Full Speech delivered by Hon. Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah, Minister for Lands and Mineral Resources and Member of Parliament for Ellembele Constituency at the 116th birthday Anniversary Celebration of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah at Nkroful

Nana chairman, Nana Kobina Nketsiah IV, our special guest of honour, the minister for tourism, culture and creative arts, Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie, Keynoter Speaker, Lawyer Yaw Anokye Frimpong, the Western and Ashanti regional ministers, Western regional Chairman Nana Kojo Toku, Members of Parliament. Our Revered Paramount Chiefs, Chiefs and Queen mothers, Government appointees present, Comrades from the Nkrumahist Family, Sons and Daughters of the Nzema land, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen…

On this hallowed ground, in this sacred place where the very soil seems to whisper with destiny, we gather not just to remember, but to resurrect a spirit.
We are here not merely to commemorate a birthday, but to commune with a vision that defied the confines of a single lifetime.
Today, on what would have been his 116th birthday, we celebrate the enduring, the undeniable, the immortal impact of the Founder of our Nation, the African of the Millennium, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah!

The theme for our celebration is “Celebrating Nkrumah’s Enduring Impact.”
And so, we must ask: what is it about this man, born right here in Nkroful, that causes the world to still pause and take notice over a century later?
Why does his name still command such reverence and, for some, such fear?

Osagyefo stood out because he was not just a politician; he was a prophet.
He was not just a leader; he was a liberator.
He did not see a Gold Coast; he saw an emancipated Ghana.
He did not see a collection of colonies; he saw a united, powerful, and proud Africa.
While others negotiated for a better place at the colonial table, Nkrumah’s demand was simple, radical, and absolute: A united and economically free Africa.

His impact endures because the foundations he laid were not of sand, but of granite and steel.
Close your eyes and look around modern Ghana. You see his handiwork. The Akosombo Dam – a monumental project that powers our nation’s industry and homes. The Tema Motorway and Harbour – the arteries of our commerce. The Adomi Bridge, connecting communities and futures. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology and University of Cape Coast– citadels of learning that have nurtured generations of thinkers, leaders, and innovators. The Bank of Ghana, the Ghana Medical School, Tema Oil Refinery, The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation…. the list is as long as it is tremendous.
These were not mere projects; they were the deliberate, visionary building blocks of a modern, self-sufficient nation.
They have lasted for decades and remain hugely beneficial because they were conceived not for the next election, but for the next century and generations yet unborn.

But Osagyefo’s vision was never confined by our borders.
His soul was continental.
He knew that Ghana’s independence was meaningless unless it was linked with the total liberation of the African continent.
He was the chief architect of the Organisation of African Unity, the forerunner to the African Union.

And that is why you can travel to Zambia and find a major university named after him. That is why you can walk down streets bearing his name in Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Dar es Salaam. That is why monuments in his honour stand across this continent. His impact was not Ghanaian; it was Pan-African.
He was, and remains, our collective hero.

It is for this reason that we must express our profound gratitude to a government and a President who understands the weight of history. We thank His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama and the NDC government for their consistent and courageous efforts to elevate, protect, and celebrate Osagyefo’s enviable legacy. Mr. President, last year you stood on this very ground and pledged to make this “Journey to Nkroful” an official program on Ghana’s tourism calendar.
Today, we thank you for fulfilling that promise.

We are grateful for the collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, under whose support this year’s celebration has been further enriched.

 My motivation to celebrate Dr. Nkrumah runs deep. My grand-uncle, G.W. Anaman, was a close associate of Dr. Nkrumah and one of his principal loyalists and financiers. He served as the district chief executive of Nzema during Nkrumah’s presidency.
Through his stories and experiences, I learned firsthand about the commitment, sacrifices, integrity, and selfless leadership that defined Dr. Nkrumah.
I’m proud to have led the effort to transform the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum in Nkroful into a first-class tourist destination, which is truly befitting and worthy of the towering figure we honour.

So, what is the call of this celebration to us, especially the youth?
The journey to Nkroful is not physical in sense.
It is a journey we must make in our minds and in our hearts.
It is a journey to rediscover the values of self-determination, of Pan-Africanism, of innovation, and of fearless dedication to a cause greater than oneself.

Osagyefo’s dreams are not relics of the past. They are a blueprint for our future. In an era of neocolonialism and economic uncertainty, his call for African economic integration is more relevant than ever.
In a world of inequality, his commitment to social justice and education for all remains our guiding light.

The journey to Nkroful is a pilgrimage to rededicate ourselves to our most cardinal civic responsibilities.
Among these is the sacred duty of every Ghanaian to protect our pristine river bodies and preserve our forests.

As Sector Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, I urge all Ghanaians to join in our vigorous fight against illegal mining,popularly known as galamsey, which I have described as environmental terrorism.

It’s well documented that Osagyefo Dr.Kwame Nkrumah was a great ardent and champion of nature and the preservation of its beauty.

I say to you with the conviction that Osagyefo Dr.Kwame Nkrumah who was Kwame Nkrumah would have loved to see us, as heirs of his legacy to become fierce guardians of our natural environment.
He would loved to see us defend our environment with unyielding courage.
He would have loved to see us build a truly prosperous Ghana where economic progress walks hand-in-hand with ecological purity.
So let us collectively answer that call to be the generation that secured our natural heritage.

Let us protect his legacy not just in stone and mortar, but in our actions. Let us be the entrepreneurs who build industries he envisioned, the scientists who innovate for Africa, the teachers who educate with a Pan-African conscience, the leaders who serve with selflessness.

Let us leave here today with a renewed pledge.
Let us walk in the light of the Osagyefo.
Let’s give oxygen to his dream.
Let us continue the journey from Nkroful to the very ends of Africa, carrying with us the unquenchable fire of freedom, unity, and progress.

Long Live the Spirit of Kwame Nkrumah!
Long Live Ghana!
Long Live Africa!

Thank you, and may God bless us all.