A former Senior Presidential Aide and Head of the Policy Evaluation and Oversight Unit of the Office of late President John Evans Atta Mills, Dr. Tony Aidoo has recounted atrocities that were perpetrated during the National Liberation Movement (NLM) era in the 1960s.
According to him, some Ashantes were put through dehumanizing treatment with some being killed in the period of ethnic cleansing by the operatives of the NLM.
Speaking in an interview with Joy News, the former Ghana Ambassador to the Netherlands, shared a tragic incident he personally witnessed at a very young age in Kumasi which led him to dislike the United Party (UP) tradition.
“One afternoon at 2:00, I was just about six and a half years old and sick so my grand mother was the one looking after me. Suddenly, we heard this Fante woman who used to be a bread seller ran and she was being chased by four stalwart NPP action troopers from the Kings palace itself. She was seeking sanctuary, she was shouting Nana, I am seeking your sanctuary.
“They just dragged this woman, laid her and pounded her with mortar right in front of me and my grandmother. They killed her right in front of us.”
The National Liberation Movement was a political party formed on 19 September 1954.
Set up by disaffected members of the Convention People’s Party, who were joined by Kofi Abrefa Busia, the NLM opposed the process of centralization whilst supporting a continuing role for traditional leaders.
It was led by Baffour Akoto, linguist to the Asantehene. The party gained some support in the 1956 Gold Coast general election and became the third largest party in the Assembly with 12 seats, behind the Convention People’s Party and the Northern People’s Party[NPP].
The NLM embarked on ethnic cleansing in Kumasi and Kyebi killing non-Ashantis and even known Ashanti citizens who were known CPP supporters – accusing them of betraying the Ashanti nation.
Listen to this sad story of how UP now NPP chased people who were Fantes from their region and killed them just because they supported Nkrumah pic.twitter.com/Mvr8sidVZ5
— Berry ☯︎🦍🥷 (@fanti_boy) February 19, 2025
KA
