Page 91 - Afrika Must Unite

76 AFRICA MUST UNITE

minority needed armed protection against the indigenous
majority. In fledgeling states, imperialist interests flourish where there is
an atmosphere of dissension. They are endangered in an atmosphere of
national unity and stability.
For two and a half years of difficult state-building my govern­
ment took no action to limit the freedom of the press. The
opposition was quick to exploit this freedom and soon debased
it into licence. Each day, its newspapers came out with screaming
headlines about the perfidy of the government. They heaped
abuse and libel upon my colleagues and me. They wrote and
preached, they called press conferences with local and foreign
correspondents, they addressed public meetings all over the
country, stigmatizing the government and singling out me and
my immediate associates for special attack, abuse and ridicule.
During the struggle for independence we had emphasized the
need for national unity for the attainm ent of freedom, and for
the enormous responsibilities of statehood that wrould follow.
These call for a supreme effort on the part of every citizen. How
could our people pull their weight with zeal and dedication when
it was ceaselessly being drummed into them that their govern­
ment was unscrupulous, inept and corrupt; that their leaders
were venal and power-thirsty, and that the national effort was
invoked, not for the greater glory of G hana but for the personal
glory of Kwame Nkrum ah? This was not freedom of expression.
This was irresponsible licence, and if allowed to continue un­
bridled, it could have undermined our state, our independence
and the people’s faith in themselves and their capacities.
This was the internal picture. The impact on the movements
for liberation in the rest of Africa could be just as unfortunate.
It was likely to cause despondency in their ranks and friction
between us and their leaders, who might have no means of
recognizing the falsity of opposition attacks upon us. The colonial
powers would also not be unmindful of these happenings and
possibly use them as a pretext for delaying their departure from
trust and colonial territories by citing the magnified political
‘battle’ in G hana as a frightening example of prem ature
independence.
We came to the point where it was obvious that the govern­
ment must take action if we were to avert the dangers inherent