By BrownGH.com

Copyright browngh

Deputy CEO of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Abeiku Santana, has claimed that every individual who has become president of Ghana has performed a ritual bath in a river behind the childhood home of the nation’s first president, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

Speaking in an interview with Nana Romeo on Okay FM on September 16, 2025, while promoting the upcoming NkrumahFest, Santana shared the story as part of a celebration of Nkrumah’s life and legacy.

He recounted a childhood story about Nkrumah and his mother at the river:

“According to history, when Nkrumah was young, his mother had gone to fetch water from that river. While there, he pointed out that she was standing on a fish, and true to his claims, there was a fish where she stood,” Santana said.

Santana explained that the people of Nzema have long believed Nkrumah “was not an ordinary person” and that the water from the river is thought to perform miracles.

“Everyone who became President has gone to a river behind Kwame Nkrumah’s house to bath. The people of Nzema believe that Kwame Nkrumah was not an ordinary person. So people believe that the water performs miracles,” he added.

Highlighting Nkrumah’s extraordinary achievements, Santana noted that by 1935, the 26-year-old Nkrumah had managed to travel to the United States despite the lack of an American Embassy or easy access to telephones in the Gold Coast at the time.

“How was he able to do it? How was he able to influence thousands of African Americans? How was he able to meet with US President JF Kennedy?” he asked.

Santana promised that these mysteries, along with other fascinating aspects of Nkrumah’s life, will be explored during NkrumahFest, which is designed as a platform for Ghanaians to learn about the multifaceted legacy of the nation’s first president.