Sekou Nkrumah: The President Cannot See

Sekou Nkrumah     Related Stories   The immediate past National coordinator of the National Youth Council and son of Ghana first president, Dr. Sekou Nkrumah has explained what he believed necessitated his removal from office by President John Evans Atta Mills. “The presidency feels threatened by the issue of Prof. Atta Mills’ health whenever it arises”, he stressed. Dr. Sekou Nkrumah also thought that even though the Mills’ administration was making it seem like his dismissal was a recommendation from the Board of the National Youth Council, he thought it was an overreaction from the presidency. Dr. Nkrumah is reported to have cast innuendos at his adopted Party and President Mills for under-performance in an interview he granted the Africa Watch Magazine. Speaking on the Morning show of Kessben FM in Kumasi, he noted that what he said in the interview has been misconstrued by the presidency hence the controversy it has generated in the party. “After some serious reflections, I have seen that it was what I said in the interview that he (President Mills) feels threatened. I had no bad intention when I spoke about his health, but it looks like that has hurt him a lot”, he stated. Dr. Nkrumah who seemed unperturbed about his dismissal, expressed surprise that some members of the NDC were making his comment on the President’s health look more serious than thought. He recalled being a part of a delegation that called on the President on Thursday, he was utterly surprised that Prof. Mills seemed not to have recognized him because of his poor vision”. What I saw when I greeted the President was a man who cannot see because he could not even recognize whom he was talking to. I was shaking the President’s hand and I don’t think he recognized me hence I got that impression,” the vociferous son of the late president stated. As to whether he would be cowed into quietness by the verbal attacks from various parts of the party and this apparent dismissal, Dr. Nkrumah said he voted for democracy and has been part of the struggle for its attainment and hence would not be cowed by the recent event. “I speak my mind anywhere and everywhere, I have never insulted anyone or had any such intensions – they asked my opinion and I said it. …The assertions that one cannot criticize a government which you work for to me don’t make much sense; the criticism was to improve our lot in the success of our Better Ghana agenda”, he noted. Dr. Sekou Nkrumah said he granted the interview after recounting certain frustrations when he was appointed as the coordinator of the National Youth council. His main problem, he noted was the issue of National Youth Policy and how government was dragging its feet on its implementation, “that was why I said the leadership of the party was failing to deliver”. He also said the President was not his own man explaining that because he did not go through the necessary struggle any person should, to emerge as the leader of the party or tradition, the President finds it difficult making some decisions and implementing some policies.       Source: Today/Ghana