Sacked Sekou Nkrumah vows to work for 'stronger leader' for NDC

Dr. Sekou Nkrumah         The dismissed acting coordinator of the National Youth Council, Dr Sekou Nkrumah, says he is unfazed by the decision to relieve him of his post, adding it would not deter him from working hard for the NDC to get a stronger leader for the 2012 general elections. “In fact I will even be better not in government so that I can really speak my mind freely and help build a stronger NDC, eventually get a stronger leader that would be able to lead the NDC…to move Ghana forward,” he told Joy News’ Evans Mensah on Thursday moments after he confirmed he had been given the boot. Sekou Nkrumah suspects that his dismissal is in connection with his recent interview with the Africa Watch magazine where he questioned President Atta Mills’ leadership style and quality, claiming that the president is more of an academician than a political leader and would be better-off in the classroom than being the chief executive of the nation. But Dr. Nkrumah says he holds nothing against anybody for his sack. Dr. Nkrumah said he has no regret for the comments he made about President Mills, reiterating that: "There could be a better time for Ghana but the better times will not come if we don't have that bold leadership that can move things forward and not just sit and contemplate." The son of Ghana’s first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who despised his fathers’ founded party, Convention People’s Party, to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the run-up to the 2008 elections, said he would continue to be a member of the ruling party. “I will continue to be an NDC member, I will continue to work for the NDC, I don’t have to be in government to work for the NDC,” he said, stressing that he would continue to repeat his opinion about President Mills. He said nothing would stop him from expressing himself and promised to bounce back after taking “a few days to sort myself out” in the heat of the dismissal to serve the NDC in whatever capacity he could. According to Madam Esther Cobbah, chairperson of the National Youth Council board, the board had communicated to the Ministry of Youth and Sports about its inability to work with Dr Sekou Nkrumah citing several reasons, including his disrespect for colleagues, incompetence and lack of vision. 'Nkrumah's son not a magician' Madam Esther Cobbah says Dr. Nkrumah is disrespectful to council members   Dr. Nkrumah however rejected the “bitter” claims, which he described as “unfortunate”, adding that during his era, he had a good relationship with the management of the council. “If I am incompetent, what about the board,” he queried. “Without the National Youth Policy what vision am I bringing to the table, I think the board should be asking themselves that and I think they should address the issue of the National Youth Policy so that all the stakeholders know what they are supposed to do to develop the young people of this country. “It is beyond just saying it, we want to see action that you cannot blame just one person, the coordinator for even when the resources are not coming his way …I don’t know they think because I am Dr Nkrumah’s son I am a magician, I don’t know.” Story by Isaac Essel/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana