That behind every great man there is a woman is a belief construct yet to be refuted. Thus, behind Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the late first President as well as first Prime Minister of Ghana, there was Madam Fathia Nkrumah, a significant Premier First Lady of Ghana who passed away Thursday, 31 May 2007.

Because of what Madam Fathia meant to the people of Ghana, it is with deep sorrow that members of CPP-USA and CPPNA convey sincere condolence to her children and the rest of her families in Ghana and Egypt.

In political terms, Madam Fathia Nkrumah will forever remain the First Mother of modern Ghana founded by her late husband, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah.

Not long ago, Samia Nkrumah, the daughter of Kwame and Fathia Nkrumah, disclosed that her father did not mix his political duties with family life. For good or bad reason, there is implication here that Madam Fathia was the mainstay of the Nkrumah household. There is the understanding, then, that Madam Fathia provided the stability that allowed President Kwame Nkrumah to discharge his duties as president of Ghana.

For the anchor she provided Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah to serve as the greatest president of Ghana, thus far, all the people of Ghana must have reason in joining the members and supporters of the Convention People’s Party to bid Madam Fathia farewell to eternity.

Madam Fathia, as the wife of the president of Ghana, did not portray herself as co-president or the power behind her husband’s political position. Indeed, Madam Fathia Nkrumah was the very epitome of humility as the First Mother, of a new nation, Ghana, whose demeanor and social conduct must, today, be an example to be emulated by future first ladies of the country.

There has been an indication that for the significant role she played as First Lady of Ghana, Madam Fathia was not treated fairly by Ghanaian authority figures since the overthrow and demise of her husband, Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah. The current President of Ghana, John Agyekum Kufuor, showed magnanimity when he visited Madam Fathia recently on her deathbed at a hospital in her native Cairo, Egypt. The question can be asked, why didn’t the government of Ghana offer help to Madam Fathia earlier?

Considering that Madam Fathia stood by her man through the thick and thin of his difficult and life-threatening political career, one has to ask, what help would have been befitting for her from the people and government of Ghana? Anything and everything Ghana could have done, but did not do, to help Madam Fathia would have been priceless, relative to her stabilizing contribution to the work of her husband on behalf of the country. For this reason, no amount of supplication would be worthy of the gift of Fathia to Ghana. Yet the very tradition of Ghana enjoins all citizens to render sincere gratitude and feelings of remorse for the passing away of a great woman, Fathia Nkrumah.

In the brief moment after the announcement of her death, Ghanaians around the world saw sufficient reasons to muster the courage to extend nothing less than peaceful eternal rest for the late Madam Fathia Nkrumah, a woman who witnessed and endured numerous attacks on the life of her husband and children’s father.

From London, Osei Yaw asked Madam Fathia to “please tell KWAME we have done nothing for ourselves since he left – tell him the ‘begging bowl’ is our life line; tell him we miss him badly.”

Ms. Agnes Amoah wrote, “Go Home Fathia you are our Mother and our pillar, Ghanaians thank you for the good and the sacrifice your husband paid to make us free, and for the suffering you went through to take care of the 3 little children. We salute YOU - GO AND BE WITH HIM HE WILL BE HAPPY TO SEE YOU - THANK YOU.” Christie wrote also, “May you rest in perfect peace, original First Lady.”

We the members of CPP-USA and CPPNA wish Madam Fathia Nkrumah nothing less than eternal peaceful rest, in the name of God.

Damirifa Due!

Yaw Adu-Otu FOR and ON BEHALF OF CPP-USA and CPPNA