Sekou Nkrumah

Introducing Sekou Nkrumah……

Tell us about your early years and when you first realized you were the progeny of Ghana’s most famous citizen. How did it make you feel and how has it shaped your life over the years?

I don’t remember my first two years in Ghana, so my early years that I remember would be in Cairo, Egypt. Those were the ten years in exile after the 1966 coup. I was academically an average student but in those elementary school days, I was a great sportsman. I loved soccer and at that early age had ambitions of playing professional soccer. But my greatest success was in the 100 meters dash. I became national champion (under 12) with a record of 13.4 seconds! I was also interested in reading adventure stories. When I ran out of them, I would write my own stories using favorite characters.

It was only when we returned to Ghana that I became aware of being Nkrumah’s son. I guess it was because of being in the public spotlight there. So I started reading books about him. I still remember my first book on Nkrumah (‘A myth is broken’) written by one of the guys involved in the 1966 coup, referred to in the book as “operation cold chop”. From that time, I became very objective when it related to Nkrumah’s political life. I saw the good and the bad in him. Although I did not know him as a person and was not emotionally connected to him, I came to appreciate his life struggle. I believe my interest in politics has everything to do with the Legendary Kwame Nkrumah!

What are your memories from your first year at Achimota School?

My memories from my first year at Achimota School are mostly unpleasant. I was completely lost as I could not speak English and was also not very grounded culturally. I remember in class when I was asked to read and could not, kids would laugh at me, which did not help matters. But I was still playing soccer, and I still remember the first game I played for my house (among the form one students). I scored four goals and we won 7-0! Then my brother got sick. They took us out of the boarding school and made us day students. Sadly, that did not help.

You spent some time in Romania during your tertiary education. How was the experience and were there any difficulties in learning the language and adapting to the culture?

I spent eight years in Romania between 1981 to 1989. I was 17 years old when I got there, so I did a lot of growing up in many different ways. The first year, I learnt the language, which although was easy, was a bit of a struggle because of the difficulties in the classroom I experienced earlier in secondary school. Adopting to the culture was not really a problem for many of us as there were many foreign students, and we really stuck together. We studied hard and played hard!

I remember meeting my first wife (a Romanian – she was also a student at the University of Bucharest) during one of our wild parties then! We had a son together in 1985. Romania, under a communist regime, was an interesting experience but we had outlets. We could listen to radio “Free Europe” from Berlin, although the reception was always poor, and we could read Newsweek or Time for alternative views. But in all, I would say I enjoyed Europe a lot, as I had the opportunity to travel across the continent. Among all the European cities I visited, I had great memories in Belgrade. Brussels is also another city I enjoyed.

What are your passions?

My passion is politics. I have been a political activist since the early 1990s when I was introduced to it by my second wife (a Ghanaian). I still remember my first political steps with the MFJ (Movement for Freedom and Justice). We were then fighting to return Ghana to a multi-party system of democracy.

What motivated you to become an author?

As I said earlier, I enjoyed reading from a young age and I guess writing comes naturally. I was also inspired by great authors like James Baldwin and our own Ayi Kwei Armah! I guess years of writing political columns in newspapers in Ghana (Ghanaian Times, Daily Guide, The Statesman, among others) helped with my writing skills.

What is the one dream/ambition that you would like to achieve within the next ten years?

I have two dreams/ ambitions. The first is to write a bestseller (novel). I have already tried my hands with two books; “A Fatherless Child” and “Show Boy”. Both are very personal recollections. I guess that is my style of writing. 

The second ambition is to become a chess IM (International Master). The GM (Grand Master) title is beyond me I think. I learnt how to play chess at 10, when I was taught by a Greek- Egyptian teacher. But unfortunately, I did not continue playing and only got back to active chess when I returned to Ghana in the 1990’s.

After being in the US over the past five years, is there anything that you miss on a day to day basis from Ghana?

I have been living in the US since 2015, but this is not my first time here. When I married my third and current wife (an African American) in 2004, she insisted we live in the US. Those first two years in America were difficult and different. I had just turned 40 and had no previous experience living here in the US. It was not easy adjusting! Of course I very much miss my daughter. She turned 24 this year. She lives in Ghana with her late mother’s family. I also miss my favorite drink (wengeze) LOL!

There are many drinks out there, so can you enlighten us about what makes Wengeze so special?

I first discovered wengeze somewhere in 2015 at a bar in Osu. I love a strong drink, which goes back to my student days in Bucharest when Russian vodka was bought cheap and helped us fight the cold during winter. What makes wengeze special is because it is an herbal drink, what we call “bitters” in Ghana, and it is very strong! LOL!

Some people say you are controversial based on your occasional comments on our WhatsApp platform. Would you say that that is accurate or otherwise?

I guess anyone who speaks his mind freely without fear or favor would be considered controversial. But I am an open book and can take criticism, so I am fine with any tag you give me!

Finally, does a true soccer fan switch teams as you have switched from being a Manchester United fan to a Chelsea supporter in recent years?

Well, I was a Manchester United fan, but the recent poor form of the club drove some of us away. The truth is that I could not see any improvement with the kind of players the club currently has. Manchester United is a big club, and many of the current players are not fit to wear the legendary Red Devils jersey. The sacking of JM (the special one) as manager was the decisive blow for me! I enjoy good soccer, and I think Chelsea has some quality players, so my decision to support Chelsea was not a difficult one. And remember, Lugard House’s color was blue. LOL!

Sekou Nkrumah
1C, 2F, 3F, 4?, 5?
Lugard House