The daughter of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Samia Yaba Christina Nkrumah, has highlighted the essence of sacrifice in the development of Ghana.
As part of the 2023 Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day celebration, Joy Prime’s Prime Morning interviewed Samia Nkrumah to reminisce about her childhood experience with her father and unleash some hidden sacrifices the late Kwame Nkrumah made towards Ghana’s development as the first president.
During the conversation, Samia Nkrumah revealed that, her father gave “all his property to the state, rendering them homeless because the late Prime Minister did not own a house of his own”.
Also, she said that the fact that their father died while their mother was still young was another painful sacrifice they had to endure while growing up.
“They were together for only 8 years. This young, beautiful woman was left with three children, but that’s how it was. That is the price we paid for our independence, and it’s a price we’re still paying to become economically independent,” she said.
Despite giving out all his property to the state, Samia Nkrumah mentioned that some people still spoke ill of him, claiming the late president squandered the country’s resources.
But she said their father was not interested in riches and therefore did not amass wealth. According to her, that decision was deliberately made by the late Prime Minister.
“He was a leader who exemplified courage, sense of purpose, vision, and all the things we longed for and we need to emulate in our lives,” Samia added.
Based on her experience, she believes she is rich not financially but mentally and in other fields, and she is a believer in the adage “a good name is better than riches.”
Samia Nkrumah expressed displeasure at how most of the projects her father started have been abandoned and depleted.
She therefore urged political leaders to move away from politics that does not build on Ghana’s economy. She wishes to see the country ruled by the best minds, irrespective of their political affiliation.
Kwame Nkrumah’s birthday, 21st September is an official public holiday, since its establishment in March 2019 through the passage of the Public Holiday Amendment Bill.
Dr. Nkrumah’s pivotal role as the leader of the CPP led to the formation of the government, and subsequently, gained Ghana’s independence from British rule in 1957.
As the nation’s leader, Dr. Nkrumah spearheaded significant socio-economic development initiatives that gave rise to numerous infrastructure projects. His legacy will forever remain in the heart Ghanaians.