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Dr Kwame Nkrumah's Legacy: How has the nation harnessed his legacy to influence Ghana's development? | The Big Stories

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Transcript
00:00 them on TV, I see them on social media, never had the chance to see them in
00:03 person, I get to do that today. Hello, good to see you. It's such a pleasure having
00:10 you here. I have enjoyed every bit of the scenery, trust me, and I told them
00:15 it's such a beautiful experience for me because I didn't grow up knowing Nkrumah.
00:21 So I get to learn about him and I get to have at least the best first-hand
00:26 interaction I can with who he was and what he stood for. But for you as his
00:30 children, I can imagine what it feels like for you to be here today. Do you
00:34 mind sharing with us? Oh absolutely, and we've been here many times but this is
00:39 one of the first times, let's say for me it's the second, to be in this
00:44 redeveloped and restructured Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Mausoleum. And
00:49 I'm encouraged, I'm happy with what I see because precisely what you said is the
00:57 reason why we need a good place for the young generation to come and be
01:02 reintroduced to Osaja for Kwame Nkrumah, what he stood for, what he tried to do
01:09 for Ghana and Africa and Africans all over the world. So this is a place of
01:13 learning and I think that's the whole purpose and the reason why I am happy
01:18 and encouraged. It's because I know that people who come here would be inspired.
01:25 I am inspired. Of course there's the personal side and the political but I'm
01:31 inspired just coming here paying homage to not just to the man but to what he
01:39 stood for because he was a mortal man obviously but he also stood for a vision
01:45 to redeem Africa and Africans and I think that's something we need to keep
01:52 on remembering. What about you Sekou? Well I mean going back to your introduction I
01:57 mean you said it didn't you're too young to know Nkrumah and when Nkrumah was
02:00 overthrown I was only two years old I think Samia was five, Ketman was six. So let me
02:06 speak for myself I didn't know anything about Nkrumah. So I got to know Nkrumah
02:10 from reading books not as a kid but when I grew up a bit especially when we
02:14 returned to Ghana so I was like 11, 12 so that's really was my getting to know
02:20 Nkrumah reading the books but interesting for me I started reading
02:24 books that were critical of Nkrumah before I started reading books by Nkrumah
02:29 and books that promoted Nkrumah. So I always think that I'm very objective in
02:34 that but I think what Samia was saying earlier it's important to have places like that
02:37 that really not only promotes Nkrumah but gives people the idea of where he's
02:41 coming from what his vision was so the decolonization the Pan-African Union and
02:47 of course that shows socialist path it's something that I struggled with for a
02:50 long time because in today's world socialism is not so attractive but look
02:56 we have to look at the totality of Nkrumah and then we can decide what to
02:59 do moving forward. So he said he was a Marxist intellectual we can't ignore
03:03 these things about Nkrumah that's what he represented but again also you know
03:08 the Muslim was built in 1992 this year Nkrumah was first buried I mean he was
03:12 buried in Guinea then buried in Nkrufor his hometown during Achampon's time and
03:17 then during the Rawlings time this the PNDC not NDC right so sometimes we also
03:24 have to give credit to PNDC then even if you don't like Rawlings or whatever but
03:30 it was his time that he built this place and then of course as I agree with Samia
03:34 that if the present government MPP led by Nana Akufo-Addo so if they've built on
03:41 what someone else has done I think it's a good thing but for me personally it
03:45 was just one aspect that I kind of confused me a bit and that was I wouldn't
03:52 know the reason the MPP I think you know thought of building up renovating this
03:59 place and making it better than it was I hear though it was a bit neglected right
04:03 but the point here is that if you're talking about Nkrumah you know Professor
04:07 Mills declared the 21st as the founders day singular so the idea was that and
04:14 that I think many people think I thought I'm very objective but in this one I
04:18 think Nkrumah is the father he led Ghana to independence he was Ghana's first
04:22 president so that again comes to the first July removed as a public holiday I
04:28 mean we had a Ghanaian as head of state not the Queen so you see that was is
04:32 very significant and then again when you create 4th August as founders then
04:36 plural then that also confuses people because of course Nkrumah is not the only
04:40 one who contributed to independence and in fact people were there before in fact
04:44 they called him from the UK but they identified with his capacity and his
04:50 hard work and in fact he overtook them because simply because of their hard
04:53 work but the point is that so when you do these things for me it's like you're
04:58 confusing because the history is one. So if I get you right and I'm sure you're not the only one
05:03 because quite a lot of people were like okay because we thought that the agenda
05:09 was not to focus so much on Nkrumah make it more generalistic as this government
05:13 will make us believe and then all of a sudden all this beautiful edifice for
05:17 Nkrumah what exactly are you communicating is that what it is? Yes I
05:20 think it's more or less yeah. I think we are what we are what I would like to see
05:26 and what I'm happy about is that Ghanaians can reach consensus on what is
05:30 good for us because that's the way forward we might have different
05:34 political orientations different ideology. I'm sure you want to hear more
05:40 on that and see more on that we just had to bring back that conversation I had
05:44 earlier with Samia and Sekou Nkrumah where they disagree at some point on the
05:50 legacy of their father but you just had Sekou talking about his confusing
05:56 especially when it comes to the decision by this government to refurbish the
06:01 Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and taking Founders Day from today which is Dr.
