Ghanapolitics: The Difference Between President Nkrumah And Today's Crop Of Ghanaian Politicians

Recently, Ghana's minister responsible for the petroleum sector,
the Hon. Kofi Armah Buah, assured Ghanaians that the Tema
Oil Refinery would not be sold under any circumstances. For
the benefit of the Hon. Kofi Buah and other politicians in the
Ghana of today, I am sharing with readers, the speech
delivered by Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, when he
formally opened the oil refinery at Tema in 1963.

And what a difference there is between Nkrumah's sense of
patriotism and selflessness conveyed by that speech,
and the contrasting self-seeking greed of so many
of today's crop of Ghanaian leaders - many of whom
are short-changing Mother Ghana, by signing rip-off-agreements
that give legal cover to foreign investors intent on duping
our nation.

Nkrumah must be turning in his grave: aghast at what is happening
to Ghana and its people, because of the selfishness of our
ruling elites - an example being the rip-off oil agreements
our selfish leaders have signed with foreign oil companies.

I have provided links to some of Nkrumah's speeches so that
younger generation Ghanaians will be able to read them
and see the quality of leadership he offered our nation.

(The links lead to the Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah infobank website)

Young Ghanaians can draw their own conlusions as to why
the enemies of Africa, seeking to exploit Africa's resources
for their own benefit, so desperately wanted him to be
removed from power: so that they could steal our resources
with impunity, with the help of the quislings in our midst.

Alas, the rip-off continues unabated. Please read on:

FORMAL OPENING OF THE OIL REFINERY
Tema, September 28, 1963

"The opening of this oil refinery
in Ghana is significant in that,
it marks
an important stage in
our investment and development
programme.
Since the attainment of our political independence, there has been
no doubt in our minds as to the direction in which our duty lay, namely,
to develop Ghana into a modern industrial state. lt is only in this way
that we can survive as an independent country.

To achieve this objective, we have to rid ourselves of the economic
patterns and institutions of imperialism left behind by colonialism.
It was necessary to instil confidence in ourselves and to share that
confidence with our people. We were convinced that we could
meet and surpass all the challenges which our independence
had imposed on us.

But in actual fact, we faced a greater hostility that we had dreamt
of. We swung into action as one people to lay the economic foundations
for a socialist Ghana. The opening of this oil refinery is a testimony of
this determination.

Oil is the lifeblood of industry. It is as important for industry as water
is for human existence. The politics of it is even more complicating.
Without oil, the wheels of industry refuse to turn. That is why the
Government has decided to buttress its programme of industrialisation
by the establishment of an oil refinery in Ghana.

This Oil Refinery, with its oil processing capacity of one million metric
tons, and built at a cost of nearly Ghanaian pounds 81/2 million, is one
of the six largest refineries in Africa. As our industrial programme
expands, it will be possible to expand the refinery to a capacity of two
or three times its present size.

I can now look back to the period of long and protracted discussions
which took place, leading to an agreement concluded on the 21st January,
1961, between the Government of Ghana and the AGIP MINERARIA
which led to the formation of the Ghanaian-Italian Petroleum Company
which has given birth to this Oil Refinery.

The Ghanaian-Italian Petroleum Company is an inter-state enterprise
of a special kind. And here I must pay tribute to a friend. It is interesting
to note that AGIP MINERARIA itself, which has given birth to
Ghana-Italian Petroleum Company, owes its origin and growth to the
vision and foresight of a politician and entrepreneur who harnessed
his commercial genius with state enterprises in his own country.
This is indeed an example of how the genius and skill of patriotic
citizens can be put at the disposal of the State and not for the exploitation
of the many by the few.

The lamentable and untimely death of Signor Enrico Mattei in an air crash
near Milan last October, robbed Italy of one of its great captains of
State Industry. It was he who formed the state-owned oil industry,
E.N.I. out of which AGIP MINERARIA comes into being.
AGIP MINERARIA in its turn gave birth to the GHANAIANITALIAN
PETROLEUM COMPANY here in Ghana. E.N.I. prospered under
Enrico Mattei’s distinguished leadership, and extended its, interests
widely: for example, E.N.I. controlled atomic enterprises,
synthetic rubber plants, cement factories and a string of hotels.

