Kwame Nkrumah's Achievements
Kwame Nkrumah, PANAF Books, 83 pages
This is one of 16 books written by the Osaygeyfo, Dr Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana while in exile in Guinea following his overthrow by the army in February 1966.The book is a compendium of Nkrumah’s greatest pamphlets written at the most critical stages of his illustrious political career. The first pamphlet, 'What I mean by Positive Action' was written in 1949 at a crucial stage in the national struggle in Ghana. It was the time when Nkrumah was faced with hostility from the more conservative elements of his party, the CPP, who wanted to delay Independence. Nkrumah was in earnest and wanted independence NOW. It was a do or perish situation for Nkrumah, as the conservatives, mainly Chiefs were getting wobbly at the knees and if quick action was not taken, Ghana’s independence would have been compromised or even thwarted. Thanks to Nkrumah breaking away from the conservatives to form his CPP and launch his positive action of peaceful resistance to colonial rule, Ghana became the first country in Black Africa to win independence in 1957.
The other five pamphlets such as 'The Spectre of Black Power' were written while in exile in Conakry. The conclusions reached in this and other articles is that despite the lies told about his regime by the military governments, he had achieved a lot in developing Ghana. He cites the great Volta dam completed a month before his overthrow (p.69) and which put Ghana on the firm pedestal of industry as one of his visionary projects. Indeed, Nkrumah was far ahead of his time. The projects he started in Ghana such as the universities and the Tema port, once the biggest in Africa, still stand today and continues to benefit Ghana. Thus these were not money wasting ventures as his detractors would say; these were firm investments for the future. On page 51 of this illuminating book, he cites in tabular form the strides he has made as leader of Ghana. This is the evidence of a visionary leader.
Nkrumah was a great intellectual. He wrote lustily, lucidly and with the touch of unparallel penmanship. This book is a must read for all students of Pan Africanism and Nkrumah as it sends rays of light into his great contribution towards Ghana's progress.
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