06:07 Kwame Nkrumah's birthday to the 4th of August he thinks that the two don't
06:11 work together and so he's a bit confused about that. We'll be delving more into
06:14 that I've been joined by Manafre Mpoma she's the chairperson of the
06:18 Convention People's Party I'm sure you know by now that that's the party Dr.
06:23 Kwame Nkrumah founded after leaving the UGCC. She will be telling us
06:29 what the CPP has been doing to keep his legacy alive but before that I'm sure
06:33 you also aware that today there's a protest by the Democracy Hub. We
06:39 understand that they carried out their plan but the police has arrested some of
06:43 the protesters you may be aware also that the police released a statement
06:48 asking members of the public not to join the protest because it will be an
06:52 unlawful one. Let's head on to the phone lines now and speak to Dr. HSE
06:58 Kanku who is there that protest for us for some updates. Good morning to you so
07:02 are you able to confirm this arrest and tell us more about what you've been
07:07 observing as the protesters masked up?
07:15 Hello? Hello? Do we have doc on? Hello? Well we seem to have a challenge with
07:28 that line but we will be showing you some video shortly where the protesters
07:33 indeed carried out their plan to mask up at the 37 military hospital area. Their
07:40 plan was to protest for three days from today and to picket around the Flagstaff
07:50 House which is the seat of the presidency and so we will be bringing
07:53 you more on that. Do we have him on the line now please?
07:58 Well we seem to have a challenge with his line we'll try and rectify that
08:04 shortly and get back to you but let me say a very good morning to you it's a
08:09 pleasure to have you here. It's been a while also what have you been up to?
08:14 Well we prepare we're getting ready and as you might be aware CVP is getting
08:26 ready to join the race and some of us have our boots on. You have your boots on
08:35 we'll get back to that I'm told that we have HSE Khanku on the line. Hello good
08:39 morning if you can hear me we understand there has been an arrest can you
08:44 confirm that and share with us what you've also been observing?
08:55 Hello? Well hello I can hear a lot of background noise I can hear the sirens
09:13 blaring but I can't hear our man on the ground Dr. HSE Khanku so we'll try and
09:21 see if we will be able to raise him to give get us an update but what you'll
09:24 see now is videos that we captured earlier of people who had masked up to
09:29 participate in that demonstration the ambulance service was there and you can
09:37 see the police also on the other side of that stretch around 37 is it and we
09:45 understand now that there has been some arrests so we will be touching base with
09:49 our man on the ground to get details of that. Well we'll try it one one last time
10:01 and if you can hear me hello good morning doc can you confirm these arrests
10:05 and tell us what you've been observing?
10:17 Well unfortunately technology is not helping us I'll just leave it to the
10:21 technical team to sort this out once it is done and we are very sure of reaching
10:26 Dr. HSE Khanku I will bring you the very latest on that but let me come back
10:30 into the studio and speak to the chairperson of the Convention's People's
10:35 Party who was just telling us how the party is gearing up looking forward to
10:40 2024 but isn't it a bit too late in the day we've seen the NDC put up their
10:46 flag bearer the MPP is of course doing that November is just around the corner
10:51 where they hope to settle on a final flag bearer so what are the CPP's
10:56 timelines? Our timelines were a little earlier we're trying to do the flag
11:04 first before the organization because you know organizing political party at
11:09 the base has become quite expensive however we've also come to the
11:14 conclusion that without really organizing the base we'll just have the
11:19 best policies we'll have the people with the most patriotic hearts however we
11:25 will not be able to get the the Ghanian will not benefit from what we are going
11:31 to have today the discussions that will be having today the legacy that we are
11:35 talking about so in the process what we have done is to ensure that no matter
11:40 what happens CPP gets its base ready so we are now building the base you see one
11:48 thing we want to I want to remind people I mean pretty like you is that sometime
11:54 in the in 79 we our flag bearer came in four months before the elections and we
12:03 won it was from no nothing because we had the best structure on the ground
12:08 that does that structure still exist though that's exactly my point so you're
12:12 now building this we want to build the base first but the truth of the matter is
12:16 that when you make it's like an intellectual thing it becomes to like
12:19 building the big but it is you and I is the youth it is the people it is the
12:24 very people that today we have as our our frustrated youth that we are asking
12:31 to take positions in the party that is a huge difference we are asking youth to
12:37 take positions in the party because the youth of today are already frustrated
12:42 and that is why we believe that it is important to you see even what you just
12:49 said the MPP is over and that gives us the advantage you see all those young
12:54 people registering they are registering to vote for whom for the same situation
13:00 that they find themselves in but we are giving them now an opportunity to take
13:06 the power into their own hands exactly as they did in the in the early 60s or
13:12 I would say early 50s late 50s for us to get the independence that is exactly
