Accra, Ghana - The 102nd birthday of Ghana’s first president and pan-Africanist, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the continuing confrontation of former powerful First Lady Nana Konadu Agyema Rawlings were some of the stories played up in the Ghanaian media this week.

Nkrumah’s birthday, which is now named Founder’s Day, was marked by a wreath-laying ceremony in Accra, with three former presidents – John Kufuor of Ghana, Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and Horst Kohler of Germany.

Mbeki and Kohler were in Ghana to attend the launching of a foundation by Kufuor.

“Thabo Mbeki charges Africans: Time to act on Nkrumah’s vision,” was the headline of the state-owned Ghanaian Times.

It said Mbeki, who was the special guest at the ceremony, had called on African countries to do away with the rhetoric on the ideals of Nkrumah and map out actionable plans on the vision he had for the continent.

Mbeki said: ”We must honour his memory not so much by words but by what we do” and underscored the need for African countries to renew their commitment to pursuing the objectives and building the legacy of Nkrumah.

Mbeki, who described Nkrumah as “a leading fighter for the freedom of our continent”, observed that Ghana served as a real base for liberation fighters because he championed the cause of Pan-Africanism and fought for the total liberation of the continent.

The state-owned Graphic’s headline read: “Africa must unite to give life to Nkrumah’s vision.”

It said the 102nd birthday of Nkrumah was marked Thursday with a call on Africans to remove artificial barriers, unite and mobilise recourses to develop their respective.

Vice President John Dramani Mahama, who made the call charged Africans to stop depending on the West for aid and rather take their destinies in their own hands to grow their economies.

The vice president said although the various sub-regional bodies of Africa, such as ECOWAS had passed several protocols and signed conventions on regional integration, deepening democracy and achieving good governance, there were restrictions on the movement of goods and service among neighbouring countries.

The opposition Daily Guide played up the incident in Cape Coast, where the former First Lady, who contested against President John Evans Atta Mills in the primaries of the ruling National Democratic Congress but lost heavily, from addressing her followers.

“NDC stops Konadu in Cape Coast” was the headline of the paper, which said 'some 30 or so cutlass-wielding and stoutly-built men, otherwise known as macho men,' stopped former First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings from having a hitch-free thanksgiving mission to Cape Coast.

It said the machomen descended on the venue of the progrmme around 8:30am (GMT), locking it up, regardless of the payment made for the use of the facility.

It said the machomen threatened journalists who turned up at the venue, warning them not to take pictures of the ensuing scenario.

“Let your macho men face Nana Addo,” was the reaction of Nana Konadu, according to the newspaper.

It said the former First Lady had condemned attempts by some Central regional executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress to scuttle a planned meeting with her supporters.

Konadu had planned a thanksgiving meeting at the Cape Coast Town Hall with her supporters, who voted for her in her failed bid to be elected flag bearer of NDC to contest the 2012 presidential race.

“A disappointed Konadu duly addressed the supporters and told them the action was divisive and unbecoming of the NDC, a party, she said, was noted for unity. She branded whoever sponsored the macho men as fake NDC members and directed them to send their macho men into the boxing ring to meet with the opposition New Patriotic Party flag bearer, Nana AKufo-Addo.

Pana 24/09/2011