Britain did not leave Ghana any money, it was a repayment of a £200m loan - Kweku Baako
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide
•Baako says it is 'fallacious' for anyone think that the British colonia government left Ghana some funds
Read full article•Baako says the money was a loan the British took from the country
•He also has doubts with some quotes attributed to former President John Agyekum Kufuor over Nkrumah's leadership
Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper has moved to clarify a ‘fallacious’ perception that the British government bequeathed £200million to Ghana at the point of independence.
Speaking on Peace FM, Baako confirmed indeed the Nkrumah government enjoyed some £200million funds in the public coffers.
He however explained that the money was a loan facility the British government took from Ghana to help its economy after the Second World War.
Referencing some history books, Baako said that Nkrumah inherited the fortune and used it to build the country but that money was not a grant to Ghana by the British.
“There is this fallacy that the British colonialist left us some 200million pounds. It is not true. It is our own money that accumulated from 1951 to 1956. The British used it to support their sterling area. It was like a forced loan that the British took from us. After the second world war Britain had to go through reconstruction. The200million was our money that was used by Nkrumah government,” Baako said.
Kweku Baako had to revisit history following some quotes ascribed to former President Kufuor in his interview with Angel FM.
Some media outlets have reported that Kufuor accused Kwame Nkrumah of lacking vision and rushing into industrialization after independence.
Baako, a known Nkrumahist would not address the issue until he has the benefits of the video of the interview.
His doubts about the publications stems from the fact that he claims to have sat an event where the former President praised Nkrumah’s vision.
“I’m not sure he said that Nkrumah lacked vision because that will surprise me. I was at a programme where he praised Nkrumah’s vision and other things he did. Maybe he wants to tackles some specifics with industrialization and others. Even with that I will have differences with it. I would like to listen,’ he said.
