Nana Yaa Jantuah, a Presidential Staffer, called on Ghanaians and Africans to renew their focus on economic independence, industrialisation, and Pan-African unity. Speaking at a programme in Accra on Thursday, organised by West Africa International Press Limited with the Nkrumah Vision Alive Movement, she said Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s vision for Ghana went beyond political freedom to include economic liberation for the continent.
Quoting Nkrumah’s declaration at independence, Jantuah said: “Ghana’s freedom would be meaningless unless it was linked to the total liberation of Africa.” She argued that this vision still applies today. Ghana may have achieved political independence, but it remains economically dependent, she said. She pointed to the country’s reliance on international financial institutions and foreign influence over economic decisions as proof that the struggle for economic sovereignty is unfinished.
Jantuah urged especially young Ghanaians to reconnect with Nkrumah’s ideas and to place more trust in African institutions, natural resources, and productive capacity. She mentioned the industrial projects started under Nkrumah’s administration, such as the Akosombo Dam, which provided reliable electricity to support industrial growth. She also referred to factories like the Kumasi Pencil Factory and meat-processing plants as examples of efforts to build a linked national economy that created jobs and supported other economic activities.
She proposed that Ghana should develop a long-term national economic development plan that would survive changes in government. Instead of different political parties presenting separate manifestos, Jantuah said the country needs a plan seen as a national agenda—something Nkrumah’s development plans aimed for. She linked this vision to the current government under President John Dramani Mahama, citing ongoing investments in infrastructure, healthcare, and education as following Nkrumah’s approach.
Jantuah also addressed reparations for Africans and people of African descent. She said the historical exploitation through slavery and colonialism created lasting economic injustice that requires redress.
Dr Dee Otibu-Asare, Executive Director of West Africa International Press Limited, called on the government to do more to preserve and promote Dr Nkrumah’s legacy. He suggested reviving state farms, creating a modified Ghana Young Pioneers programme, and restoring Nkrumah’s portrait on Ghana’s currency. Otibu-Asare said West Africa International Press began efforts in 2000 to keep Nkrumah’s ideas alive, after discovering inadequate historical information and damage to books, portraits, and effigies related to the former president. Since then, the organisation has published a special birthday edition in Nkrumah’s honour and held annual conferences dedicated to his legacy for eight years.
Professor Samuel Aniegye Ntewusu, Director of the Institute of African Studies at the University of Ghana, urged Ghanaians to continue drawing on Nkrumah’s legacy to build both the country and the continent.
The programme included presentations of certificates and plaques to Ghanaian leaders who have contributed to the country’s development. It also featured the launch of a new book, “Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah: 20 Questions and Answers,” compiled by the Nkrumah Vision Alive Movement. The book highlights the philosophy and ideology of Ghana’s first president.
According to Joy Online.
