The General Secretary of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Harold Stephen Ato Eshun, has called on Ghanaians to renew their commitment to Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of economic independence, industrialisation and African unity.
He said persistent challenges including unemployment, corruption, economic difficulties, inequality and abandoned projects should prompt the country to critically examine how effectively it controls its resources and determines its economic future.
Mr Eshun made the call ahead of Dr Nkrumah’s 117th birthday on Monday, September 21, saying the occasion should go beyond remembering Ghana’s first President to examining how his ideas could be applied to present-day development challenges.
He said Nkrumah’s vision extended beyond Ghana’s independence from colonial rule to the political and economic emancipation of Africa.
Quoting Nkrumah, he said: “Our independence is meaningless unless linked up with the total liberation of Africa.”
Mr Eshun said the statement reflected Nkrumah’s belief that Ghana’s independence formed part of a wider African project in which Africans would control their resources, determine their economic future and build economies anchored in knowledge, industry and unity.
“Without economic independence, we as Africans remain vulnerable,” he said.
Dr Nkrumah founded the CPP in 1949 after leaving the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). The party adopted the slogan “Self-Government Now” and mobilised support for the campaign for independence.
The CPP won the 1951 election, paving the way for Nkrumah to become Leader of Government Business and later Prime Minister before Ghana attained independence on March 6, 1957.
Mr Eshun said the CPP’s history should continue to inform national conversations about self-determination, development and the management of Ghana’s resources.
Mr Eshun said Nkrumah left a legacy of African pride and a belief in the capacity of Africans to determine their own future.
He identified education as another important component of Nkrumah’s development agenda, saying it was regarded as a key tool for national transformation.
According to him, Ghana’s development should also be viewed within the broader context of Africa’s progress.
He said the present generation could advance aspects of Nkrumah’s vision through entrepreneurship, industrial development, technology and the creative arts.
Mr Eshun urged young Ghanaians to establish businesses and industries, while encouraging the use of technology to improve sectors such as education and healthcare.
He also called on journalists and creative practitioners to tell Ghanaian stories to global audiences through journalism, music, film and the arts.
Mr Eshun said commemorating Nkrumah at 117 should prompt Ghanaians to reflect on three questions: “What was his picture of Ghana? What did he leave behind? What will we do with it?”
He said the answers should translate into practical efforts to build a productive, self-reliant and united Ghana.
The call comes as Ghana prepares to mark September 21 as Founder’s Day, a statutory public holiday commemorating Nkrumah’s birthday.
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