1. Today marks the 116th anniversary of the birth of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President, founder of the modern Ghanaian state, and the towering Pan-Africanist who was rightfully celebrated as the African of the Millennium.
2. His life’s work was dedicated to liberation, unity, and the dignity of all oppressed peoples across the globe.
3. It is fitting and proper to commend the Government of Ghana under the stellar leadership of H.E John Dramani Mahama, for the reinstatement of this day as founder’s Day, contrary to the revisionist posture of the erstwhile President.
4. As we reflect on Nkrumah’s legacy, it is urgent to revisit his ideology and infuse it deeply into our educational system. His belief in the power of education as a tool of liberation and development remains timeless. In Consciencism (1964), he wrote: “Practice without thought is blind; thought without practice is empty.” This call for critical, purposeful education resonates today as we seek to build generations grounded in African identity, justice, and collective progress.
5. On this solemn occasion, we cannot remain silent about the ongoing genocide in Palestine. Nkrumah’s unwavering solidarity with all oppressed people is clear in his declaration: “Freedom is not something that one people can bestow on another as a gift. They claim it as their own and none can keep it from them.” The world must heed this truth and demand an immediate end to the bloodshed, recognizing the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to live in peace and dignity. Palestine must be free.
6. Above all, Nkrumah’s vision of African unity remains unfinished business. He warned: “The independence of Ghana is meaningless unless it is linked up with the total liberation of Africa.”
7. Six decades later, Africa remains fragmented, vulnerable to external manipulation, and plagued by disunity. Yet his words still guide us: “It is clear that we must find an African solution to our problems, and that this can only be found in African unity.”
8. On this anniversary, let us renew our commitment to Nkrumah’s path—educating our youth in his ideology, standing firmly against injustice anywhere, and working tirelessly to achieve the unity of our continent.
9. Only then can we honor the enduring spirit of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and fulfill his vision of a free, united, and dignified Africa.
10. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.
Long Live Ghana
Long Live the Pan African dream of African unity.
Abdul-Wahab Africa Zion
Exec Director, Think Africa Foundation
zionexisted4u@gmail.com
