By Chris Muhizi for MCN Tuesday June 27th/2023.
Francis Kwame Nkrumah was a Ghanaian politician, political theorist, and revolutionary who lived from September 21, 1909 until April 27, 1972. He was Ghana’s first Prime Minister and President, leading the country to independence from British in 1957. Nkrumah, an active supporter of Pan-Africanism, was a founding member of the Organization of African Unity and received the Soviet Union’s Lenin Peace Prize in 1962 according to Wiki.
Nkrumah returned to the Gold Coast to begin his time in politics as an advocate of the nation’s autonomy after spending twelve years abroad obtaining further education, developing his political ideology, and organizing with other diasporic pan-Africanists.
He founded the Convention People’s Party, which rose to prominence thanks to its remarkable appeal to ordinary voters.
He was elected Prime Minister in 1952 and remained so until Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957.Ghanaians accepted a new constitution and elected Nkrumah President in 1960.
His administration was essentially socialist and nationalist in nature.It supported national industrial and energy initiatives, built a strong national education system, and fostered a pan-Africanist culture.
During the decolonization period, Ghana took a prominent role in African foreign affairs under Nkrumah.
Nkrumah governed what the West viewed as an authoritarian government in Ghana during the Cold War as he suppressed political opposition and held rigged elections.
Ghana became a one-party state in 1964 as a result of a constitutional amendment, with Nkrumah serving as the country’s and party’s lifetime president.
Following Nkrumah’s overthrow in a coup d’état in 1966 by the National Liberation Council, many of the nation’s public enterprises were privatized under their watch.
The first president of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, spent a fortune on timepieces. He spent £683 on a golden Rolex watch encrusted with jewels and 44 diamonds in 1961 from a Rolex vendor in Accra.
Unfortunately, the timepiece fell short of his expectations, so he sent it to the Rolex headquarters in Switzerland for alterations. He wanted the fastening changed and the phrase “the first president of Ghana” engraved on it.
Rolex agreed with several of his demands, but they were unable to modify the fastening because it was partened. Rolex advised him, “We are not allowed to have any modifications made as the Rolex clasp with crown has been patented.”
Nkrumah was unhappy, so Rolex offered to refund his money and cancel the order. In doing so, Rolex urged him to think about the superior craftsmanship of Rolex timepieces “and the good name we enjoy the world over.”
The following year (1962), Nkrumah placed an order with Audemars Priguet in Switzerland for two 18-karat gold timepieces. He requested that “Dr. Kwame Nkrumah” be engraved on the two watches by the manufacturer.
He requested that three of the four additional golden timepieces be imprinted with the words “Kwame Nkrumah” and placed another order for them from Switzerland in 1963. He gave WEB DuBois, a buddy, the fourth one on his 95th birthday.
