Protect Ghana’s Land to Honour Nkrumah’s Legacy – Armah-Kofi Buah

The Member of Parliament for Ellembelle and Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, has urged Ghanaians to go beyond celebrating the achievements of Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, and take concrete steps to preserve the country’s natural resources.

Speaking at the 2026 NkrumahFest at Nkroful in the Western Region on Saturday, September 19, Mr Armah-Kofi Buah said protecting Ghana’s land, rivers and forests should form part of efforts to honour Dr Nkrumah’s legacy.

He urged Ghanaians to reflect on Dr Nkrumah’s principles and their relevance to Ghana’s development while supporting efforts to tackle illegal mining and environmental degradation.

According to him, the annual commemoration should go beyond ceremonies and inspire practical action to preserve the country for future generations.

“I respectfully call on all of us as citizens to join the government in its renewed fight against illegal mining and environmental degradation. Osagyefo loved this land so fiercely as he loved his people. To honour his legacy is to defend the soil beneath us with the exact unyielding courage he showed in the struggle for Ghana’s emancipation,” he said.

Mr Armah-Kofi Buah also called for renewed commitment to self-determination, Pan-Africanism, self-reliance and national development, saying Nkrumah’s vision should continue to guide Ghana and Africa.

He stressed that Nkrumah’s development projects and institutions were designed with future generations in mind and challenged the current generation to protect and build on that legacy.

Dr Nkrumah’s daughter, Samia Yaba Nkrumah, expressed gratitude to the organisers and urged Ghanaian youth to uphold the values her father stood for.

She also explained why the Nkrumah family had previously stayed away from some public events, recalling the trauma caused by assassination attempts on her father.

“We saw our father covered in blood, walking into the house after one assassination attempt on his life. Forgive us if we stayed away. We were traumatised, we were scared, we were confused. But the good news is that we’ve come back and we want to make a contribution to Ghana’s progress,” she said.

Pan-Africanist from Kenya, Prof. P. L. O. Lumumba, also stressed the importance of African unity, recalling Nkrumah’s belief that the continent must unite to secure its future.

“He reminded Africa that we had a duty to unite. Because if we did not unite, those who had colonised us would come back again,” he said.