By making Italy the largest importer of Russian oil in the West
and by combining state enterprise with private capital,
Signor Mattei broke the foreign oil monopolies which battered
on Italy’s industries and created conditions for the
Italian oil Industry which make it an acceptable partner for the development of our own oil industries.

The authorised share capital of the Ghanaian-Italian Petroleum
Company is Three Million Four Hundred Thousand Pounds,
made up of ordinary shares of One Pound each. The total
amount is subscribed equally by two Italian companies AGIP
MINERARIA and A.N.LC. Under the Agreement which we
have signed, Ghanaian-Italian Petroleum Company will transfer
to the Government of Ghana fifty per cent of the issued capital on
the eleventh anniversary of the production date (that is, the first
day of the month following that in which the refinery commenced production),
and the Government of Ghana will be entitled to fifty per cent share of
the profits. The Government of Ghana will also appoint the
Chairman of the Board of Directors and one half of the membership.

Meanwhile, Ghanaian-Italian Petroleum Company have undertaken,
commencing with the production date, to pay into a Special
Sinking Fund such sums as will produce, together with compound interest at settlement date, an amount equal to one-half of the cost of the Refinery; the amount paid into the ` Special Sinking
Fund shall belong to the Government of Ghana.

This is a new form of economic and industrial relationship which
Signor Mattei and I tried to evolve as another pattern of foreign
investment in developing countries.

Another aspect of this Agreement is that, the Ghanaian-Italian
Petroleum Company will train and employ Ghanaian technical
and administrative staff which eventually could take over the
management. The Government of Ghana have the final say in
determining the prices of the products of this Oil Refinery.

It is my Government’s intention that this Refinery should
become a vital part of the infrastructure for the establishment
of other industries in Ghana. I have therefore directed that
first among the many by-products of petroleum, immediate
consideration should be given to the establishment of a
fertilizer industry in Ghana. By the establishment of this fertilizer
industry, it will be possible to increase our present agricultural
production many times over.

When I had the occasion a month ago to open another industrial
enterprise, the Unilever Soap Factory here in Tema, I pointed
out the need for continental planning in Africa. This Oil Refinery
could have been built with an initial capacity five times its present size.
But this could not be done because of our limitation in money and resources.
This limitation was caused solely by the fact of our disunity in Africa
which precludes planning on a continental basis. For, as long as we
remain disunited and our trade remains subject to the interests of the
manufacturing industries of the imperialist powers, we cannot achieve
large-scale industrial development in Africa. Thus, for
example, if our imports are more than our exports, and our trade balance
unfavourable, and if our reserves are such that we cannot off-set our budget
deficit, then we cannot stand up to the ravages and overtures of the
neo-colonialist powers. Here we have another illustration of how
the African States have denied themselves of the full advantages
of development by the absence of continental unity and a
unified economic continental planning.

I am glad to welcome to this ceremony Mr. Marcello Boldrini, the
President of E.N.I., and His Excellency Mr. Giorgio Bo, Italian
Minister of State Participation. You see, even in Italy, there is a
Minister for State Participation. I would like to express to them
and to the other delegates of the Italian Government and AGIP
MINERARIA, our appreciation of their efforts for the interest
in helping to establish this Oil Refinery in Ghana.

The factory buildings which we all see here are of the most
modern design and construction: the machinery is of the most modern
in its class. Within these factory buildings, we shall be producing for
the first time in Ghana liquid petroleum gas, normal gasoline, premium
gasoline and diesel oil, kerosene, gas oil and fuel oil-all of which
will stimulate industrial activity. These "made in Ghana" petroleum
products will make for a substantial reduction in our dependence
on imported sources of energy. This Refinery will help us to
acquire new skills and contribute greatly to our national development.

I am sure that what we see here today is only the beginning of
an important upsurge in our industrial programme. May this
Refinery justify the confidence and the faith which our people have
placed in us and in its success.

And now, Your Excellencies, Nananom, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I have great pleasure in declaring this Oil Refinery officially open."

End of President Nkrumah' speech at the opening of the
oil refinery at Tema.

Below are links to other occassions
when Nkrumah made a speech: