Pan-Africanist and anti-corruption crusader, Professor P.L.O. Lumumba, has called for a shift in the mindset of African leaders and citizens, urging them to stop being "imprisoned in history and lamentation."

Speaking at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) Public Lecture Series on Friday, April 11, Prof Lumumba passionately reminded his audience of the importance of moving forward and building upon the foundations laid by Africa’s great leaders, notably Kwame Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana.

“We cannot remain imprisoned in history and lamentation,” Prof Lumumba declared.

He urged that Africa look beyond historical lamentation and focus on the relevance of Africa’s past leaders in shaping a brighter future.

“That is why it is still true for you Ghanaians, Nkrumah is dead but Nkrumah never dies. And the reason why he never dies is that his ideas are evergreen.”

Prof Lumumba used Nkrumah’s legacy to challenge Africans to step beyond nostalgia and truly engage with the future in a way that honours their past without being constrained by it.

“Who among you here is courageous enough to stand up and contradict me when I say what we are saying here was said by Kwame Nkrumah in 1955?” Prof Lumumba asked.

Prof Lumumba posed a provocative question to those gathered at the event: “Who among you here is courageous enough to tell me that Nkrumah did not think about education of a different kind when he was instituting the University at Legon?”

He highlighted Kwame Nkrumah's foresight in establishing higher education institutions such as the University of Ghana as part of his broader vision to empower Africans through knowledge and intellectual independence.