The Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr (Sir) Sam Esson Jonah, has called for the ideas and intellectual contributions of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, to be given greater attention in the country’s educational curriculum.
He said it was worrying that some Ghanaian students could pass through the education system knowing the dates of major political events and the names associated with them, but leave school with little understanding of Nkrumah’s ideas on African unity, neo-colonialism and the continent’s quest for self-determination.
Dr Jonah made the call when he opened the 15th Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Lectures at UCC.
The two-day lecture series, on the theme, “Kwame Nkrumah, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow: Perspectives on Constitutionalism, Development and Pan-Africanism,” was delivered by veteran journalist, publisher and Pan-Africanist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr.
Dr Jonah said it was an irony that Nkrumah’s writings continued to be studied, assigned and debated in universities outside Ghana, while some Ghanaian students encountered him largely through statues and monuments.
“Too many Ghanaian students meet him only as a thinker, and too many Ghanaian students meet him only as a statue,” he said.
He said the situation made the memorial lectures particularly important because they provided an opportunity for the country to return to the questions Nkrumah asked and examine their relevance in present-day Ghana and Africa.
Dr Jonah said UCC, which had historical links with Nkrumah had instituted the memorial lecture series, was well placed to ensure that his intellectual legacy received greater attention in the university’s curriculum.
“I merely observe that we already have the books,” he said.
Nkrumah’s legacy
Dr Jonah said Nkrumah’s ideas remained relevant to current debates on constitutionalism, development and Pan-Africanism.
He said constitutionalism should not be reduced to the existence of a written constitution but should include the rule of law, institutional integrity, accountable governance and the protection of human rights.
On development, he said the country should look beyond economic statistics and focus on improving the quality of life of the people, empowering communities and harnessing national resources for development.
He also urged the younger generation to examine Pan-Africanism beyond speeches and slogans and consider practical ways of building a stronger continental community.
