Thursday, July 12, 2007

The Nkrumah Mausoleum

click on photo to enlarge
Stephanie and the mmenhyenfo, (hornblowers) announcing the elder statesman, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. This is one of the sites to visit in Ghana, built in memory of Ghana's first president Kwame Nkrumah who was also the first African prime minister , beginning the era of post colonization. Acclaimed as a visionary and pan Africanist he unfortunately resorted to the tactics of a dictator, promulgating into law, a one party state in which the rights of individuals were horribly suppressed. With such a controversial legacy, Ghanaians have often either tended to see only the good (Nkrumaists) or chosen to see only the negative. The party he started, the CPP is still represented in Ghana while other parties often define themselves as sympathetic or opposed to the sentiments aroused by the very idea of Kwame Nkrumah.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Nkrumah's heavy-handedness may have accounted for his downfall. But when I reflect on Ghana's history, there is none like him. If only he had been less dictatorial, he probably would have accomplished much more. He had such an unmatched vision (relative to the leaders we've had).

atsu