Founder of the Republic of Ghana.

 The Insight remembers that during the Presidency of Professor  Evans John Atta Miils, he declared the day as a national holiday in recognition of the contribution of the Osagyefo to national liberation.

 Several years have passed since Mills’ declaration and Government has not taken the appropriate steps to ensure that it is backed by law.

What is happening?

Can it be that President John Dramani Mahama does not support the declaration of September 21 as Founders’ day?

 If the Mahama administration has no problem with the declaration of September 21 as Founders Day, then it must take necessary action to back it by law.

Nkrumah deserves the honour for his sacrifice and total dedication to the cause of Ghana and Africa.

 Will President Mahama endorse the move by President Mills?