COUP WARNINGS: Nkrumah’s Trip Was Postponed Four Times Over Intelligence Reports – Rev. Chris Hesse

Four postponements stood between Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, and a planned journey, according to Reverend Chris Hesse, who says intelligence reports raised concerns in the period leading up to the 1966 coup.

Rev. Hesse, Nkrumah’s former personal cinematographer, recalled that the trip was delayed on four separate occasions because of information reaching the authorities.

Speaking in an interview with Kafui Dey, Hesse said the repeated postponements were linked to security warnings received before the military takeover on February 24, 1966.

“There were intelligence reports, and because of those reports, the trip was postponed four times,” he said.

Although Hesse did not disclose the source of the reports or provide details about their contents, his account suggests that concerns about the political and security situation had emerged before the coup.

The delays occurred before Nkrumah was overthrown while he was outside Ghana. The president was travelling to Hanoi, Vietnam, as part of a peace mission when the coup took place. News of the military takeover reached him and members of his entourage while they were abroad.

Hesse said the announcement created confusion and anxiety among those accompanying the president. He recalled being particularly worried about what might have happened to his wife and other family members in Ghana.

“I could not sleep that night,” he recalled.

According to Hesse, he remained awake as he tried to follow developments from outside the country. He said he eventually gathered his equipment, dressed and waited in the sitting room.

“I packed my things, dressed up and sat in the sitting room,” he said, describing the uncertainty that followed the news of the coup.

The former cinematographer said the situation was difficult because the members of Nkrumah’s entourage had limited information about events in Ghana. They had to rely on reports coming from home while trying to determine whether it was safe to return.

Rev. Hesse’s recollection places the four postponed trips among the warning signs that preceded Nkrumah’s removal from office. However, he did not specify what each intelligence report contained, who issued the warnings or why the authorities decided to postpone the journey on each occasion.

The coup brought an abrupt end to Nkrumah’s presidency and created uncertainty for members of his entourage. Hesse said he and his assistant were later sent to London, where they remained for almost six weeks before returning to Ghana.

On their return, he said, they were questioned by the National Liberation Council, the military government that assumed power after the coup.

“We were sent to London for almost six weeks,” Rev. Hesse recalled. “When we came back, we were questioned by the National Liberation Council.”

The February 24, 1966 coup removed Nkrumah from power while he was abroad and marked the beginning of military rule in Ghana. The circumstances surrounding the warnings received before the coup, including the reports that allegedly led to the postponement of his trip, remain part of the broader historical debate about the events of that period.