“Terrorism Under Nkrumah” launched
The Socialist Forum of Ghana (SFG) has launched a book entitled “Terrorism Under Nkrumah,” as part of activities marking the 43rd anniversary of the death of Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of Ghana.
The 112-page book authored by the SFG, contains the verdict of the Supreme Court in the case of the State versus Otchere, adjudicated by then Chief Justice Kobina Arku Korsah, and Justices Van Lare and Edward Akufo-Addo.
According to the book, the judgement was not only historic, but importantly, it brought up revelations of the vicious determination of those, mainly members of the United Party (UP) in exile, to kill Dr Nkrumah.
The book, which is simply the reasoning of the three justices in the first Republic, seeks to correct the misinformation that has been fed to Ghanaians that the Kulungugu bomb attack against Dr Nkrumah was organised by some elements within the Convention People’s Party (CPP) and had nothing to do with members of the opposition at that time.
The verdict of the three justices found Robert Benjamin Otchere and Yaw Manu, both members of the UP guilty on counts of conspiracy to commit treason and treason.
Other three accused persons who were jointly charged with these two, namely Tawia Adamafio, a Minister and a leading member of the CPP government, Ako Adjei, Foreign Minister at the time of the trial, and Hugh Haratio Coffie Crabbe, Executive Secretary of the CPP, were discharged by the court for lack of evidence.
Beyond the verdict, the revelation that came out of the trial was that the Kulungugu bomb attack which was meant to kill Dr Nkrumah but only succeeded in wounding him and killing a school girl and many others were not one-off attack, but the result of months of terrorist planning, involving well-known figures, such as Kofi Abrefa Busia, Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, Oheneba Kow Richardson, Adam Amandi, Emmanuel Obetsebi Lamptey, Ashie Nikoi and others, to overthrow the government of Ghana.
Launching the book in Accra on Monday, Professor Raymond Osei, Department of Classics and Philosophy, University of Cape Coast (UCC), said Nkrumah’s anti-colonialist rhetoric incensed and embarrassed the Western powers, such as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the United States, as evidence in the “Great Deception,” which was earlier published by the SFG.
He said Nkrumah however, did not constitute any serious threat to the Western capitalist dominance of the world.
He recounted that the immediate post-independent history of Ghana was littered with evidence of conspiracy between imperialism and its local agents to subvert the aspirations of the people of Ghana, and to ensure that no revolutionary movement took root in the country.
Tracing the involvement of certain eminent figures in terrorist activities in the early post independent era aimed at assassinating Nkrumah, Prof Osei pointed out that not all those whose pictures appeared in the Ghana cedi notes deserved to be there.
“Again, the monuments set in important Places in Accra, such as Obetsebi Lamptey Circle, Kotoka International Airport, and Danquah Circle are an affront to citizens of Ghana, and an abuse of the facts of history, including the 300 plus citizens who lost their lives because of the nefarious and cowardly activities of these political saboteurs and stooges of imperialism,” he stated.
“It is in this context I humbly invite professors of Ghanaian history to give their students and the reading public a more truth history of Ghana devoid of ideological colouring.”
Prof Osei highly recommended the book to political parties, historians, students of law, civil society organisations, and the public.
Prof Atta Britwum, Department of French, UCC, urged Africans to move beyond class struggles for the betterment of the continent.
Mr George Koomson, SFG member, giving an overview of the book said the justices were satisfied that meetings held by the UP members in Lome and Abidjan were aimed at overthrowing the government of Ghana, by resorting to violence.
Mr Kwesi Pratt Jr, Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper and SFG Convener, said the Forum had established the Freedom Bookshop in Accra, as part of efforts to protect and conserve Nkrumah’s history and literal works.
He appealed to all and sundry to contribute towards the course of the bookshop.
Mr Kofi Attor, the Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Investment Finance Electronic Communication, bought the first copy of the book for GH₵2,500.
Source: GNA