Fifty years after leading Ghana to independence in a landmark achievement that sparked the liberation of the continent from colonial rule and 41 years after being ousted in a CIA- engineered coup, Kamei Nkrumah is still arguably the most popular leader Ghana has ever had.
"We have had no other leader like Nkrumah. He was a friend of the ordinary people like me and lived far ahead of his time," said Joseph Awuti, 76, a retired taxi driver. So popular is Nkrumah that he remains a household name, even on the lips of those who never ever saw him. His name also continues to ring loud in African countries and indeed across the world.
Historians and political scientists credit him with a strong sense of nationalism, patriotism and commitment that he used to galvanise the country to development. Kumi Ansah-Koi, a political science lecturer at the University of Ghana in Accra, lauds Nkrumah for his foresight and development projects and the promotion of self-reliance.
He adds that through Nkrumah, millions of people from poor backgrounds were educated and became professionals. Nkrumah created jobs for young people and gave hope to Ghanaians, Ansah-Koi notes. Indeed, Nkrumah, who died in exile in April 1972, is one of the figures around whom the Golden Jubilee of Ghana's independence was celebrated on March 6.
A Pan-Africanised to the marrow who was immersed in socialism, he was loved and hated for various reasons. The deep hatred he incurred in the United States, to which he stood up fearlessly, culminated in his overthrow on February 24, 1966 in a CIA-sponsored coup. "Nkrumah was the founder and first president of the modern Ghanaian state and emerged as one of the most influential Pan- Africanists of the 20th century," said one historian.
He was born on September 21, 1909 to a goldsmith at Nkroful, a village in the then British-ruled Gold Coast. From that humble background, he trained as a teacher and went to the US in 1935 for advanced studies. He continued his schooling in England, where he helped organise the Pan-African Congress in 1945.
He returned to Ghana in 1947 and became general secretary of the newly-founded United Gold Coast Convention but split from it in 1949 to form the Convention People's party (CPP).
Nkrumah pursued a radical pan-African policy, playing a key role in the formation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. But as he grew in stature both in and outside the country, his enemies plotted several assassination attempts on his life.
He turned Ghana into a one-party state in 1964 and became president for life. His development projects to move the nation forward and lift the country out of poverty were considered outstanding by some. He created a welfare system, started various community programmes, and established schools. He ordered the construction of roads and bridges to further commerce and communication.
In the interest of the nation's health, he had tap water systems installed in the villages and ordered the construction of concrete drains for latrines. He was, however, accused of being a dictator and infringing on the Ghanaian people's human rights. His followers were also accused of corruption and arrogance.
The US and the West tightened the screw on him and Ghana experienced widespread economic hardship that prepared the way for the coup that overthrew him. Today, his followers still regret the coup and blame the US and imperialists for the coup.
"The 1966 coup was the worst thing that ever happened to Ghana," said Kwesi Pratt, a fiery journalist and publicity secretary of Nkrumah's Convention People's Party (CPP). "This coup by reactionaries turned the clock of progress in Ghana back," he said. Nkrumah's followers are fragmented and cannot come together to win an election as they did in 1979. However, their leader remains in the hearts of many and his name shall remain engraved in the history of Ghana.
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