An analysis of selected major charges levelled against Ghana's first president Dr. Kwame Nkrumah 1957-1966, 1983

The primary purpose of the study is (a) to critically examine the charges of critics, such as Afrifa, Bretton, Ocran and Omari levelled against Nkrumah1s policies and the extent to which these are valid, (b) to describe and examine the specific historical context in which Nkrumah's policies were enacted and (c) to describe and examine the problems of the charismatic leadership style of Nkrumah and its impact on his regime as well as (d) to analyze Nkrumah's contribution to the founding of a nation - Ghana. The specific charges to be dealt with are (a) the passage of the Preventive Detention Act (P.D.A.) (b) the dissolution of the Regional Assemblies (c) the establish ment of the Ghana Young Pioneers (d) the lowering of educational standards and (e) the lack of academic freedom. These charges came under the rubric of political repression and suppression of individual rights in Ghana and the deterioration in educational standards and academic environment. The findings of this study suggest that the charges against Nkrumah, in the main, are invalid. The introduction of the Preventive Detention Act of 1958 was necessitated by the opposition sponsored violence and its attempt to overthrow Nkrumah's regime in the postindependence period. Regarding the democratic and developmental potentials of the regional assemblies which critics claim Nkrumah undermined by their dissolution, the study indicates that these assemblies were not provided for in the constitution to serve such lofty ends. Consequently, their dissolution never undermined those ends asserted by the critics. The study also indicates that the establishment of the Ghana Young Pioneer movement was an attempt on the part of the Nkrumah regime to inculcate into the minds of the Ghanaian youth ideas of African Personality, Pan Africanism, etc., and pride in the black race. This socialization process was aimed at counteracting the impact of the colonialist propaganda that blacks are inferior and they have never made any contribution to civilization. The study also suggests that the charges of lowering educational standards and lack of academic freedom under Nkrumah's regime lacked substance. The expansion in educational facilities in order to make education universal as well as the attempts to make subjects taught at the university to be relevant to the needs of Ghana, gave rise to these charges. The critics simply wanted to maintain the elitist nature of education that the British bequeathed to Ghana. The charismatic leadership of Nkrumah appears to be well suited to the social milieu of Ghana. It enabled the citizens to transfer allegiance reserved for sectional chiefs to the national leader. This leadership style of necessity, demands a continuous interaction between the leader and the followers. However, the opposition sponsored bombing outrages in the country created fears among party members and party loyalists stopped attending rallies and meetings. This problem was compounded by Nkrumah's inability to deal with corruption in the government. For security reasons, Nkrumah became isolated from the masses and this undermined his leadership. The study indicates that Nkrumah can be called the founder of a nation - Ghana and the architect of modern African nationalism. He pursued policies that minimised ethnic animosities in Ghana and the two historic conferences , i.e., the All African Peoples Conference and the Conference of Independent African States served as the catalyst for African emancipation. Like all mortals, Nkrumah had his faults and weaknesses. He may be said to have moved in an authoritarian manner on some occasions and overreacted in dealing with his critics during certain periods. However, the study suggescs that political toleration rather than political repression existed under regime. Finally, it is important to underscore the fact, as the study suggests, that the actions of the members of the opposition in introducing violence as an instrument of political change, and aligning themselves with destructive external forces such as the British and the C.I.A. were in the main, responsible for such laws as the Preventive Detention Act. Nkrumah's shortcomings alone were not responsible for all the ills that plagued the country; the opposition must equally share the blame