The day that gave us hope also revealed the weakness of our resolve

Many of us are surprised that, years after the overthrow of Kwame Nkrumah, John Mahama and his team seem to have largely forgotten his weaknesses and are ready to take us back to a period that should be buried in history, so the country can move forward with new dreams and hopes. Continually seeing Nkrumah as an exceptional leader while ignoring his mistakes causes us to repeat those errors, which hinder the country’s progress.
February 24, 1966, is etched into our collective memories—or should be—for those of us who remember that day of hope, courage, and expectation. Today, we look at a country again threatened by social, political, and spiritual darkness.
As a nation, we have failed to pause and remember the joy of the news of the 1966 coup and the happiness felt when the gates of the Nsawam Maximum Prison were opened, allowing those imprisoned for their views and opposition to Kwame Nkrumah, the man who brought tyranny and calamity to his opponents and to Ghana.
Of course, we need our heroes, but a careful, statesmanlike assessment of Nkrumah’s regime shows that his attempt to create a unified Ghana with a socialist economy was a catastrophic failure. His dictatorship and philosophy of establishing an economy where the means of production and distribution are controlled by the state and government devastated Ghana’s economy. We also remember how he removed a Chief Justice and tried to control the judiciary.
For many, 24th February 1966 remains a personal memory.

History divides the past into before and after. February 24th is one of those days. Most people flooded the streets in euphoria, shouting and crying tears of joy. But some condemned the coup.
Over the years, the tragic coups have brought about almost irreversible setbacks to Ghana’s struggle for freedom and the ability to overcome tyranny and corruption in our politics.
Of course, we understand the dilemma John Mahama faces. He must take us back to that dreamland—the era that most of the population does not truly remember—to validate his points. The period since 1966 has been a tragedy of immense proportions for this country and its mostly poor people. Our politicians continue to stir up tribal and partisan conflicts and social divisions—a grim legacy first sparked by Kwame Nkrumah and his Convention People’s Party, which has refused to return to its mythical lamp because our petty politicians cling to its magic.
Our politicians, scholars, and citizens resist open and honest debate…
We avoid addressing real issues…
All we care about are soundbites, money, and power. That’s all.
And the political musical chairs show proves that Ghanaians still haven’t moved past divisive partisan politics that fuel corruption and deepen poverty. The priorities of our leaders are to preserve privileges and monopolies, not to open markets or expand freedoms.
Sadly, we as a nation and a people are weakening; many are blind to the reality that we fail to confront the undemocratic drift, the declining values, the decay of our institutions, and the solidification of the country into a one-party state despite having a multi-party constitution. All signs point to one bleak direction—chaos and decay.
On February 24th, 1966, some woke up expecting normality from state socialism, which brought inflation, food shortages, and the rise of rent-seeking and corrupt politicians. And sure enough, villains on that happy day were already plotting to exploit the system and the coup for their own gain. We remember them—the ones who sold off state assets cheaply for themselves. The day that restored our freedom also exposed our weaknesses—greed.
Sadly, the poor citizens of this country have often faced not just mediocre but outright bad or even toxic leadership—leadership that has failed to match the moment and has taken us in the wrong direction.
State socialism, with its corruption and human suffering—economic ruin, widespread poverty, and loss of dignity—will never serve our country’s development. It didn’t work in the Soviet Union, it didn’t work in Nkrumah’s Ghana, and it has failed everywhere it has been tried.
If John Mahama is serious about resetting Ghana, he must start with a painful yet necessary, non-partisan national conversation about the country’s future. With so much division, disdain, and mistrust, strong leadership is more crucial than ever.
We need to be brave enough to accept, reflect on, and debate the conflicting motives—cultural, political, and economic—and understand why we continue to vote for narcissists who crave admiration, disregard others’ feelings, can’t handle criticism, and whose sense of entitlement and hubris lead them to exploit us. There’s a long history of authoritarian and corrupt leadership.
Ghanaians must stop selling their souls to the highest bidder that allow bad leaders to destroy us.
No more.
The people of Ghana must reclaim this nation—peacefully, patriotically—and not hesitate to take it back from these criminal politicians!