The United Kingdom & Ireland branch of Ghana’s biggest opposition party, the National Democratic Congress, held a mammoth symposium at the South Bank University Campus in London at the weekend. The event was attended by a teeming number of Ghanaians from all walks of lives living in the UK. The symposium, which was moderated by Dr Lawrence Akwetey, a Development Economist, was under the theme, “Ghana @50: Progress, Stagnation or Retrogression.”

Opening the symposium which centred on the socio-politico-economic achievements or failures of Ghana for the last fifty years (since independence), Dr Akwetey urged all participants to fairly and honestly evaluate the performances and achievements in the social, economic and political developments of successive governments in Ghana since independence. He advised the participants to, among others, exercise an analytical view of the current electrical power stages in Ghana as to whether this represents progress, stagnation or retrogression since independence.

In the main events of the day, the two principal speakers, Mr Alfred Boyan, a Marketing Consultant and Organiser of the UK & Ireland Branch of the NDC, spoke on the topic “Economic Development in Ghana for fifty years” whilst Mr Alex Segbefia, a Barrister-at-Law and Chair of the UK & Ireland Branch of the NDC spoke on the topic, “Socio-Political Development in Ghana for fifty years.”

Mr Boyan spoke of how the country’s founder and first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah changed the fortunes of Ghana from colonial rule to that of a progressive developing country with credible and growth-sustaining economic policies. He elaborated on how Dr Nkrumah, with foresight, heavily invested in infrastructure which included among many, roads, hospitals, education, heavy industries, industrial townships, hydro-electric plants (Akosombo Dam) oil refineries, etc. Mr Boyan said, “His opponents-the forbearers of the present government-argued that Osagyefo was operating a State Controlled Economic Structure which they said retarded growth and the accelerated development of the country; Nkrumah insisted they were the right policies of a developing country.”

Mr Boyan traced the economic fortunes of successive governments in Ghana from when the CIA assisted coup d’etat of the National Liberation Council overthrew Dr Nkrumah’s government and ushered in the Second Republic to date. He highlighted General Acheampong’s buying and selling era which saw inflation rise from 10% in 1972 to 117% in 1977 and presided over the Import Licences regime which gave rise to over-invoicing and under-invoicing. He said Dr Hilla Limann’s government was economically stagnant. Mr Boyan spoke of Inflation reaching single digits for the first time under the NDC government with a trade surplus of US$ 93 million and medical units rising from 252-958. Of the NPP government which took over the reigns of power from 2001, Mr Boyan said,” The NPP administration immediately embarked on the archaic Keynesian Economic Theories; ‘mopping up’ extra liquidity in the system to bring inflation down was their plan and the government preached the Golden Age of Business.” He continued,” they told Ghanaians to feel their pockets before they voted meaning people’s pockets were empty; yet within a month of taking over power, they were telling us that there was too much liquidity in the system- meaning we had too much money in our pockets.” “Thus they increased the prices of petroleum products, electricity, water, rent, school fees, cutlasses,” Mr Boyan concluded.

On his part, Mr Alex Segbefia took participants through every whim and crevice of Ghana’s political developments for fifty years since independence. He paid tribute to Dr Kwame Nkrumah as having stood out among the Big Six, and despite the many obstacles put in his way by the National Liberation Movement (NLM) and other political opponents of the day he brilliantly led Ghana to independence on 6 March 1957.

Of Nkrumah’s First Republic he spoke of the boycott of the NLM and their negative responses to Nkrumah’s independence struggles-prior to the setting up of the first legislative assembly-which made the British colonial government call for three elections in five years: 1951, 1954 and 1956 which Nkrumah won. He spoke on the one party State of the CPP government, the move from democratic means to violence by opposition elements and the consequent Preventive Detention Act. He highlighted the many coup plots, assassination attempts, bomb throwing incidents targeted at Dr Nkrumah (Kulungugu - Mallam Tula, Teiko Tagoe, Ametefi, etc),women killing and plans to kill school children, etc. Mr Segbefia said, “ Under the Nkrumah regime there was a good set of infrastructure network in Ghana and the Judiciary was completely independent.” Of the NLC government, Mr Segbefia traced the J.B Danquah – CIA agency, the maltreatment of political opponents e.g. Boye Moses, the coup attempt of Arthur and Yeboah both of whom were executed by the first firing squad in Ghana under the instructions of Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa. The Second Republic led by Dr Abrefa Busia and his Progress Party, he said, was characterised by the Aliens Compliance order, divisive policies, the famous Sallah case (No Courts), refusal to allow Nkrumah to come home to Ghana to die, and the opposition was not listened to. On General Acheampong’s government, Mr Segbefia talked of the successful Operation Feed Yourself programme, diminishing discipline in the Armed Forces, the coinage of the word “Kalabule” which characterised the buy and sell in the country, queues and chits for essential commodities, Union Government and a generally unstable country. General Akuffo had little time to exact any impact.

Mr Segbefia described the AFRC June 4 revolution led by Flt Lt. J.J. Rawlings as one which successfully reduced corruption and brought in a sense of probity and accountability to several organisations within Ghana. There was bloodshed and it was the quick intervention of Flt Lt. J.J. Rawlings that averted more bloodshed. He said the Third Republic under Dr Hilla Limann was unable to deal with corruption and showed weak leadership. That brought in the PNDC government under the Chairmanship of Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings which was the beginning of the road to the sustained democracy we enjoy today. The era was marred by the killing of the 3 Judges and the retired Major which led to a trial of the parties involved and their subsequent execution, a fact that is conveniently forgotten when this issue arises. There were over 23 attempted coups during this period.

The new democratic era ushered in the Fourth Republic where the name and pride of Dr Nkrumah was restored (Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park), freedom of speech taking off in earnest and the era that witnessed the first ever handing over of political power from one democratically elected government to the other. On the NPP government of the Fourth Republic, Mr Segbefia spoke of attempts to totally erode the independence of the media (as is the case in London) although there was the removal of the criminal libel law. He talked of the lack of independence of the Judiciary citing the Tsatsu Tsikata case, corruption at the highest level, drug dealing (Cocaine scandals NPP’s Eric Amoateng awaiting trial on narcotic charges in the USA) , the Hotel Kufour saga and misplaced political priorities. Mr Segbefia ended by asking “where are we today” in regards to democracy independent judiciary, tribalism, corruption and human rights?

There were questions and contributions from participants one of which was, “…..why Dr Nkrumah’s name was not mentioned even once in the President’s Ghana @50 state of the Nation address to parliament?