13:17 what the youth of this country did so in as much as it looks like oh it's been
13:22 CPP because the Fourth Republic has not witnessed anything CPP the only time
13:27 they witnessed us was under the name of
13:31 NC I've forgotten the name but the Fourth Republic our party CPP which was
13:39 criminalized which was banned which was not allowed to take part under the name
13:44 of CPP joined NDC so the history is clear it joined NDC and the NDC took our
13:52 base because our father who was then the flag bearer became the running mate to
13:57 our late father Rollins so NDC's base as you see today most of it was CPP's base
14:06 interesting I just wait to see how the NDC reacts to that but that's that trust
14:12 me the truth yeah but but but the issue about identifying with young people and
14:17 how are you doing this speak I'm asking because I sit here to do the news I sit
14:24 here to interact with young people all the time and I haven't seen any clearest
14:29 indication yet at least on the floor when it comes to how the CPP is
14:35 identifying with young people you just heard about democracy have been on a
14:40 protest they actually called for political parties and other people who
14:44 believe that the country must be reorganized that we must make a
14:48 statement to join them it appears that the CPP is quite silent on issues that
14:53 affect these very young people you're talking about one of the very thing see
14:57 there's a huge I believe in demonstration I believe that people
15:02 should be able to voice whatever they feel I believe that the police should
15:06 also make sure that there's peace and sanity however I'm one of those people
15:12 that believe that we must do things that make the most impact we are as we talk
15:19 today when you want to join the military the police or any of the services you
15:24 still have to pay your hand in Ghana I'm sorry you still the youth who do not
15:29 have the money still have to pay hundred Ghana and they end up in this for forms
15:34 yes forms they end up paying 500 so today they still have to pay so much
15:40 money and still not get admitted into the into these institutions you
15:44 understand and nobody is doing anything but we spoke when it was necessary as we
15:49 see today the fingerprints that were taken what are the points so I have come
15:54 to the conclusion that in as much as demonstrations are important what is
15:58 very important is to be able to get the power and we can get this power if you
16:03 are just going around addressing these issues because we don't have the base so
16:10 we have put all our energy in trying to get the base if we have executives in
16:16 our polling stations we have executives in our electoral areas they will be able
16:22 to carry our policies out there when we speak about important issues in Ghana
16:28 they don't get anywhere because as you all know everything in Ghana has been
16:32 monetized you understand so before you can do anything you need to even bring
16:36 people on the streets you have to organize some people organize water
16:40 organize food organize transportation so we see PP just as a surgical date have
16:46 have come to the conclusion that we need to work with the youth of the country in
16:51 organization because this organization that decides everything and it was the
16:56 organization that made NDC become wind power because they joined with CPP so for
17:02 me we have tried we have the Samir's that have tried we have the Abu
17:09 Sakarai's that have tried we have the Indonesia everybody but we have come to
17:14 the conclusion that we need to organize that is why we can confidently say that
17:19 coming 2024 based on what we have put together using technology and using
17:25 innovation and using the very base and getting to the 40,000 polling stations
17:33 and almost 7,000 electoral area with our 17 people each at that polling station
17:40 and expecting 800,000 executives which is what we intend to do we believe that
17:47 with 800,000 executives out there every good statement that will come from us
17:52 would then be able to resonate an echo to the very people because truly speaking
17:58 now CPP you remember what he just said that before he even read about his father
18:04 he had read so many books negative books books that has spoken he said critical
18:10 of his I mean most of them are negative today you and I are talking about legacy
18:16 of an of a man of the millennium what is that you see the joke there this very
18:23 same person that we vilified today is the man of the millennium so what it's
18:30 simply me of Africa and who who did that is it not the same evaders our colonial
18:38 evaders who actually used who with Africa was able to make him the man of
18:43 the millennium within the thousand years right so when I see it when when you say
18:48 critical critical of what today as I sit here you can only talk about legacy you
18:57 can only speak about legacy when you talk about legacy you're talking about
18:59 something that has impacted society it's again about something that you expect
19:03 young people to follow the footstep of you understand we'll be delving more
19:09 into that and and delving into how the CPP is helping in keeping that legacy
19:15 but you just spoke about the most recent but it's interesting that in Krumah was
19:19 one that many will consider a deviant right he was even arrested and yes so so
19:27 I mean there's a there's a there's a part where demonstrations play in the
19:30 story and whether it was a form of a one-man protest or he carrying the
19:35 entire nation on his shoulders and getting the support of the people there
19:39 was something about he not conforming to the to the times if I may say but
