The family of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, led by his daughter, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, has returned to Nkroful with a renewed commitment to supporting efforts to preserve and promote the former President’s ideals among Ghana’s younger generation.
Speaking at the 2026 NkrumahFest held at Nkroful in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, Samia Yaba Nkrumah opened up about the family’s prolonged absence from their ancestral home, explaining that the painful experiences surrounding her father’s political life had left the family traumatised and fearful.
She apologised to the people of Nkroful for what she described as the family’s long absence from their “home.”
“I want you to forgive us for staying away from our home for so long,” she said.
According to her, the family witnessed the personal cost Nkrumah paid for his commitment to Ghana and Africa, including surviving assassination attempts.
She recalled seeing her father wounded and covered in blood following one of the attempts on his life, saying the experiences deeply affected the family.
“We were traumatised, we were scared, we were confused,” she said.
However, Samia said the family had now decided to return and contribute to Ghana’s development, unity and progress.
“But the good news is that we’ve come back. And we want to make a contribution to Ghana’s progress, to Ghana’s development, and to Ghana’s unity,” she stated.
Samia Yaba Nkrumah also introduced three of Osagyefo’s grandchildren who accompanied her to the event, describing their presence as a source of pride for the family.
She said the family’s return was not simply about honouring Nkrumah as a historical figure but about recognising his ideas and ensuring that they continue to inspire future generations.
“We are coming back to recognize our father’s work. We are coming back to appreciate his ideas, and we are coming back to make sure that those ideas never die, but rather, they nourish us and give us the courage to make Ghana better,” she said.
Samia Yaba Nkrumah also challenged what she described as negative narratives surrounding the 1966 overthrow of her father’s government.
She recalled the statue of Nkrumah at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Museum in Accra, whose head was severed from its body following the overthrow.
According to her, the destruction of the statue and celebrations surrounding the coup did not represent the feelings of all Ghanaians at the time.
She therefore rejected narratives suggesting that Ghanaians universally welcomed Nkrumah’s overthrow.
“That negative propaganda that Osagyefo when he left, Ghanaians were happy is not true,” she said.
She expressed appreciation to individuals and organisations working to document what she considers to be a more accurate account of Nkrumah’s life and legacy.
Samia said the unveiling of a new statue of Nkrumah at a roundabout in Sunyani had deeply moved her, particularly because of the contrast with the earlier destruction of his statue.
She said the new statue represented more than a monument to Nkrumah, describing it as symbolic of the revival of the ideas associated with his leadership.
“When we unveiled the statue at the roundabout, I realised that yes, we are going to rise. Nzimaland will rise, Africa will rise, Ghana will rise, and Africans everywhere are going to rise,” she said.
She stressed that the objective was not to worship symbols, but to use them as reminders of the ideas that could inspire confidence, strength and freedom.
Samia Yaba Nkrumah pledged the Nkrumah family’s continued support for the NkrumahFest initiative, commending the organisers for using the platform to introduce younger generations to Nkrumah’s ideas.
She particularly acknowledged the efforts of the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and Member of Parliament for Ellembelle, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, who is a convener of the festival.
“It is for this reason that the Nkrumah family will always support what our brother is doing, what Honourable Buah is doing with NkrumahFest, enlightening the younger generation. Honourable, the Nkrumah family is behind you,” she said.
She explained that the family’s participation was aimed at helping reconnect young Ghanaians and Africans with Nkrumah’s philosophy and Pan-African vision.
“We are here because we want to reintroduce our father’s ideas to the younger generation. Because we believe he was speaking Africa’s truth,” she added.
Samia Yaba Nkrumah also pushed back against descriptions of her father as an isolationist or a rigid leader whose ideas were disconnected from the rest of the world.
She argued that Nkrumah’s strong nationalism and Pan-Africanism did not prevent him from building friendships and relationships with people from different countries and continents.
“They say he was an isolationist. They say he was dogmatic, rigid in his ideas. Let me tell you, this is not true,” she said.
According to her, Nkrumah’s international relationships demonstrated that his commitment to Ghanaian nationalism existed alongside a broader Pan-African outlook.
She said the family’s renewed engagement with NkrumahFest was therefore intended to ensure that the younger generation has the opportunity to examine his ideas and legacy beyond what she described as negative historical narratives.
The 2026 NkrumahFest at Nkroful brought together members of the Nkrumah family, political leaders, academics, Pan-Africanists, traditional authorities, young people and guests from across Africa to commemorate the legacy of Ghana’s first President and reflect on his vision for Ghana and the African continent.
By Ebenezer Atiemo
