POINT BLANK 14 AO, KWAME NKRUMAHS GHANA!! When Dr Nkrumah was being wooed by leaders of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) to become its General Secretary to champion the course of emancipation from British Rule little did they know that he would eventually become the very first President of a liberated Gold Coast on 6th March 1957. By Independence, the dichotomy of Dr Nkrumahs Convention Peoples Party (CPP) being SELF-GOVERNMENT NOW and Dr Danquahs UGCCs SELF-GOVERNMENT IN THE SHORTEST POSSIBLE TIME had equalized! Although both parties had fought for independence, the way forward after Independence soon became a problem. Nkrumahs UNITED STATES OF AFRICA vision did not sit too well with the UGCC metamorphosed United Party (UP). The UP believed that the young nation state of GHANA needed to first Consolidate its resources to the total Welfare of its people before any other considerations. Kwame Nkrumah on the other hand maintained that the Independence of GHANA was Meaningless unless it was linked up with the total liberation of the African Continent This political tug of war, culminated in key figures of the UP including Dr J.B. Danquah and some members of Nkrumahs CPP who did not see eye-to-eye with him imprisoned after the Osagyefo had declared Ghana as a ONE PARTY STATE and instituted the PREVENTIVE DETENTION ACT (PDA) that gave the State the power to detain without trial anyone seen to be not in agreement and for that matter derailing the visions and activities of the first President of Ghana. To the opposition parties at the time, this was an act akin to From frying pan to fire. Here was a Nation that had just derided itself from the grip or stranglehold of British Colonial Rule only to come face to face with the wrath of their own compatriot! No wonder, the physical opposition to Nkrumahs supposedly tyranic rule had begun. Here was a man reverred by most African Countries who had just gained their Independence or on the verge of getting an independent status partly due to the Financial and manpower efforts of Dr Kwame Nkrumah and yet faced a stiff opposition in his own backyard, Ghana. I perceive the dilemma NKRUMAH might have gone through when faced with several bomb threats and attempts some from members of his own CPP. His alliance with the Soviet bloc in this COLD WAR Era when the West were at loggerheads with the East who had a Communist agenda as opposed to the Capitalism practiced by the West. Efforts were therefore put underway to stop this Ambitious New African leader in his tracks. It therefore came as no surprise to some political pundits when Dr Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown in a Bloody Coup detat on 24th February 1966 during his absence on a trip to HANOI. A lost of his Revolutionary Guards were killed in their effort to foil the insurrection mainly carried by a combined team of Army and Police personnel led by the late EMMANUEL KWASI KOTOKA and KWASI AMANKWAA AFRIFA. When Nkrumah heard about his overthrow he took refuge with his biggest political ally and friend SEKOU TOURE president of GUINEA until 1972 when he had been sent to Romania to recuperate from his illness. Unfortunately though he died that same year. Back in Ghana, the NATIONAL LIBERATION COUNCIL (NLC) had been formed soon after Nkrumahs overthrow with Lietenant General ANKRAH as Chairman and Head of State. The NLC termed itself as an Interim Regime that was to see to fresh General Elections being held sooner than later. It must be said that the NLC had invariably opened the Floodgates of Coup detats that was to plague Ghana in the years ahead. So in 1969, Elections were held with the front-runners being the PROGRESS PARTY (PP) led by Professor KOFI ABREFA BUSIA and the NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF LIBERALS (NAL) its leader being a former Kwame Nkrumah ally, KOMLA AGBELI GBEDEMAH popularly known as K.A GBEDEMAH or Uncle Gbedey! Prof Busia won the elections and became Prime Minister of the 2nd Republic of Ghana. Dr AKUFO-ADDO was made the Ceremonial President. Barely 3 years of being in Office, Busias Progress Party was also overthrown by Colonel KUTU ACHEAMPONG who later became a General in the Army and the Head of State of Ghana as leader of the NATIONAL REDEMPTION COUNCIL (NRC). In.1978, Acheampong was dethroned through a palace coup by his closest ally, General F.W AKUFFO who also gave the same reason as the previous NLC of being an Interim government to return Ghana to Civilian rule. Just as Political parties were getting ready to take part in fresh elections there was an Army Mutiny that took place on 15th May 1979. However, majority of the perpetrators were arrested. The leader of this mutiny was Flight Lietenant John Jerry Rawlings who was arraigned before a martial court together with his mutineers. However, on the 4th of June 1979, Flt Lt. Rawlings was freed from prison by another insurrection led by Captain Boakye Djan. A Bloody confrontation ensued between officers and the other ranks. In the melee, a lot of soldiers lost their lives on both sides. In the aftermath, General Afrifa, General Acheampong, General Akuffo, Lt General R.E.A Kotei, Lt General Utuka, Col Roger Felli and others were shot by a Firing Squad at the Teshie Miltary range. J.J Rawlings as he was popularly known was made Head of State and Chairman of the ARMED FORCES REVOLUTIONAY COUNCIL (AFRC) with Captain Boakye Djan as Spokesman. The AFRC also gave the same reason as the earlier coup detats i.e to get rid of the rot and call for fresh elections! 3 months after the AFRC came to power (i.e SEPTEMBER 1979) elections were held and the PEOPLES NATIONAL PARTY - PNP (an affiliate of the proscribed CPP) came to power with Dr HILLA LIMANN as President of the 3rd Republic. Just 2 years and 3 months in Office, Dr Limanns PNP Government was overthrown and guess who carried out the so-called Revolution? Of course J.J Rawlings who had handed over power to Dr Limann and had intimated openly that Limanns government was under Probation! So all those soldiers including Afrifa, Acheampong and Akuffo who were shot for engaging in coup detats whose death were to serve as deterrent had died for Nothing because here was a Signatory to this condemnation doing a U-turn to organize another Coup detats. To confuse the people of Ghana, he claimed his was not a Coup but a Revolution. Indeed! J.Js PROVISIONAL NATIONAL DEFENCE COUNCIL (PNDC) remained in Office for 11 solid years! However, in 1992 under intense pressure from political pressure groups, led by Professor Adu Boahen and other political bigwigs, J.J Rawlings metamorphosed into a Civilian and formed the NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC). So as Player and Referee J.J Rawlings became President in 1992 in an election that was largely boycotted by the main opposition, the NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY which had antecedents in the Danquah/Busia traditions. J.J Rawlings lifted the ban on the CPP only for the NDC to literally swallow the CPP in an Alliance that later turned sour with the CPPs Candidate the late KOW NKENSEN ARKAAH who had become J.J Rawlings Vice-President. Mr Kow Nkensen Arkaah broke away from the NDC/CPP Alliance to join hands with the NPPs JOHN AGYEKUM KUFUOR in the 1996 elections. An alliance termed The GREAT ALLIANCE. However, the Great Alliance could not unseat the now MR RAWLINGS. Like all Rulers whose rule in History comes to an end eventually, Mr Rawlings NDC government was replaced by the NPP under J.A Kufuor in January 2001 when he won the election Run-off against J.Js Vice President, the late Professor JOHN EVANS ATTA- MILLS. Kufuor also run his full two 4-year terms and just as the NPP thought it was going to succeed itself with NANA ADDO DANKWAH AKUFO-ADDO like the NDC transition from Rawlings to Atta Mills the late Professor did to Akufo-Addo what Kufuor had done to him! Unfortunately for the Prof, he passed away getting to the end of his 4-year term in July 2012 barely 4 months to the end of his term. In a highly disputed 2012 General Elections that ended at the Supreme Court, Mr JOHN DRAMANI MAHAMA was declared winner and has already served 2 of his 4 year term. With NANA AKUFO-ADDO still in the race to once again become the Flagbearer of the NPP in the 2016 elections will History be made or will there be an extension of the Status-quo? Time is mans biggest asset and Only TIME WILL TELL.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 12:04:53 +0000
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