“WE need men to build socialism. And women too. The Party and the nation need dedicated and selfless men to push the Revolution forward to Victory. We need devoted and unselfish men and women to fan the flames of the Revolution- and we expect that our educational institutions at all levels should be able to men and women who give us such men and women will answer the description given by Dr Kwame Nkrumah – Chairman of the Central Committee and General Secretary of the Party…”

We need men to build socialism. And women too. The Party and the nation need dedicated and selfless men to push the Revolution forward to Victory. We need devoted and unselfish men and women to fan the flames of the Revolution- and we expect that our educational institutions at all levels should be able to men and women who give us such men and women will answer the description given by Dr Kwame Nkrumah – Chairman of the Central Committee and General Secretary of the Part — of Africa’s new man. 

In that speech, Osagyefo described Africa’s new man as a dedicated, modest, honest and devoted man. A man who submerges self in service to his nation and mankind. A  man who abhors greed and detests vanity. A new type of man whose meekness is his strength and whose integrity is his greatness. In his address to Socialist Students of the Party on the 22nd day of April 1961, the Leader stressed that Africa’s new man must be a man indeed and I would like to add in all modesty that indeed Africa’s new man if he should be a man indeed (he) must be a man in deeds—he must not be a man in need. We have been told by the Leader many a time that we cannot build socialism without socialists and he also constantly urges us to take positive steps to ensure that the Party and the nation, through party education and through our educational institutions notably the Universities, do produce the men and women who can handle the socialist programme upon which we have embarked.

Ideology 

Comrades—Our great Leader has always emphasised the importance of ideological education. As far back as August 1959 ( and there are earlier statements dating as far back as 1951) the leader addressing the Annual Delegates Conference of the Party said: “ Our party program stresses the socialist pattern of society which aims at achieving a high standard of living for our people. This is the purpose of our Development plans. It is this ideology, ie scientific socialism based upon our Africanism which must permeate throughout the party, and that is why the party school is now functioning ( referring to Winneba Ideological Institute which had just then started)  in order to educate those who in their turn act as teachers and guides of other members of the party and of the country.”
I am happy to say that there has been enthusiastic response from the rank and file and it is my hope that some of our more reticent older comrades will be fired with a more similar zeal to educate themselves politically and ideologically for the better implementation of our aims and ideals.

“We as an organised Party need a central ideology to inspire us in our actions. Unless we are armed and inspired, we shall find ourselves  rudderless. From the lowers members in our ranks to the high rank members must arm ourselves ideologically.”

“A new country , such as ours, can assure and safeguard its independence only if its sons and daughters understand and believe in the aims and aspirations of the nation as enshrined in the Constitution. Too much time has been wasted already: we cannot  afford to do things piecemeal. Great and important ideas must be translated into reality in an imaginative and daring fashion and manner.”   

Nkrumaism 

Comrades — these inspiring words were uttered by the Leader Dr Kwame Nkrumah in 1959 and since that time he has repeated them in different ways and at various places. The repetitions in fact underline the importance the Leader and the Party attach to Party  ideological education, It is for this reason that we must consider today’s rally a turning point for the better. For the opening of the Party’s offices here at the University will make available to both students and their lecturers a ready and useful platform for learning and understanding all about the Party which the Nation’s Constitution makes the National Party. You shall be able to learn about its history, its aims and objectives, its tactics, achievements and above all its ideology which we have called Nkrumaism and defined as scientific socialism applied to the realities of the new historical situation in which Africa and many other lands find themselves.

 Phenomenon

Events in the world since the arrival of Kwame Nkrumah in Ghana to lead the Revolution have shown that his teachings, ideas and ideals —that Is Nkrumaism should not be regarded as just an application of scientific socialism or Marxism to African conditions. Nkrumaism like Leninism is not just Ghanaian, not just African—but also and indeed an international phenomenon. It Is like Leninism a further development of Marxism as applied to the new historical situation. In the case of Leninism we can say it is a further development of Marxism as applied to the epoch of imperialism. And Nkrumaism is a further development of Marxism as applied to the epoch of Neo-colonialism and the African Revolution.

Karl Marx lived in the pre- imperialist period—that is in the period of pre-monopoly capital. Lenin lived in the period of imperialism, The transition  of capitalism to the highest and final stage of its development occurred, (history reveals), in the last quarter of the 19th century. The completion of the territorial division of the world between the imperialist powers and the final formation of the colonial system was an important indication of the transition of capitalism to the imperialist stage. In Africa for instance, the imperialist had seized only 10 percent of the territory by “76. but by the end of the nineteenth century, they had already divided the entire continent between them. Capitalism’s transition to the imperialist stage created new conditions for the working people’s revolutionary struggle free themselves from psychological social and national oppression. This called for further elaboration of Marx’s scientific theory of socialism. This was done by Lenin using the immediate situation in Russia as his guide and studying and appraising the realities of the situation in other places outside of Russia, he was able to enrich Marxism with new scientific hypotheses corresponding to the new period.

