A New Start

Ever since it tossed out the man who styled himself its "redeemer," Ghana has been trying to redeem itself from his mistakes. Far from wanting to forget Kwame Nkrumah, the National Liberation Council that overthrew him in 1966 has endlessly reminded the 8,000,000 Ghanaians about his aberrant schemes. It even holds lectures on "What Went Wrong in Ghana?", at which the audience invariably utters cries of disbelief. The ruling junta of police and army officers, headed by Lieut. General Joseph Ankrah, has done a great deal more than lecture, however. It has not only rescued Ghana from the brink of bankruptcy but virtually given it a brand-new start as a nation.

While Nkrumah's ministers raced around with their mistresses in big Mercedes cars, Ghana's new rulers stress thrift, churchgoing and close family ties. They are hospitable to foreigners; outside the capital of Accra, billboards that once proclaimed "Down with Neo-Colonialism" now read "Ghana Welcomes Foreign Investment." One sure sign that Ghana is a different place these days was the friendly visit there last week by Vice President Hubert Humphrey, the first top U.S. official to visit Ghana since Richard Nixon went to its independence celebrations in 1957.

Exploiting a Letdown. Ankrah has cut down government expenses by 20%, laid off at least 83,000 earners from what was fondly called "no-work pay" in the old days, and shipped tons of coins bearing Nkrumah's likeness to be melted down in the British Mint. By devaluing Ghana's currency 30%, Ankrah has shrunk imports and wiped out a foreign trade deficit that totaled $840 million when he took over. He has given such U.S. companies as Firestone Tire & Rubber and Union Carbide contracts to revitalize Nkrumah's mismanaged state corporations.

Though most Ghanaians praise Ankrah, many of them are chafing for a return to party politics and parliamentary rule, a particularly natural wish in a country that is rich in vocal professionals. Sensing that such a return may be imminent, some politicians have exploited the emotional letdown from the years when Nkrumah promised Ghana the leadership of all of Africa. They have charged Ankrah with turning the country into a provincial, beggar nation, made such an issue out of an agreement that gave Abbott Laboratories of Illinois control of the state pharmaceutical corporation that Abbott decided last month to leave Ghana.

Father of His Country? To charges that Ghana is becoming an African backwater, John Harlley, vice chairman of the Liberation Council, answers: "We want it that way. Leading a continent is expensive, and we haven't got the money." Ankrah last week appealed to his people for political restraint during "a year of intensive activity preparatory to the return to civilian rule." It may take that long for a planned National Constituent Assembly to approve a draft constitution, which now calls for a division of power among a president, prime minister and parliament. The council would then permit political parties, but plans to bar about 1,000 former Nkrumah aides from holding public office for ten years. *

If his constitution goes through, Ankrah, 52, a genial member of a fishing and farming tribe who was educated by Methodists and trained at a British officers' school, will no doubt be the front-running candidate for Ghana's presidency. Though all the council officers disavow any interest in politics, Ankrah lately seems to be enjoying mixing with crowds. His speaking voice, which has an embarrassing tendency to reak into a high register, has become more confident. He has even sent his wife off to a charm school in London. Then, too, he could easily qualify as the father of his country. The twice-married Ankrah has 22 children.

* Nkrumah continues to broadcast to Ghana from exile in Guinea. Ghanaian police have raised the proffered reward for his capture from $20,000 to $100,000.

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