On the 60th anniversary of the overthrow of Ghana’s first President, Kwame Nkrumah, the Member of Parliament for Ellembelle has described the 24th February 1966 coup as “an act of international aggression” that disrupted Ghana’s industrial transformation and Pan-African destiny.
Delivering a statement on the floor of Parliament on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah said the events of that day went beyond a mere military takeover and must be understood within the broader geopolitical context of the Cold War.
“What was termed ‘Operation Cold Chop’ was, in reality, the assassination of the African dream,” he declared.
“Not Just a Military Coup”
According to the MP, newly available declassified documents from international archives show that Nkrumah’s overthrow was carried out with the complicity of external forces threatened by his Pan-African vision and economic independence agenda.
He referenced remarks made by President John Dramani Mahama during Ghana’s 68th Independence Day celebration, which pointed to foreign involvement in the coup that removed Nkrumah while he was on a peace mission to Hanoi during the Vietnam War.
“The crime of Nkrumah was not mismanagement,” the MP argued. “It was his audacity to pursue a United States of Africa and a self-reliant Ghana that controlled its own resources.”
He insisted that the coup halted Ghana’s forward-looking industrial agenda, including efforts to process cocoa locally, refine oil domestically, and build a strong manufacturing base.
Reaffirming Nkrumah’s Central Role in Ghana’s Independence
The MP also used the occasion to defend Nkrumah’s legacy amid what he described as attempts at historical revisionism.
While acknowledging the contributions of other nationalists, he maintained that Nkrumah was the central architect of Ghana’s independence struggle.
He highlighted Nkrumah’s formation of the Convention People’s Party, the launch of the “Self-Government Now” campaign, and the Positive Action movement that mobilised ordinary Ghanaians against colonial rule.
It was Nkrumah, he said, who stood before the world on March 6, 1957, to declare Ghana’s independence, while also linking the country’s freedom to the total liberation of Africa.
Nkrumah’s Development Footprints Still Visible
The MP pointed to major national infrastructure projects initiated under Nkrumah’s leadership as evidence of his enduring legacy.
Among them:
The Akosombo Dam, which powers homes and industries across the country
The Tema Harbour, a critical hub for maritime trade
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a leading institution for science and technology education
The Black Star Square, a national symbol of sovereignty
“These were not accidental projects,” he stressed. “They were deliberate instruments of national transformation.”
Call for Renewed Commitment to Self-Reliance
As Ghana reflects on six decades since the coup, the MP called for renewed commitment to the ideals of self-reliance, Pan-African unity, and industrialisation championed by Nkrumah.
He quoted the late President’s famous words that “death can never extinguish the torch” he lit in Ghana and Africa, arguing that the vision of economic sovereignty remains unfinished business.
The statement adds to ongoing national conversations about Nkrumah’s legacy, Ghana’s development trajectory, and the long-term impact of the 1966 coup on political stability and economic transformation.
Source: Clement Akoloh||parliamentnews360.com
