Overthrow of Nkrumah commemorated

By Edmund Smith-Asante

Dr Kwame Nkrumah

Since the overthrow of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the fortunes of workers in the country have only dwindled, with unemployment, underemployment and rampant redundancy being the order of the day, the Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Mr Kofi Asamoah, has stated.

He said that was a far cry from the seven-year development plan of Dr Nkrumah, which sought to transform Ghana from a country of shopkeepers and consumers into a show- piece of a modern industrialised economy in Africa.

“A period when there will be full employment and a challenge of even shortage of labour force and the need for its importation from neighbouring African countries. This is in contrast to what pertains today, comrades, where much unemployment, underemployment, and rampant redundancy are the order of the day,” he stressed.

Mr Asamoah stated this at a lecture to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the overthrow of Dr Nkrumah on February 24, 1966 and its impact on the workers’ union, organised jointly by the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and the Socialist Forum, Ghana, (SFG) on the theme: “Ghana’s Day of Shame. 50 years on, pursuing a National Development Plan.”

Effect of overthrow on workers

Speaking on the topic, “Trade Unionism, Nkrumahism and National Development 50 years on”, Mr Asamoah said although workers were an integral part of governance after independence, the influence and impact of trade unions had been weakened by Dr Nkrumah’s overthrow.

Describing the February 24, 1966 coup as a dark day for trade unions, he also indicated that no government had contributed in any way to the TUC’s cause since Dr Nkrumah presented the TUC building and Labour College to them in 1960.

All not lost

The Chairman of the CPP, Professor Edmund Delle, said all was not lost and that only Ghanaians could revive the country’s policies. “The CPP is going to green the country and revive the ideals of Dr Nkrumah. We dare not fail.” he stated.

Professor Akilagpa Sawyer, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Legon, stated, “Leaders can only do so much when they are linked to the people. It is not enough to bewail our fate. There is work to be done to take away our shame.”

Books presentation

A set of books on Dr Nkrumah from the Legacy Project of the Eighth Pan African Congress were presented by Mr Pratt to the TUC.

Writer’s email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh

This story was first published by the Daily Graphic on February 20, 2016