The Photograph of Kwame Nkrumah in the Album

In a dusty, browning album belonging to my late father, I found the above photograph of the first President of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The album, covered in red psychedelic flowers houses my father's pictures from the mid-1960s up to 1973. The photos follow a natural fashion time-line and show how extremely tight -fitting trousers, beehives and mini-skirts gave way to unkempt bushy hair, bell-bottoms, afros and platform shoes. It's like Austin Powers meets Shaft all in Ghana. Interestingly, completely absent from the photos are any indications of the dire social and political turmoil that characterized Ghana during this period. There was the overthrow of President Nkrumah in 1966, the Busia era from 1968-1972 and then the military coup orchestrated by General IK Acheampong in 1972.

Somewhere in the middle of the album is the mysterious photo of Nkrumah. For a few years I have looked at the picture and have wondered:

• Where did my father get the picture from?
• Where and when was it taken?
  
• Do the kente cloth in the background and the coat of arms on the front of the podium indicate that it was taken in Ghana?
  
• What was the speech about and who were the audience?
  

So many questions, so few answers.

For the generations of Ghanaians born after the death of Nkrumah, we have learnt that he was an extraordinary man of vision. Not only did he possess great foresight but also charisma and intellect. He dream was not only for Ghana but extended to a Pan-African ideal of a united continent.

As we celebrate 100 years of the birth of Nkrumah next Monday, I have made a pledge to myself to find out as much as possible about the man. After all, most official historical accounts are free of the complexities surrounding Nkrumah's personality . Just like the photograph in the album, for me Kwame Nkrumah remains largely a complete enigma.