19:46 there's something happening today as well and I have to go back to dr. HSE
19:51 can't who is there monitoring that protest for us you democracy have planned
19:57 a protest a three-day one and was hoping to start today the police sent a notice
20:02 to say do not go ahead as planned this is unlawful and he joins us with more we
20:08 understand that some arrests have been made and the police is making more
20:12 arrests are you able to confirm that and also give us a quick update on what's
20:16 happening yes I was asking you to confirm the arrests by the police and to
20:28 tell us what you've been observing so far
20:32 this morning and the police were present but over time some of the
20:39 protesters that started coming of course eventually the convener a big cover more
20:44 was here with some of his other members of the of the crew they have indeed been
20:50 arrested immediately the body I just took a few more minutes and then the
20:53 police zoomed into action and when we spoke to them the other reason was that
20:58 well you're not supposed to be in the first place because the process is
21:02 illegal so they're not even going to allow them to do anything at all and so
21:06 on that ground they will be arrested so that is what happened each of them I
21:11 mean some of them try to resist but the police overpowered them and eventually
21:18 you would be arrested and then put into the police van and and eventually with
21:27 that we even as we are talking there's some level of police presence still here
21:31 but a majority of the people have been taken away all right when you say the
21:35 police overpowered them just paint a mental picture for us how did this
21:39 happen was a physical did you have to resort to the use of any weapons or
21:44 anything of a kind I was asking and you said that the some some of the protesters
21:53 resisted arrest and the police had to overpower them and I'm just asking you
21:59 to paint a mental picture of what you mean by that where did the police use
22:02 physical force or did the police resort to the use of weapons
22:08 I mean if I got that right no weapons were used by the police I mean they just
22:13 if you try not to get arrested it just push you into into the bath or into the
22:19 vehicle so I mean it wasn't I don't think anybody got hurt or any weapons
22:24 were used on anybody anybody they were just insisting that they needed to do
22:28 the protest and then on the other hand the security was saying I know you
22:31 cannot do this so that that is what I mean ensued but I mean eventually they
22:36 were they were taken in I mean before big oliver because boomer was arrested
22:42 do I spoke to him and I I try to find out why they were going ahead despite
22:48 those statements are a file yesterday and he said as far as he's concerned
22:52 that that prevents them from doing the protest and so he's going to go ahead
22:57 and enjoy it because he feels it has to demonstrate that they have the
23:04 citizens of the constitutional right to do a demonstration they do not need the
23:08 permission of the police to do this so he was very very very clear-minded about
23:13 it and he said that was why he had come to continue with the process and finally
23:20 do we know where they have been taken to these people who've been arrested I'm
23:27 sorry say that again do we know where they have been taken to oh well the
23:33 police officer I spoke to said they were taking them to the headquarters and we
23:39 try to find out is it the police headquarters or the greater cry regional
23:42 police headquarters but he just said headquarters and that from there he
23:47 would do it from there he didn't want to see much but he just said they're
23:50 taking a look at quarters and then you'll take it from there all right
23:53 thank you that's our doctor HSC can't quiz our man on the ground given us the
23:56 latest on the occupied Jilo B house demonstration and if you just joined us
24:02 the update is that the convener oliver baka voma war and some other protesters
24:07 who masked up around the 37 station area have been arrested by the Ghana Police
24:14 Service according to the police service this demonstration or the gathering was
24:19 illegal in the first place because of an injunction application on it and they had
24:24 served the group through its lawyers and so they were not expecting that they
24:29 will mass up there will follow up on this and update you as well we'll
24:33 continue our conversation on the legacy of dr. farming crew mother man who is
24:38 hailed globally but as you may be aware there are those who are also quite
24:42 critical of some of his ideologies and like they say what he ended up becoming
24:50 and and I'll say that because in my conversation with sickle and Samia who
24:58 are children of dr. Kwame Krumah by the way if you're not aware sickle believes
25:02 that yes his father started off with something but ended up as he went along
25:10 for him seeing what was with what fit best at the time and so they did the
25:18 consensus about the one-party state their concerns about whether or not he
25:24 was democratic or autocratic their concerns about whether he allowed other
25:30 people to share their views Samia thinks that look he wasn't autocratic because
25:35 everything went through Parliament but sickle says yeah Parliament that was
25:39 majority of his party it ends up being the same way and he didn't allow others
25:42 to participate but for you as the CPP it's been a struggle for you since
25:49 Kwame Krumah was overthrown you just referenced how you had at a point had to
25:56 join the National Democratic Congress and you believe that that was where your
26:00 war started losing the base and the support that you had but there's also an
