On Saturday, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, daughter of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, led the presidential family back to Nkroful in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region for the 2026 NkrumahFest. The visit marked a symbolic return after years of distance caused by the trauma of her father’s political life, including assassination attempts that left the family frightened and confused.
During the ceremony, Samia addressed the people of Nkroful, saying, “I want you to forgive us for staying away from our home for so long.” She recalled seeing her father wounded and covered in blood after an attack, an experience she said had a lasting effect on the family. “We were traumatised, we were scared, we were confused,” she added.
She also challenged negative narratives surrounding the 1966 overthrow of her father’s government, noting that the destruction of his statue at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra does not prove that all Ghanaians supported the coup. “That negative propaganda that Osagyefo when he left, Ghanaians were happy is not true,” she said.
Samia welcomed the unveiling of a new Nkrumah statue at a roundabout in Sunyani, describing it as a sign of renewed interest in his ideas. She urged that symbols should not be worshipped, but that the ideas they represent be preserved and used to inspire Ghana’s progress.
The family’s participation also included a pledge of continued support for NkrumahFest, recognising the festival’s role in exposing younger generations to her father’s Pan‑African vision. She thanked Minister for Lands and Natural Resources Emmanuel Armah‑Kofi Buah, convener of the festival, saying, “The Nkrumah family is behind you.”
Samia concluded that the family’s renewed engagement is not merely to honour a historical figure, but to ensure that her father’s ideas remain alive, nourishing and guiding Ghana’s development and unity. The 2026 NkrumahFest brought together family members, political leaders, academics, Pan‑Africanists, traditional authorities and young people to commemorate Ghana’s first president and reflect on his vision for Ghana and Africa.
