SECRET: How The British Considered Replacing Nkrumah With Asantehene

Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah

By Michael Kwabena Esson

Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, first president of Ghana suffered hugely from internal problems within his party and also the intrigue and sabotage of the West including the Government of Britain.

Newly declassified memos and letters from the commonwealth and foreign office clearly finger the British establishment, including its High Commission in Accra as prime movers of the conspiracy against Nkrumah.

The shocking revelations point to the fact that at one stage, the British establishment  was playing with the idea of replacing Nkrumah with the Asantehene.

The idea was abandoned only on account of the ill health of the Asantehene.

From today, “The Insight” will start the publication of these confidential materials as part of activities marking  the 50^th anniversary of the 1966 coup sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency of the USA.

File 2WAKl163

File begins 7 Dec 1962

File title: Mr Kobina Kessie
Heading: Biographies
Marked SECRET

From: M. McMullen, on 7 Dec 1962
To: V.C. Martin

Dear Martin

The Secretary of State may like to see the note behind the draft on a recent S.L.O. Report from Accra, which tends to support Mr Russell's information that Nkrumah may be 'on his way out'. It is not however, thought that the Asantehene is in the running as a possible successor. He is an old man suffering from advanced tuberculosis. He is returning to Ghana accompanied by his British medical adviser this weekend and is not expected to live long thereafter.

In a confused and obscure political situation such as that obtaining in Ghana today, it would not be surprising if there were 'understandings' between those on the fringes of power who are of the same tribe. Something of the same kind in the Ga tribe seems to have been behind the Adamafio arrests.

The Secretary of State might wish to reply along the lines of the draft opposite.

M. McMullen 7.12.62 .

Mr Chadwick

The information in the letter at (2) that Nkrumah may be 'on his way out' has already been reported to us by our Office in Accra and has in fact been discussed with astonishing frankness by the head of the Ghanaian Special Branch with the S.L.O. in Accra.
Mr McMullen's note behind the draft reply summarises this recent conversation between Mr Harlley and Mr Thompson.

The BBC correspondent who has been in Accra recently has reported much the same impression, ie, that educated Ghanaians are now beginning to talk openly about a possible successor to Nkrumah.

In view of the Asantehene' s present state of health, it is, however, extremely unlikely that he could take over power in Ghana at present. To that extent, the information in the letter at (2) is certainly wide of the mark.

The Secretary of State may wish to reply to Mr Martin Russell with a simple acknowledgement. In view of the information given, it might be rather awkward to go into further details.

v. C. Martin

10.12.62

head of Commonwealth Relations Office West African Political Dept

SECRET

C. Duke writes on 15 July 1964
To: VC Martin

It has been suggested in I.R.D. in the F.O that it would be useful to have a book published which would show up the nature of Nkrumah's activities in Black Africa generally and in particular in East Africa.

Someone who is considered likely to be a suitable author for such a book is Mr Cobina Kessie who was, until lately, the Ghanaian ambassador in Cairo for a number of years. He was apparently given this appointment as a staunch supporter of Nkrumah but subsequently became disillusioned and has now come to this country.

It is fully appreciated that the promotion of such a book would have to be strictly unattributable. IRD seek our agreement that an approach should be made to Mr Kessie by a Director of the Bodley Head who would publish the book as a straight commercial undertaking. There would be no indication of any official connection with it.

Would you agree to this proposal?
C. Duke

15.7.64

V.C. Martin minute:

"He has changed sides more than once. In the past he has also supported Dr Busia.

VCM, 17.8.64

"I discussed again with Mr VC Martin the proposal to encourage Mr Kessie to write a book about Nkrumah originally raised in my minute of 15/7. Mr Martin made 2 points:

(a) It would be greatly preferable that such a book should be published (if at all) outside the ... [British official circles].

(b) Nkrumah is firmly in the saddle in Ghana and provides at least a point of stability. Do we really want to attack and weaken him personally? If he were pulled down, what would follow? Mr Martin considered that the attack could rather be aimed at Nkrumah's left wing activities.