26:05 interesting point about whether or not the the CPP is truly independent do you
26:12 still hold ties to the NDC you mean as in policy or as in as a party as a party
26:24 do you still have ties with the NDC as a party we have ties with government we
26:31 have ties with NPP NDC and get Ghana I mean that question is one of the very
26:38 things that people use to ensure that members do not join the party so that's
26:43 why honestly speaking now as a woman and when you are a woman there's something
26:48 that you can connect with that the other people might not and what do I mean it
26:54 is very easy to just live on our past glory and forget the fact that young
27:02 people might not necessarily understand or even connect with us and that is why
27:08 we are just at the grassroots working to get our organizers at the base and let
27:14 me tell you you see what Siku was saying if you listen to Siku very well then now
27:19 I understand where he's coming from because he read that the things that
27:24 were critical of his father before he even actually read his father's own
27:28 version so for that reason he might have grown up thinking that the things one of
27:36 the very things that people have said that he was thinking of a one-party
27:39 state today what is wrong do you know that after Nkrumah my father was part of
27:46 a Champon as well do you know after Nkrumah we had what we called the same
27:52 concept was proposed by Champon do you know that UNIGOV is a union
27:59 government a government where we all become one to fight one have an agenda
28:05 for the nation and be able to follow that agenda and make sure doesn't mean
28:10 that you become a head of state for life what it simply means is that we because
28:14 of where we are standing and the fact that the colonial invaders had a plan we
28:19 need to come together and clearly the world has shown that all other countries
28:24 that actually followed that path that we today Singapore and everywhere that we
28:30 think that they have done magic even China is because they've stayed there for
28:34 that long because they had policies that they followed it is not because we
28:39 practice democracy that we don't understand Osagie for years everything
28:44 that he believed in people believed in it and people were in Parliament as a
28:51 result of voting the vote set for him so if you realize that most of his ideals
28:58 at that time were being implemented and you think is because you on the
29:03 opposition did not have any maturity and you have so much minority you are
29:07 criticizing it on the negative side that the person had too much power where is
29:11 power with the same thing that we CPP feel we think that today should have
29:15 been the day for the foundation but look at what we are experiencing today today
29:21 which is the day that there is no doubt that Osagie for was the is the founder
29:28 of Ghana there is no doubt that the party that led or surgical for you and I
29:34 to have a state legacy discussed is CPP I mean these kind of jokes are the very
29:41 reason why Ghana can't move forward we have where we are because we have
29:45 humanized for surgical all we are doing is talking about study for study for
29:49 study for forgetting that or surgical is as a result of a government or surgical
29:56 is as a result of a people that's did what was right with his vision when our
30:02 father the current president came in and put his presidency on the line and said
30:10 that if he does not fight Galap say he would give up his presidency today you
30:16 and I know that Galam say is even worse that we took it over simply you know why
30:20 because in a smash as he had a vision he didn't have the people in his government
30:25 that was supporting to do what was right so guarantee is worse however or
30:30 surgical had a vision yet he had people like the corporate do says like the
30:34 boats was like the bitumens like all these people that were able to support
30:40 him back the support woman comments that worked so hard as young people that
30:45 believed in his vision and make Ghana work and when the the colonial invaders
30:49 realized where Ghana was going and that were able to have over seven over all
30:55 these factories that we did they realized that in that path the reason
31:00 for which the colonial master came to Ghana and the invaders came to this
31:04 country must be clearly understood it is not that they were bringing money to
31:10 make Ghana work it is because Ghana has something that they needed so when they
31:14 came in here after the coup after the the independence or said if we clearly
31:20 knew that after political independence the only thing that makes sense is
31:25 economic independence that was what was promised the youth of Ghana so for that
31:29 reason we accelerated the growth by focusing on the very things that would
31:35 make it happen that means the states must be rich the states must have the
31:39 resources so most factories we had Ghana every factory that we had in this
31:44 country was a state-owned industry to ensure that the Ghanian had jobs had
31:50 accommodation had had everything that was necessary but what happened in the
31:55 process the Ghanian ended up today with the Ghana we have today when the
32:01 colonial invaders realized that if they did not send us out if they did not
32:06 vilify Osage for at that time put the fear in his followers and criminalize
32:13 the party and burn the party and make sure that nobody mentioned the name CPP
32:19 and let everybody go into hiding if they didn't do that the legacy would have
32:24 continued and Ghana today would have been a different story but because they
