Recently, the senior minister, Hon. Yaw Osafo Marfo, was reported to have stated that by focusing on the private-sector, for the 1-district-1-factory initiative, President Akufo-Addo's government would avoid President Nkrumah's "mistakes".
It is vital that those now governing our nation understand clearly that whiles most Ghanaians today accept that the private-sector ought to be the engine of growth in the national economy, Ghana's leaders also have a fiduciary duty and a moral obligation to ensure that at all material times only private-sector entities committed to corporate good governance principles, partner the government in the task of transforming our nation into a prosperous society. Haaba.
A private-sector full of amoral and super-wealthy crooks whose idea of making money is to constantly develop devious schemes to rip Mother Ghana off at every turn in public procurement contracts, is a hindrance to nation-building - and consequently worse than useless.
Which brings one back to the subject of President Nkrumah's supposed "mistakes" in his quest to industrialise Ghana.
In a sense, it smacks of intellectual dishonesty to refer to President Nkrumah's industrialisation policies, without ever mentioning the fact that there was a dearth of well-resourced Ghanaian private-sector players of any significance, during that particular era of our post-independence history.
The question is: Was President Nkrumah to wait for private Ghanaian entreprenurs to accumulate enough wealth and capital before embarking on his import-substitution industrialisation drive? How else was he to deliver his government's election promise of providing jobs for the masses? Hmm, Ghana - eyeasem o: asem kesie ebeba debi ankasa.
President Nkrumah was a pragmatist, not an ideologue. He proved that by deed and word time and time again.
His letters to U.S. presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson prove that he actually believed in a mixed-economy powering Ghana's transformation into a prosperous and modern African society.
Declassified U.S. State Department and C.I.A documents from that period provide ample evidence of that commitment.
Nkrumah always believed that a mixed-economy - with honest private entrepreneurs playing key roles - was the best way to build Ghana into a prosperous society: as long as the private-sector players were honest and committed to the well-being of their nation and the welfare of all its people: and their business goals' aligned with the nation's overall economic development plan. His many speeches delivered across the country prove that beyond any doubt.
It is time the critics of President Nkrumah finally acknowledged the truth about the deliberate sabotaging of his regime's economic programme by the Western powers - who wanted to get rid of him to enable them to continue plundering our nation's wealth with impunity: as was the case during the periods that various colonial powers occupied our country.
The truth of the matter, is that that era's imperialists and neocolonialists deliberately set about destabalising Nkrumah's government, primarily because they did not want a highly-intelligent and honest African leader - who was also a polymath and world-class politician who clearly understood the racist global system that wanted Africans to remain hewers of wood and drawers of water, whose rich continent's abundant natural resources would be pillaged for the benefit of foreigners till the very end of time - to continue to remain in power and influence the rest of the African continent with his 'dangerous' ideas: about African nations using their continent's natural resources for the benefit of all Africa's peoples in an African common market.
In light of that determined effort by the Western powers to destroy Ghana's economy, and thus make Nkrumah unpopular with the masses, and pave the way for his overthrow by the local lackeys of imperialism and neocolonialism, is it not miraculous that President Nkrumah was able to leave an impressive and long-lasting nation-building-legacy - such that even today he still remains a very significant figure in our history and that of the entire black race: a fact acknowledged globally? Ebeeii.
For the benefit of the Yaw Osafo Marfos of Ghana's political world, today, this blog is reproducing the speech President Nkrumah delivered during the formal opening of the oil refinery at Tema.
One hopes that our nation's much-talented younger generations will be able to learn the truth about President Nkrumah's legacy by reading as many of the speeches he delivered whiles in office, as they possibly can.
It will enable them to see through the ongoing deliberate attempt to belittle his achievements. Nkrumah is rightly in the Pantheon of the 20th century's most important leaders because he was on the right side of history. He was an African genius who stood up to imperialism and neocolonialism - and fought for the betterment of all Africans.
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 than 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 speech delivered by President Nkrumah at the formal opening of the oil refinery at Tema, culled from wwwnkrumahinfobank.org.
Other topics from the same source include:
» Nkrumah Welcomes Foreign Enterprises To Ghana
» 7-Year Development Plan - Presentation
» Opening of Police Headquarters
» Nkrumah Opens Accra Assembly
» Message on the Eve of 2nd Anniversary of Republic
» Nkrumah's Lenin Peace Prize Response
» 1st International Congress of Africanists
» 13th Anniversity of Positive Action
» Dinner With Businessmen
» Presenting The Volta River Project
» 1963 May Day Broadcast
» 1963 O.A.U. Conference in Addis Ababa
» 14th Anniversary of the CPP
» 3rd Anniversary of Ghana Young Pioneers
» Opening of Government House
» Nkrumah Opens Unilever Soap Factory
» Nkrumah's Tribute to Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois
» Opning of Tema Oil Refinery
» Opening of the Institute of African Studies
» African Journalists Conference
» Nkrumah's Tribute to President John F. Kennedy
» The Academy of Sciences Dinner
» Nkrumah Receives Chinese Premier
» Africa Liberation Day Broadcast
» The Osagyefo Players Inuguration
» Ghana Television Service Inauguration
» The 1966 New Year Message
» The African Hurrican
» Ghana Needs Her Farmers - Nkrumah
» Openning of College of Administration
» The Republic of Ghana is Born
» Republican Constitution Debate
» 1st Meeting of the Republican Parmiament
» Nkrmah At The United Nations Assembly
» Nkrumah's Trade Policy
» Chieftaincy Is Guaranteed - Nkrumah
» Nkrumah Speaks To Students of Ghana College
» Nkrumah Opens Cocoa House
LIFE AND TIMES OF NKRUMAH
GHANAIAN statesman, the first President of Ghana, the foremost exponent of African unity and Pan—Africanism, one of the founding fathers of the ... Read More
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French | copyright © 2017 Kwame Nkrumah Centenary Planning Committee | Planning Committee Members Techcom Visions
Nkrumah Welcomes Foreign Enterprises To Ghana
7-Year Development Plan - Presentation
Opening of Police Headquarters
Nkrumah Opens Accra Assembly
Message on the Eve of 2nd Anniversary of Republic
Nkrumah's Lenin Peace Prize Response
1st International Congress of Africanists
13th Anniversity of Positive Action
Dinner With Businessmen
Presenting The Volta River Project
1963 May Day Broadcast
1963 O.A.U. Conference in Addis Ababa
14th Anniversary of the CPP
3rd Anniversary of Ghana Young Pioneers
Opening of Government House
Nkrumah Opens Unilever Soap Factory
Nkrumah's Tribute to Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois
Opning of Tema Oil Refinery
Opening of the Institute of African Studies
African Journalists Conference
Nkrumah's Tribute to President John F. Kennedy
The Academy of Sciences Dinner
Nkrumah Receives Chinese Premier
Africa Liberation Day Broadcast
The Osagyefo Players Inuguration
Ghana Television Service Inauguration
The 1966 New Year Message
The African Hurrican
Ghana Needs Her Farmers - Nkrumah
Opening of College of Administration
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