Opinions of Friday, 6 February 2009

Columnist: Lartey-Adjei, Festus K.

Sekou Nkrumah’s stomach politics- CPP Lives on Forever

The greatest hero/heroine is the one who does quietly, selflessly and dutifully his/her assignment meant in part to advance the cause of humanity from the corner of his/her standing. He or she makes no noise about their exploits, but in humility and in quite.

Samia Nkrumah is a heroine and the proud daughter of her late father Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, for her quite resolve and determination to help rebuild her father’s party and complete the unfinished job.

Her brother Sekou on the other hand moves from nook to crook seeking appropriate words to use in an attempt to dissuade or discourage his father’s supporters. Samia has kept her quite and is working conscientiously. Insiders in the CPP know that work to regenerate the party and make it winnable has started with full speed and vigor where there is no turning back the clock.

What has happened Sekou is that there was a war, and your father was driven into exile with his family and some of his followers. Your father of course died in exile. Afterwards and when things had quieted, you and your sister returned to your historical homeland only to find your fathers house razed to the ground.

Somebody had stolen the dispersed building materials from the house, and used it to build his own. As a worthy son you had a choice to rebuild the house but you declined, and instead decided to go and live in the comfortable house built with the stolen materials from your father’s house. Your sister, on the other hand, decides to rebuild your father’s house taking with her any remaining materials available at the site, whiles you poke your head out of the window from the comforts of your newfound home to make mockery of her.

The time is coming son when she will complete your father’s house for the good of all and you will also be welcomed into this house to live proudly and happily thereafter. Otherwise, how will it be when your father’s house is built and his friends assembled for a celebration and you can’t come near? Would be a very sad event indeed Sekou.

Samia Nkrumah made the sign of the passion and the cross of Jesus Christ; in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, at the battle of Jomoro in her victory and in defiance of the blazing NDC machine guns.

“Ad Astra per Aspera”; the road to freedom and emancipation of Ghana and Africa is through the difficult Golgotha road which is too far too tough for Sekou to walk; it is not relevant to walk it today, for how can you exclude the sacrifice of Golgotha from life? Igls writes. You were not yet born when your father came down from London to lead and to found the CPP. At the time, no one gave him a chance because the elites had established themselves in Gold Coast politics already. He refused to join the well entrenched and established forming the party of the veranda boys which you may call today a party with no future. Success is sweet when people write you off, and it will surely come in our days. Ghana and Africa will build on the foundation laid by Dr. Nkrumah yesterday for a better Ghana and Africa today and tomorrow. We die and sacrifice ourselves today in other to live tomorrow Sekou. CPP is not finished nor can it be dead as long as we are enjoined by a common purpose and there is breadth in us. The rough journey is neither for the faint-hearted nor for the belly fully.

Sekou Nkrumah should take notice that Samia Nkrumah beating the NDC big-wig and chairman of their manifesto committee, Mr. Lee Okran in the battle of Jomoro, is the sign of the times, that the CPP and Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is relevant yesterday, today and tomorrow.

It is also equally a sign of things to come; Dr Kwame Nkrumah is not an underachiever for Ghana and Africa and we will never belittle his name. We live in modern times of course, where unemployment and poverty has bedeviled our country. People are poor because they have no jobs.

What was the NDC campaign message Sekou? The CPP message for the 2008 was; “Jobs and homes in a decent environment for Ghanaians”. What does that mean Sekou? Jobs form the central focus of the socialist agenda which we in CPP practice, an agenda your father championed by building factories and industries so Ghanaians could go to work to earn a decent living. You can’t feed a man by giving him and his family fish. You feed him by teaching him to fish. That is CPP Sekou! You are being used to issue statements purported to hurt the CPP but we are undaunted.

Do you know that Jerry Rawlings your idol ruled Ghana for 19 years where most of these factories were let to rot or sold, some to themselves? What do you think your father would say to that, and what do you think about the P NDC so was characteristic of your fathers beliefs and ideals? Many have died and suffered under the P NDC whiles you were in exile and Ghanaians know their history too well than you do Sekou.

