One of the earliest features of the newly independent Ghana was the Young Pioneers, a body of youth that connoted varying impressions among different strands of Ghanaians.
This group was initiated by the first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, in 1960.
Because of its aim, the Young Pioneers quickly gained popularity, particularly among students and the much younger generation at the time.
The movement drew on material, practical, and ideological resources from all around the world, including Great Britain, the USSR, and China, to instil patriotism in its members.
There have been varied opinions on the Young Pioneers. While some Ghanaians considered the members of this group a bunch of godless youth that President Kwame Nkrumah was using to entrench his position and to help gather intelligence, others thought otherwise.
A former Member of Parliament for Twifo Atti-Morkwa, Abraham Dwuma Odoom, shared his experience as a member of the Ghana Young Pioneer Movement with GhanaWeb’s William Narh in an episode of People & Places.
He recounted the daily training sessions aimed at instilling a love for the country and the importance of patriotic spirit.
To him, being a member of the pioneer group was one of the most interesting moves of his life as a young man.
“Getting to form 3, I got myself enrolled in the Young Pioneers. There, we were having daily training that was targeted at conscientising us towards our country’s love—that is, putting on your patriotic spirit. I remember at the community centre, we would assemble there, and they would teach us the national anthem, the pledge, the aims, and all those things. I remember at school, when we went in the morning, we had to sing the national anthem and recite the pledge before we marched into the classroom.
“In the Young Pioneers, there were two groups; those who had only the scarf and those who had uniforms and boots. You start with the scarf when you are in primary school. When you put on your school uniform, you add your scarf to it to identify you as a member. When you get to middle school or have graduated and are about to go to Russia, then you have the uniform and the boot. It was an interesting time,” he said.
The senior citizen also recalled some controversial practices that, in hindsight, he views as some of the mistakes committed by Kwame Nkrumah.
“I remember we had Mr. ZY Shado; he was the youth wing leader, in their attempt to conscientise us into Nkrumahism. He would ask us to close our eyes and ask God to give us some toffees, and there would be no toffee. But they will tell us to ask Kwame Nkrumah, and then they will rain some toffee on us. At that age, we knew Nkrumah was our all.
“Growing up, I have come to realise that those were some of the mistakes that our great leader committed or that his people made him commit. Because at that time, it was like he was pitching himself against God, and definitely anyone who pitches himself against God will have consequences,” he added.
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Watch the full interview of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV below:
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