Recent discussions about the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, have sparked considerable debate among Ghanaians regarding his role as the nation’s founder.
The controversy intensified after key figures in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, questioned Nkrumah’s recognition as Ghana’s sole founding figure.
The division over Nkrumah’s legacy isn’t new—it dates back to his lifetime, during which he faced not only verbal criticism but also numerous physical threats.
Nkrumah is often cited as the Ghanaian leader who survived the most assassination attempts. In his book, Dark Days in Ghana, Nkrumah himself mentioned surviving at least six such attempts.
A throwback of interview of Dr. Chris Tsui Hesse, Nkrumah’s former personal photographer, with Onua TV’s Captain Smart on the “Maakye” morning show around last year, shows how the photographer recounted four bomb attacks that the former president narrowly escaped.
He highlighted the first attack, which occurred on August 1, 1962, in Kulungugu, a town in the Upper East Region.
While returning to Ghana from Burkina Faso, Nkrumah stopped his convoy to greet students by the roadside. Tragically, a bomb exploded, killing many of the children.
Nkrumah’s life was spared thanks to the quick actions of his aide-de-camp, Captain Buckman.
“When we got to Kulungugu, we knew that there was no stopping there, but Nkrumah saw the kids and stopped. And because of the dust, there were distances between the vehicles.
So, when he stopped, he sat in the car and waited. So, when I got there, he was there. So, I parked behind him, and he gave me the sign that I should film this.
So, I prepared my camera and went out. And then he came out and was going towards where the formation was. And then Captain Buckman was then the ADC, and he was following him (Nkrumah) with the security people.
“… I was in the middle, and the action was in the background. The school kids were performing something beautiful. And on my right side, Nkrumah was moving towards the kids. On my left side, Adamafio and the ministers were moving. I was in the centre.
So, it was. I had this appetite for not missing. It was so beautiful. I was just standing there to capture because my lens was capturing everything in detail. Then, immediately before Nkrumah passed and the ministers passed, Captain Buckman booted him (Nkrumah) down and put his body on him,” he narrated.
Dr. Tsui Hesse recounted that just as Captain Buckman shielded Nkrumah, a bomb detonated, sending body parts flying. Despite the explosion, Ghana’s first president sustained only minor injuries and was quickly taken to a health facility in Bawku for treatment.
Dr. Hesse also described a second bomb attack at the Flagstaff House, the then-presidential residence, where an explosion occurred during a cultural performance for Nkrumah, resulting in numerous casualties.
The third incident he mentioned took place at Accra Sports Stadium, once again during a cultural performance, where a bomb blast claimed several lives.
The fourth attack, according to Dr. Hesse, happened at Lucas House, near the UTC area, where a staff member of the Information Services Department lost their life in the explosion.