19 years of rule still saw polluted waters and a fine coastline of latrine and waste-dumps. Our beaches lined with toilet goers and fishermen, all doing their own thing in Kwame Nkrumah’s Ghana. How has Ghana changed?

A little lesson for you Sekou; In Ghana we honor our fathers and ancestors for their good deeds and so we honor Kwame Nkrumah! Another lesson Sekou; In Ghana, “...no one uses his/her left hand to point at his fathers house...”, so it is told, “...Lest he becomes a fool”

Your sister is wise; she has used her head and better judgment whiles you look to your stomach. Heroism and Idealism is not about who won, nor is it about the stomach or the self, it is about sticking to principles. Ghana does not only need a government but a stable and strong opposition which is able to reflect the will and ideals of all walks in Ghanaian life. Do you think Ghana will be better off with only two parties, NPP&NDC in Ghana? Do you think it is important to have CPP in Ghanaian politics today? You have chosen comforts instead of hard work to dirty your hands, therefore to tell us what to do or how to do it will be absurd Sekou. Your legitimacy in your own father’s party has expired and you have become a stranger.

It is understandable that you do not belong to the group that clings to your father’s memory and values, but I will relate or get you refreshed with what we believe as members of the CPP; “……we have found meaning in a common cause inspired by the ideology of the founder of the CPP Dr. Kwame Nkrumah; we serve with our hearts and minds, noting particularly the following as our guiding principles; Love of God and country; Discipline and obedience; Selflessness and devotion; Comradeship and forbearance; Love of hard work and voluntaries; Striving for the best and quality; Field craft and ingenuity; Unaffectedness and self control…….”

Sekou, do you think these values are not relevant for today’s Ghana? They were values of yesteryears, yet still relevant and alive today. The idea that Dr. Nkrumah's ideals are not relevant is very unfortunate, especially as it comes from his own son.

So son it is important to understand as manzini puts it is that every true revolution is a program; and derived from a new, general, positive, and organic principle. The first thing necessary is to accept that principle which we do. Its development must then be confined to men who are believers in it, and emancipated from any tie or connection with any principle of an opposite nature.

Maybe, this young man has not studied his father's ideology well. What else makes a nation than a leader's principles? Why must Ghanaians forget the ideals like “one nation one people one common destiny” for instance? Ghanaians said we were not ready and together with CPP members, they voted NDC to power. Ghana shall see the CPP ready when the time comes, come the next elections as we have started the journey now. With a little hard work we will get there Sekou. Will you then be like the candle in the wind? Sekou the NDC is proud to have you in their midst because of your father. People are paying attention to you because of your father. The CPP was not born out of coup detats like the NDC and will never merge with the NDC!

Unlike the NDC and the NPP, the CPP cuts across tribal lines and will continue to vigorously champion all that Osagyefo stood for, especially fighting to protect the poor and the vulnerable in Ghana whose plight has not changed under both NPP and NDC governments. People join parties, the winning party of course for the obvious reasons of satisfying the tummy, few turn to their conscience and principles; we build from scratch and with our bare hands! One last question Sekou; why do you think the NDC has a founding father if they belief in Nkrumaism? Why is their founding father called something else than Nkrumah?

Can you just leave the CPP alone to build for you your future home in peace? Please?!

Meanwhile we wish you a happy stay in the NDC where your bread may be well buttered until your father’s house is completed by faithful volunteers. For God and country, Forward Ever, Backward Never!

Festus Kwadwo Lartey-Adjei

CPP Scandinavia

To negotiate with forces that are hostile on matters of principle means to sacrifice principle itself. Principle is indivisible. It is either wholly kept or wholly sacrificed. The slightest concession on matters of principle infers the abandonment of principle. Wilhelm Liebknecht