32:28 did that all the factories producing the food that you and I consume the globe
32:33 the TV radio everything matches toothpick everything even the juice the
32:41 thing that really gets to me today is a cocoa is still one of our main exports
32:46 of this country and however even the truth back that we put the cocoa in it
32:52 still important now my pretty the truth of the matter is that we can't talk
32:59 about a salivar legacy and not talk about CPP the moment you talk about
33:04 Salifu's legacy and leave CPP we would continue to have this country and what
33:11 would end up doing is having a father that we all love and yet very soon even
33:16 his very name will be vilified even the textbooks are changing even the place
33:22 that he's been laid if there had been some few fight was going to be changed
33:26 even today the only reason why that place has been already renovated is
33:31 because of tourism so you agree with Seiko that the parties the government is
33:37 sending confused signals about about who Nkrumah is when they take away founders
33:43 day from his birthday or from him but still want to honor him with the
33:48 refurbishment of a memorial park they don't have a choice they didn't have a
33:51 choice I can tell you an authority that even when they wanted then the plan they
33:56 had for the memorial park change because the World Bank insisted on what is
34:00 happening I can tell you because and what's the question is so true no wife
34:04 what day did they launch the the park do you remember it was sometime in July
34:11 fourth July do you know fourth July fourth July is Americans Independence
34:16 Day the day they became a sovereign state for that matter we had our
34:21 independent our sovereign state a Republic Day on the fourth the first of
34:26 July which was a weekend and it was it within that weekend they could have done
34:32 it that weekend but they did it three four days after three days could it have
34:38 been just mere coincidence because we're told that we're told that they were hard
34:42 pressed for time to even meet the timeline and the the government had
34:45 insisted that they try and meet the timeline and you really believe
34:48 coincidence in that matter when a whole nation when you are running a nation you
34:53 work with such coincidence when your own Republic you are a sovereign state
34:57 because somebody somebody fought for you become a Republic a state that gave you
35:02 that sovereignty and on the day that you abolish the in between there is no
35:07 public holiday in Ghana anymore first July has been abolished it's not a
35:11 commemorative day we don't celebrate first July you understand and then on
35:16 the first you lie you leave first you lie now you come and honor a man who
35:23 brought the first you like that you are benefiting from that you call yourself a
35:27 president and you tell me that is because two days interval that you were
35:31 pressed for time you know something here is the truth
35:35 Osagie fool is an ideology Osagie fool has become more than a human being that
35:41 is dead that is why you see that he never dies and that is why there's a
35:46 statement that he says even after his death that the torch that he has laid
35:50 will never die and that he's asking us all of us to continue today you and I
35:55 are discussing because when you talk about African personality what he
36:00 embodies he brought us to act to remind us of our capabilities of who we are as
36:07 human beings that you and I as a Ghanian have been brought into this world
36:12 endowed with a certain attribute that makes us capable of governing ourselves
36:18 you were given birth by your mother I'm giving birth to my children here in
36:22 Ghana and we are supposed to give them the best thing it means access to
36:26 education quality education access to food and access to accommodation and
36:31 access to quality life and access to be able to live freely in this country move
36:37 to us move anywhere and come back with confidence as you an African personality
36:43 and that is what is embodied in Osagie fool. Is the CPP waiting for that
36:47 person who would probably do the magic for you bring back the I know you said
36:54 you've been working at the grassroots level to try and mobilize the numbers
36:57 but we all admit that this man was a man of charisma look you read his books you
37:06 read his speeches and you know that this man had foresight what we are going
37:11 through today he even spoke about it was as if he said prophets I mean it was as
37:20 if he had he had a sense of what was gonna happen and to be honest you don't
37:27 get that in everybody is the CPP looking for that person are you on a search for
37:35 someone with his charisma and ideals this is what the CPP believes and this
37:41 what I believe that you as you sit here right you have what was ready for us
37:47 every Ghanian youth especially the youth of this country has what Osagie fool has
37:53 the difference though is that we need to ignite that in us and continue to live
37:59 and do what must be done Osagie fool today is being remembered I'm sure that
38:05 several study force out there in this country but the truth is that he got
38:09 the opportunity because the youth of the country at that time joined force to
38:13 with him to make it happen they joined force with him to fight him they joined
38:19 force with him to fight with him when he was had book up when he was had the
38:23 offshore fort it was the book on boys it was a market women it was a young boys
38:28 and girls who we call veranda boys who actually went and and and and fought for
38:34 him and when they realized a colonial invaders realized that there was so much
38:38 power behind him they left him you today if you have opportunity I'm sure there's