22.9.64

I have discussed this matter further also with Mr ... in IRD.
There is no difficulty anticipated in arranging for publication issue of Gbedemah's latest manifesto, which called upon the police and armed forces to withdraw their allegiance to Nkrumah.

Mr Halley alleged that the CPP was hopelessly split into factions. The widespread wish for a change of regime was felt even by ministers and MPs. The discontented elements lacked cohesion because they had no focal point of leadership. This he thought Gbedemah might be able to supply.

Mr Harlley implied that the police might in some circumstances withdraw their allegiance to the President. He added that police morale was low at present but considered that the police would remain loyal to Commissioner Madjitey as the army would be to General Out.

Mr Harlley suggested that one of the first changes would be to sever Ghana's ties with the Communist bloc. Disillusionment with the Russians, the SLO reports, is becoming widespread."

VERY CONFIDENTIAL
3 Nov 1962

Written by Martin Russell
To: Duncan Sandys, MP

"May I introduce myself by saing that I am a member of Whites and that one of my aunts, Lady Russell, is Ismene Dixon's sister. So I have met your daughter Edwina on a number of  occasions.

The reason I write to you is that some great friends of mine are great friends of Ghana's ambassador in Cairo, Kessi. Kessi was previously the ambassador in Pekin. He is an Ashanti.

A few days ago Kessi was in London and he took my friends to a night club in the company of the King of Ashanti, who is in London for medical reasons. In the course of the evening, I am not sure at what point, Kessi informed my friends that Nkrumah was 'on the way out' and that his position was to be taken by the King of Ashanti.

I have met Kessi on a number of occasions and do not believe he has given to romancing. But it would not be out of keeping if he became indiscreet in the late evening. I thought you would like to know this.

As I know Kessi a little, I will mention three explanations that occur to me. First, Nkrumah may be about to retire voluntarily, as Julius Nyerere did. Secondly, Kessi, who admired Lumumba greatly, may be involved in a Communist plot. Thirdly, always imagined that Nkrumah had sent Kessi to Pekin to keep him out of the country and neutralise him whilst Appiah was in prison, so I suppose it is conceivable some kind of Ashanti rebellion is planned.

 But I should have thought Kessi was too intelligent to be implicated in such a thing. But perhaps he is not intelligent!

Martin Russell. "

Document

British high commission, Accra, briefing paper (1 Oct 1961) for Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, Duncan Sandy's visit to Ghana

Development Aid

"Despite the Commonwealth connection, our contribution of aid to Ghana's development since independence has been less than our aid in the same period, e.g. Yugoslavia.

. . . "On no single occasion have we ever supported an African state in a dispute with a European state - e.g, France vs Algerian nationalists, France atomic tests in Africa, the use of force by France to maintain their base at Biserta; support for Portugal at the UN and Portugal's colonial policies; Congo - UK connived with the UN against Congolese nationalists, supported South Africa because of economic and other interests.

Editorial

THE BRITISH ANGLE

This week many Ghanaians have joined in the observance of the 50^th anniversary of the February 24, 1966 Coup which toppled the Government of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Founder of the state of Ghana.

There has been no doubt that the Coup which is largely responsible for the Ghana’s current state of underdevelopment was sponsored by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States of America with the assistance of other western governments and their intelligence agencies.

Over the years, more and more evidence of the involvement of Western agencies in the overthrow of Nkrumah has been obtained or made available.

What “The Insight “is beginning to serialize from today are declassified documents of the British Commonwealth and foreign office.

These documents are simply damning!

They tell the story of a crumbling colonial empire desperate to continue the dictation of the future  of the newly liberated Ghana.

The documents speak of what the British had lost or were likely to lose because of Nkrumah’s socialist motivations.

 They also tell us that those who truly want to maintain the independence of Ghana will have to face the bigotry and the scorn of the West.

The documents will speak for themselves in the weeks ahead about the involvement of the British establishment in the criminal overthrow of the Nkrumah Government.