Audio By Carbonatix
Ghanaians’ standard of living is deteriorating, and a far cry from comfortable and happy lives they lived 50 years ago.
That’s according to former Secretary to Ghana’s first President Kwame Nkrumah, Dr. K. B Asante.
“Young people deserve better. Even though back then we didn’t have much, life was much more interesting and happier than it is today,“ Dr. Asante said.
He added that the "better" can only be created by Ghanaians and that should renew the self-confidence which Nkrumah tried to promote.
The former diplomat also bemoans the unending rise in the cost of living, which have rendered many impoverished.
This was contained in a documentary by Joy FM’s Kwabena Ampratwum to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the overthrow of Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah.
Dr. Asante recounts Nkrumah’s affable nature and his admiration to work with “people who know their stuff.”
He fondly narrated how Kwame Nkrumah used to instruct him to draft letters to his fellow African presidents and say for instance “I told you so. Nkrumah.”
A forerunner in the fight for Ghana’s independence in 1957, Nkrumah formed the new era of African unity, a fight he was leading until February 24, 1966.
A young student at Adisadel who he [Nkrumah] presented an award to, Akwasi Afrifah, who became a soldier 11 years later overthrew him in Ghana’s first military coup.
Speaking to Nkrumah's daughter, Samia Yaaba Nkrumah, former Chairman of the CPP, she the recalled events of February 24th, 1966.
“Mother and the three of us at the Flagstaff House and we woke up to the sounds of gunshots. We were told to vacate the House in a very short time,”
Fathia Nkrumah, Samia said, told them to kneel and pray adding, “even if they fire at you, nothing will happen to you.
Dr. Asante doesn’t think that the aspirations of Nkrumah went down with him to the grave if Ghanaians can’t live a much happier life today.
Listen to audio
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