By Clement Akoloh
Accra, Aug. 1, 2026 — The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has urged Ghanaians to move beyond celebrating the memory of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and instead recommit themselves to the ideals of self-reliance, industrialisation and Pan-Africanism that underpinned the country’s first President’s vision.
Speaking at the launch of Nkrumafest 2026 at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Accra on Friday, July 31, the Ellembelle legislator said commemorating Nkrumah should inspire a renewed national commitment to building a prosperous and self-sustaining Ghana.
“As we celebrate Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s enduring legacy, we must ask ourselves: Have we heeded his warnings? Have we embraced his vision?” Hon. Buah said.
He further challenged the nation to reflect on whether it has progressed from “the rhetoric of Pan-Africanism to the reality of Pan-Africanism.”
According to the MP, the greatest tribute to Ghana’s first President is not the laying of wreaths or ceremonial observances but the continued pursuit of the ideals upon which the nation was founded.
“To celebrate his enduring legacy is not where roses are placed at his feet. It is for us to build upon the foundations he laid,” he stated.
Hon. Buah called on Ghanaians to critically assess the country’s educational and economic systems, asking whether they are fulfilling Nkrumah’s vision of national development.
“We must look at the schools he built and ask: Are we educating our children for liberation or for subjugation? We must look at the factories he established and ask: Are we building an economy that serves our people?” he said.
He also questioned Ghana’s continued dependence on the export of raw materials, urging greater investment in value addition and local industrialisation.
“Are we still just sending raw materials, or are we adding value to the things we have a comparative advantage in here at home?” he asked.
The former Minister for Energy noted that Nkrumah’s legacy extends beyond monuments and historical remembrance, arguing that it is reflected in the nation’s infrastructure and in the aspirations of Ghanaians striving for a better future.
“His legacy is alive in the roads we travel, the hospitals that heal us and the industries that sustain us. More importantly, his legacy lives in the spirit of every Ghanaian who dares to dream beyond present circumstances,” he said.
Hon. Buah urged Ghanaians to treat visits to Nkroful, the birthplace of Dr. Nkrumah, as an opportunity to renew their commitment to national service and the ideals of African unity.
“Let us not go to Nkroful as tourists visiting a shrine, but as patriots returning to the source of our strength. Let us march with pride. Let us teach our children his name with reverence and reflect deeply on whether we are upholding the vision of self-reliance,” he stated.
The launch of Nkrumafest 2026 brought together government officials, Members of Parliament, traditional leaders, diplomats, academics, youth groups and admirers of Ghana’s first President to commemorate his enduring contribution to Ghana’s independence, nation-building and the Pan-African movement.
The annual festival serves as a platform to celebrate the life and ideals of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah while promoting dialogue on leadership, African unity, economic transformation and national development.
Source: parliamentnews360.com
