Samia Nkrumah, daughter of Ghana’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, has apologized to the people of Nkroful for her family’s long absence from their ancestral home.
Speaking at the 2026 NkrumahFest on September 20 in Nkroful, Ellembelle District of the Western Region, she pledged to renew commitments between her family and the community.
The festival brought together members of the Nkrumah family, political leaders, academics, Pan‑Africanists, traditional authorities, young people, and guests from across Africa to celebrate the 117th birthday of Ghana’s first president.
The former chairperson of the Convention People’s Party explained that the family’s absence was rooted in trauma and the painful experiences surrounding her father’s politically contested battles.
“I ask you to forgive us for being away from our home for so long.”
Recounting dark times, she described how her father survived assassination attempts and how witnessing him wounded and covered in blood left lasting scars on the family.
“We were traumatised, we were scared, we were confused,” she said. “But the good news is that we’ve come back. And we want to make a contribution to Ghana’s progress, to Ghana’s development, and to Ghana’s unity.”
Introducing three of Osagyefo’s grandchildren, Samia Nkrumah said the family had resolved to return and contribute to Ghana’s development while instilling Nkrumah’s vision in younger generations.
“We are coming back to recognise our father’s work, to appreciate his ideas, and to ensure those ideas never die but rather nourish us and give us the courage to make Ghana better,” she said.
Samia Nkrumah also challenged negative narratives surrounding the 1966 overthrow of her father’s government, recalling the destruction of Nkrumah’s statue at the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park in Accra.
She contrasted that with the unveiling of a new statue in Sunyani, which she said symbolised a revival of the ideas associated with his leadership.
“When we unveiled the statue at the roundabout, I realised that yes, we are going to rise. Nzima will rise, Africa will rise, Ghana will rise, and Africans everywhere are going to rise,” she said.
She pledged the family’s continued support for NkrumahFest, whilst commending Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, Minister for Lands and Natural Resources and MP for Ellembelle, for his role in convening the festival.
“It is for this reason that the Nkrumah family will always support what our brother is doing, what Honourable Buah is doing with NkrumahFest, enlightening the younger generation. Honourable, the Nkrumah family is behind you,” she said.
She explained that the family’s participation was aimed at helping reconnect young Ghanaians and Africans with Nkrumah’s philosophy and Pan-African vision.
“We are here because we want to reintroduce our father’s ideas to the younger generation. Because we believe he was speaking Africa’s truth,” she added.
Samia Nkrumah also rejected portrayals of her father as rigid or isolationist, arguing that his nationalism and Pan-Africanism coexisted with international friendships and also
“They say he was dogmatic, rigid in his ideas. Let me tell you, this is not true,” she said.
According to her, Nkrumah’s international relationships demonstrated that his vision was both national and Pan‑African.
She expressed appreciation to individuals and organisations working to document factual account of his life and legacy to ensure younger generations have the opportunity to examine his ideas and legacy beyond what she called negative historical narratives.
