Pan-Africanist and anti-corruption advocate, Professor P.L.O. Lumumba, has urged African leaders and citizens to move beyond nostalgia and regret, and instead embrace a forward-thinking mindset rooted in action and innovation.
Speaking at the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) during its Public Lecture Series on Friday, April 11, Lumumba called for a mental shift away from what he described as being “imprisoned in history and lamentation.”
“We cannot remain imprisoned in history and lamentation,” he stated, challenging the audience to rise above the comfort of referencing past glory without taking steps to shape the continent’s future.
Revisiting the legacy of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Lumumba highlighted the enduring relevance of Nkrumah’s philosophy and vision. “That is why it is still true for you Ghanaians, Nkrumah is dead but Nkrumah never dies. And the reason why he never dies is that his ideas are evergreen.”
His reflections were not without challenge to his listeners. Professor Lumumba posed a powerful rhetorical question to the gathering, urging introspection and historical consciousness.
“Who among you here is courageous enough to stand up and contradict me when I say what we are saying here was said by Kwame Nkrumah in 1955?”
He went on to emphasize that Nkrumah had long envisioned a different kind of education, one that would serve Africa’s unique needs and aspirations.
“Who among you here is courageous enough to tell me that Nkrumah did not think about education of a different kind when he was instituting the University at Legon?”