Revolution
In particular, he established that socialist revolution will not be only or ever mainly the fight of  revolutionary proletarians in each country against their own bourgeoisie –– it will instead be the fight of all colonies and countries oppressed by imperialism — a struggle of all dependent countries against international imperialism. Elaborating Marx’s ideas, Lenin proved the possibility of economically under-developed countries developing along socialist lines by-passing the capitalist stage. This idea was put into practice in the Soviet Union’s Eastern National Republics and later in the Mongallan Peoples’ Republic.  Kwame Nkrumah of Africa, in a number of speeches, statements, pamphlets and books — including Towards Colonial Freedom; Ghana the Autobiography or Kwame Nkrumah; Africa Must Unite: I speak of Freedom and his latest philosophical work “Consciencism”—has upheld the fundamentals of scientific socialism and whilst agreeing and accepting Lenin’s further elaboration of Marx’s scientific theory of socialism, he himself in the course of time developed certain original and specific ideas directly related to the peculiar circumstances of our country and our continent—looking at the problems and finding solutions for them in the light of realities of this era of the African Revolution and the epoch of Neo-colonialism. 

In “Consciencism” as the Front-piece summarises, “Kwame Nkrumah sets out his personal philosophy and gives the intellectual framework for his political action— and to quote from the Front piece of the book: In “Consciencism” which provides the for Nkrumaism—”Dr Nkrumah draws together strands from the three main traditions which go to make the African conscience the Euro-Christian the blame and the original African. He characterises traditional African society as essentially egalitarian and argues that a new African philosophy must draw its roots chiefly from African roots.”

Research 

It Is also of interest to note that the sub-title of the book is: “Philosophy and Ideology for Decolonization and Development with particular reference to the African Revolution” Thus it is clear that even though Kwame Nkrumah makes Africa his main theatre of action, he has the whole world as a laboratory for research and for further development of his ideas. Nkrumaism, like Leninism, is thus International. As a socialist. philosophy has no boundaries. It is not an abstract philosophical concept. It is a theory with definite content and purpose which can guide advocates of socialism anywhere in the world with similar conditions and circumstances as are now prevailing in Africa. The implicit aim of Nkrumaism is the creation of an equitable social order which will know none of the evils bequeathed to our society as a result of imperialist domination and exploitation. Its objective is to build a society in which there will be no exploitation of man by man and which there will be work and happiness for all.                        

 

Creation 

In this connection we have to regard the Party’s Programme of Work and Happiness and the Seven-Year Development Plan as documents of creative Nkrumaism which seek to lay solid and permanent foundations for the building of socialism in Ghana and it behoves all of us to help to achieve this lofty aim. Dr Nkrumah  teaches that as a system of social production and social ownership of basic man’s production, distribution, and exchange, socialism is universal and the same everywhere but that the concrete measures taken to establish this system may vary in different countries and that socialism could differ in form but that its purpose and basic fundamentals will always be the same anywhere and everywhere. 

Comrades—Ladies and gentlemen—I am sorry I have taken so much time to talk on this subject, The time available is short and the work ahead is long, but I thought  that since Nkrumaism is the ideology of the Party, it would be in order to spend some time talking about it at such an important rally and at such a place as the University where the cream o f the youth of our country is trained and equipped for leadership in various spheres of national life and activities.    

Education

As an Nkrumaist, I hold the view that Africa march towards unity and socialism demands that purposeful attention should be paid to the education and training of the youth. We need even more educated youth –– but above that we need the educated youth who is also dedicated and the Party and the government will do everything possible to assist our educational institutions to produce such youth –– for the educated, enlightened, and educated youth are the transmission lives that supply or must supply the Nkrumaist ideas and orientation to the broad masses who suffer from the colonial legacies and handicaps of ignorance, illiteracy, and suspicion.

We are happy to participate in this rally because as Nkrumaists, we hold the view that the attitude of socialist movement and of our Party to African University  must reflect a positive and fundamental departure from the cultural, educational and social system inherited from the colonial past. The Party wishes to ensure that the African University student must not live in circumstances that are vastly different from what obtains in his society and that care must be taken to ensure  that our African Universities do not become social islands.

Criticism 

We also believe that our Universities should, as they already have, an atmosphere of vigorous intellectual life. Our youth in these institutions should be encouraged to develop the inquisitive or, if you like, enquiring spirit. They must question things objectively, criticize with the aim of helping to correct and build –– i.e. criticize constructively and debate various solutions to contemporary problems. In all these, we believe the party must take an active part and thereby bring a picture of our society as it really is constantly before the eyes and minds of our University youths. We also hold the view that the principle of service to the community should reflect in the academic and social activities of the Universities.