On Founders’ Day, writer Kay Cudjoe chose to honor Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah in an unconventional way.
Instead of a standard tribute, he reimagined what Ghana’s first President might say if he could address the nation today.
The piece, written in Nkrumah’s voice, reflects on the country’s struggles, its unfulfilled promises, and the enduring call for unity, accountability, and African liberation.
See below for full text;
Today, my calendar whispered a reminder: it is the birthday of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. I paused and asked myself, what could I possibly write in his honor? A poem, perhaps, I murmured. But then another thought came, sharper and more daring: what if Nkrumah himself could speak to Ghanaians today? What would he say? I lingered on that question, let it settle in my spirit, and allowed my pen to become the medium. And Osagyefo spoke:
My dear Ghanaians,
On this day when you recall my birth, I do not come to you from marble statues or history books, but from the living spirit of our unfinished journey. I never fought for Ghana to merely celebrate my name on anniversaries while abandoning the ideals for which we sacrificed. I dreamed of a Ghana that could stand tall, proud, and self-reliant. A Ghana that would not bow its head to foreign masters or trade its children’s future for a fleeting bowl of aid.
I look at you now and I ask: what has become of the freedom we declared at dawn? The Black Star still hangs in the sky, but its shine is dimmed by corruption, weakened by greed, poisoned by division. Your rivers run brown with galamsey, your children cross deserts and seas in search of dignity, and your leaders sell tomorrow for crumbs that cannot feed today. This is not the Ghana we proclaimed free.
Yet I do not speak only of despair. You are a people of great strength, carved from resilience and imagination. I see young voices rising in the streets and on your screens, refusing to let the dream die. They are proof that hope still breathes. Guard that hope. Do not let fear silence you. Speak truth to power. And remember always that Ghana’s independence means nothing if it is not tied to the liberation of Africa, and that liberation begins by freeing yourselves from ignorance, exploitation, and despair.
Do not let party colors blind you to the destiny you share. Do not allow politicians to turn you into enemies while they feast together behind closed doors. Do not let religion, which was meant to heal, be twisted into a weapon that divides. Shun tribal conflicts at all cost. Stand shoulder to shoulder as citizens, the rightful owners of this Republic.
On this day of my birth, I plead with you: stop applauding mediocrity. Demand more of those you choose to lead you. Hold them accountable not with whispers but with action. Build with your own hands. Keep faith with the motherland without compromise. Do you remember the pledge you made? Speak it to yourself when your love for country falters. Let it stir your spirit. Then rise, and become the change you seek.
My voice may live only in your memory, but my call to you is alive. Ghana, rise again. Let your Black Star shine not as an artifact of past glory but as a beacon for Africa’s future.
History gave me one lifetime. It has given you another. Do not waste it.
With love and revolutionary hope,
Kwame Nkrumah.
Kay Codjoe