38:43 so many things you can do let me tell the youth of Ghana no magic is going to
38:49 happen and so you create the magic there is magic but the magic must be created
38:54 by we the people so I'm asking every Ghanian as you hear in my voice today
39:00 star 9 to 0 star 2 7 7 hash listen to me again star 9 to 0 star 2 7 7 hash
39:10 whatever you doing take time and take that number and dial it that's all you
39:14 need to do no one and so you get up and so you write it it will never be written
39:20 and so you get up it's not going to be done
39:24 or such a fool is in you or such a fool is in me let's have a such a fool by
39:30 definition means selfless dedication or side wishful by definition means putting
39:38 the welfare of people at the center of every policy you make so that segment me
39:47 will not be sitting there so that's where you think of affordable housing
39:53 you would think of the squatters and the majority of the young people who have to
39:58 pay almost all their salary a year salary or two years salary before they
40:04 can get one month one year accommodation that is what a surgical is about so
40:09 there's not going to be any magic if you the youth of this country do not get up
40:14 and join the CPP with the spirits that is in June the Osage for spirits and
40:19 let's go get these people from that place we can go and occupy that's a
40:24 Jubilee house you need to go and be in that Jubilee house to be able to make
40:30 the difference because you must use the resources of the people to affect the
40:35 lives of the people right so so hmm interesting so there are a few points to
40:42 address here when we talk about dr. Carmen Krummer and you talk about all
40:50 the people who have tried yourself the party Samia herself she was
40:55 representing you in Parliament she lost a seat I found out from her she was
40:59 hoping to go back to Parliament she said yes I asked on the ticket of the CPP now
41:03 here's the answer she gave me I know what's that I really want to repeat she
41:08 believes that your party is not independent she believes that in fact
41:13 that whole concept of smaller parties aligning to either the NPP or NDC is
41:21 actually not it not not a lie she she is Samia this is Samia okay she belongs to
41:28 your party and you actually won with our party she won on the ticket of your party
41:32 and she's the last person you would expect to leave the party her father
41:37 started but she doesn't believe is still what it is is is a lot of Martin
41:43 joining your party for election 2024 before I answer that let me say
41:47 something you are here in Ghana I've been in the US I'm back if you ask me
41:52 United States of America UK every place is much better looking than Ghana so
41:59 maybe we should close down Ghana maybe we should or we should have the
42:04 individuals who can also determined that God did not create me and make a mistake
42:09 and for that reason I am going to come back to my country and contribute and do
42:15 something and make sure that my children and my grandchildren you have a better
42:20 chance that is a decision you make CPP yes over the years and I gave you a
42:24 reason I told you that before Samia came CPP in the fourth Republic joined NDC
42:30 and NDC took a step Samia had a choice he had just come to the country she's
42:35 just a good heart like the father but she did not understand the dynamics of
42:39 the politics that we are seeing I understand the dynamics of the politics
42:43 that is why I'm not saying all everything I'm telling you that we are
42:46 going to the grassroots to make sure we have the legs because we have the best
42:50 stretch table but there's nobody out there the human beings there the moment
42:54 you do anything they come out and the whole thing crumples so unless you get
42:58 the seats the next nothing's gonna happen Samia won on our tickets and Samia was
43:03 one of the best people in Parliament within the area but she reigned again no
43:08 you know why because when she's told NDC people did everything against her and
43:14 make sure that they brought people in and voted against Samia you know it's
43:20 Alan Chalamatin joining CPP I have no clue however if you ask me Alan Chalamatin
43:25 is a very fine gentleman CPP is organizing CPP by December I would want
43:33 you to call me here in December after we have finished with our base
43:37 organization and at that point the story might be a little different just
43:42 Alan Chalamatin have plans of joining the CPP are you aware of that none
43:46 whatsoever has he spoken to you absolutely not are you aware if he's
43:50 speaking to Ivor Greenstreet Ivor has told me not so I have no clue where
43:57 that information is coming by Jesus you know I learn as I keeps telling it's a
44:01 fine gentleman see does the CPP want to have Alan Chalamatin plus more we
44:09 want to have Alan Chalamatin one half can can a Japan if you also feel like
44:13 he's not being treated properly we want to have every anybody and all the other
44:17 NDC even and before we were expecting that you come to her because as long as
44:22 CPP has the best policies for this country there is no doubt about that
44:27 next time I would like to go through the policies with you it is not by chance
44:31 that we had over 400 factories within a very short time it is not by chance that
44:36 we had a Kosovo and we also had the atomic energy because of vision atomic
44:43 energy was going to be nuclear power so that today the industrialization would
44:49 have been able to establish it is not by chance that we had the agricultural
44:54 process where we just didn't focus on agriculture but also focused on the
