Cult creation was Kwame Nkrumah’s forte. By an almost unbelievable account, his Young Pioneers* would be amassed into a ‘Dogma’ room with tall walls, a door and upper windows. The thumb-suckers would be encouraged, by their adult minders, to pray to God for chocolate. “God, give us chocolate!” “God, give us chocolate!” Tens of times would they ask, but chocolate would not come down the Manna way. Then, the over-credulous nkwadaa would be ‘hocus-pocused’ to ask Kwame Nkrumah for chocolate. “Nkrumah, our father, give us chocolate.” Just asked once, and down rained confectionery like confetti from the high windows!
*Young Pioneers – A club of young followers of Kwame Nkrumah indoctrinated to be his eyes and ears in every home.
For real?! That's beyond ridiculous! Do keep the info coming though :)
ReplyDeleteEvery man, great or small, have their own weak points. What may be general is this cliché: "power corrupts and absolute power corrupt absolutely." Nkrumah still remains Ghana's greatest leader to date.
ReplyDeletehahahaha heard this many times before but, even though I accept the faults and weaknesses of Nkrumah, this is one I find it difficult to swallow. Our penchant for defaming people is too strong for me to accept this.
ReplyDeleteGod work through men, right?
ReplyDeleteAnd with ludicrous stunts like the one recounted by my dear friend, Nkrumah the omnipotent, omnipresent immortal was born. The sing-song of the Young Pioneers was "Nkrumah Never Dies". Those kids honestly believed that Nkrumah was a God, an immortal. Even when news came in that Nkrumah had died in Guinea, it took some of their years to accept that fact. They were brainwashed to do his every bidding, including, spying on their own parents. Indeed, many of them were responsible for the incarceration of their own parents - parents whose only "crime" was a little criticism (in their bedrooms) of a policy or two.
ReplyDeleteLol antye504. My reaction was similar to yours when I first heard this.
ReplyDeleteGameli, well said. Strengths and foibles make a man.
ReplyDeleteNana F-A, wouldn't you say we ask a fair number of people who are about, say 65 - 70 years old, and see who agrees with this account as historical or fictional?
ReplyDeleteEdward, you're walking the tightrope!
ReplyDeleteWell said, Kiz. I dare anybody to deny that many a Young Pioneer was the cause of their parents being imprisoned!
ReplyDeleteNo freaking way! For real? I just burst out laughing but that's really ludicrous!
ReplyDeleteFor real Nana Yaw? My parents always equated the Young Pioneers to Ghanaian Scouts with an appreciation for Nkrumahist principles.... Mmmmm....Anyway, cult-figure reverence, propaganda, brain-washing and military regimes are things that really scare me. Really scare me.
ReplyDeleteYes, Maxy, ludicrous!
ReplyDeleteAbena, as I warned, I only heard it, and I reckon it only came out after the coup when KN was demonised.
ReplyDeletesuch religious stupidity on the part of people,
ReplyDeletelike allowing pastors to wash private parts i wouldn't put past my folks.
there is the general human worship that we find in our traditions with fantasy appellations for chiefs and heroes etc.
but to put it all in context, Nkrumah might have had some 'cult' building traits alright but i know the young pioneers grouping was about rather serious ideological training (about socialism etc), call it indoctrination even, but it was about more substantive issues and not these 'illusory' calls for chocolate.
and of course there would be the over zealous 'minder's and 'pioneers' who would want to go the extra mile foolishly. Ask Dr. Antwi Danso (he was a young pioneer) and he would tell you how he beat a colleague for referring to Nkrumah in terms he considered disrespectful. that beating was not sanctioned by Nkrumah. That was how foolish people like Dr. Antwi Danso might have acted in the name of Nkrumah!
in any case, Nkrumah was clearly a rather serious man who demonstrated he did not spend time doing such childish things!
on the balancing scale, even without the facts, this only appears as one of those created stories to discredit the man Nkrumah!
Ok, Novisi. I choose to continue sitting on the fence since I have heard equally compelling confirmations and denials of this farce.
ReplyDelete