Political analyst Samuel Boateng has stated that all governments following the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah—particularly the two major political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP)—have destroyed the foundation and legacy of Ghana’s first President.
He argued that Dr Nkrumah fought tirelessly to ensure that African nations, particularly Ghana, became self-sufficient, leading a massive campaign to inspire confidence that the African is capable of managing their own affairs.
“The governments that came after the late Dr Kwame Nkrumah have destroyed the legacies of Nkrumah. His vision and plan for national development were superb, but that is not what we are witnessing today. We cannot say he led the independence struggle all alone, but he was the key personality who made it possible for us to become an independent country. He and the others did their best. Those who took over from him also did what they could, but when you compare the performance of Dr Nkrumah with what our current leaders have done, there is a major difference,” he said.
He observed that although Ghana is no longer under colonial rule, the nation remains far from self-sufficient, relying heavily on foreign aid, grants, and loans to run essential activities, including elections. A truly sovereign state, he stressed, should not depend on external funding to develop.
“The central idea of Kwame Nkrumah and his struggle for independence was to prevent over-dependence on foreign aid to develop Ghana. His plan was to make Ghana a sovereign state that hates neo-colonialism. The governance we have witnessed from the NDC and NPP has not provided us with that. Under their leadership, we are unable to manage our own affairs. We have to depend on grants, aid, and loans in managing our affairs, including our elections. Nkrumah was an industrialist; he established factories in every sector of the economy, but today, that is no longer the case,” he stated.
Mr Boateng further criticized contemporary leaders for thriving on mediocrity, noting that governments now tout basic responsibilities—such as recruiting nurses, police officers, soldiers, and teachers—as major accomplishments. None of them, he asserted, has matched Nkrumah’s vision in establishing industries to generate sustainable employment.
Speaking in an interview on Nyankonton Mu Nsem on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he emphasized that for a nation approaching its 70th independence anniversary, basic infrastructure like road construction should not be framed as a monumental achievement.
“We need to ask ourselves why we struggle when the price of fuel increases. We export cocoa in its raw state without adding any value to it. International prices determine how much we are paid. So indirectly, while foreigners are not colonising us, they determine what we wear, what we eat, drink, and use for everything. For a country that is almost 70 years old, we should not be seeing road construction as a major achievement,” he remarked.
When asked whether the situation could be reversed, he maintained that transformation remains possible with strong political resolve.
“With political will, we can change. We have to tell the NDC and NPP that enough is enough, and that this mediocrity has gone on for too long. We need major changes. We need massive progress and visionary projects, not the mediocre projects they embark on. We should have progressed far beyond where we are today,” he concluded.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