44:59 process of selling you know that currently when the minister wanted to
45:05 make sure that to establish the fact that food was an abundance he brought
45:09 food to the ministry to sell at the means of agriculture I don't want to
45:13 mention his name because he I don't know he's still in the race or he's not he's
45:17 still in there so let me leave it like that because I don't want to be biased
45:20 but remember that that's what happened we already have a food distribution
45:24 system in this country there was already a food and processing distribution
45:28 system we had all the gig factories that were processing food see NPP has the
45:35 policy called what do you call it free to know not just a free trade our
45:41 private sector being there's the engine of growth it sounds brilliant on paper
45:47 okay because when you work everywhere everybody's in some kind of trading but
45:52 private sector if you you need to do something your parents are poor and they
45:56 can't help you and they are living on borrowed money would you be able to get
46:00 the money to even go to the university would you be able to set up the
46:03 business you want to set up so the country itself must have some wealth
46:08 like China and other places that we see so that's our private sector can work so
46:13 when they did the 1d 1f I'm telling them today why it seemed to have failed and
46:18 owned by the Chinese and other companies is because Ghana itself is on borrowed
46:23 money Ghana does not have money to give its own citizens to be able to support
46:29 them to own the factories so if you open your dogs to free trade liberal trading
46:34 and you think you are being liberal and you are asking everybody to come in
46:38 because you are neoliberal policy we believe that the state itself must have
46:42 some well that means that our gold our all must be properly negotiated so that
46:48 we have a higher percentage of it we must own at least 60 more or percent more
46:53 of our own gold we must own 60% more of our all otherwise we leave it there we
46:59 must leave it there to rot because only because better anyway so what we have
47:03 today my dear is a country that has no direction it's a country with vision
47:09 less leadership finally we've got just about a minute to go but finally what is
47:13 the CPP doing to preserve the legacy of dr. Kwame Nkrumah and and I'm saying
47:18 this because you see you're reaching to the grassroots the young people the
47:21 youth but how practically are you keeping his legacies we've just spoken
47:26 about his ideas which transcend his generation how are you hoping to keep
47:30 that alive we're hoping two things we're hoping first of all to keep it alive by
47:34 taking over power and that is why for me because there's nothing else we don't
47:38 learn what's a fraternity just to have a study for celebrated every year or
47:42 study for will not be happy in his grief until the day Ghana becomes the vision
47:46 the Ghana of today is the Ghana of the colonial invaders vision where we
47:51 focus and deal and buy everything foreign and do not produce anything
47:56 local we cannot make it our dollar will not work we'll be going to IMF it's a
48:01 simple thing today as I'm talking to you we are going to in Kwafu when we get in
48:06 Kwafu we are going we are hoping that at least a million people would be going to
48:11 Kwafu every year for pilgrimage that is the legacy the things that CPP is
48:15 looking at so that if we are not celebrating him as a founder we will see
48:19 the effects of his legacy by going to Kwafu in Kwafu's hotel should be full
48:23 every hotel around that vicinity should always be full you and your children
48:28 should decide that one place that you must go before you become an adult is
48:32 that you must go and see where Sajefu was born and where Sajefu died he's
48:35 the only person who was born and buried in the same place I was born the same
48:40 place that he was giving birth to that's the same place that he was buried until
48:44 he was brought back to I mean yes but that's where I'm sure I don't know
48:47 whether they brought the face and left the body but at least that's where he is today.
48:54 So the truth here is this the legacy of Sajefu is for Ghana to work it's for you to
49:01 believe in yourself it's for you to be able to have the African personality is
49:06 for you to be a capable person and when you talk about capability it means
49:10 affordable housing not the climate not the confusion it means that being able
49:14 to have quality education it means that oh my god it means that not our young
49:20 people running down a street in the scorching Sun going having to walk to
49:26 Libya now they can't go there going to capsizing boats and dying that is not
49:30 the vision of Sajefu. And so for you the CPP gaining power is how to
49:36 continue his legacy. There is nothing else for CPP today but for us to gain power.
49:41 I appreciate your time and I'll touch base with you again in December when
49:44 you're ready to share with us how you've been able to mobilize. You will see it.
49:48 All right thank you that's Nanafren Poma she's chairperson of the
49:52 Convention People's Party the Osajefu Dr. Kwabeng Krumah's party and if you
49:57 know the history of Ghana very well you know much about that party and how it
50:00 was formed and all the things they had to suffer after Osajefu was overthrown.
50:05 It's our way of you know having a conversation about who the man was and
50:09 how his legacy can be kept alive as we commemorate his birthday today. You're
50:14 watching the AM show coming up shortly is an exclusive interview with Professor
50:18 Johnson Nyakobwampungdusde.
50:23 [Music]

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