PAINFUL MEMORIES: Recalling Bomb Attacks on Nkrumah Still Haunts Me – Chris Hesse

Some memories are difficult to revisit, even after decades have passed. For Reverend Chris Hesse, recalling bomb attacks during Kwame Nkrumah’s presidency brings back experiences he would rather not relive.

The veteran cinematographer became visibly emotional while discussing the attacks in an interview with Kafui Dey, explaining that speaking about the events meant reopening painful memories.

“I don’t want to talk about it because it will affect me,” Hesse said, indicating that revisiting the incidents could leave him distressed long after the interview had ended.

Rev. Hesse, who worked closely with Ghana’s first president, was reflecting on a period when political violence threatened lives and left lasting impressions on those who witnessed it.

As the conversation turned to attacks involving Nkrumah, Hesse made clear that recounting the details remained difficult. “If I talk about it, I may not sleep,” he said, underscoring how deeply the events had stayed with him.

He also appealed for understanding, suggesting that the memories were not merely historical events but personal experiences that continued to affect him. “It is not something I want to remember,” he said.

When asked about the incidents, Hesse remained guarded and appeared unwilling to revisit the full circumstances surrounding them. “I don’t want to go into the details,” he stated, reinforcing his reluctance to discuss the attacks at length.

The discussion touched on attacks associated with Nkrumah’s time in office, including incidents linked to Flagstaff House and the stadium. However, Hesse was reluctant to go further into the details, signalling that the subject remained painful.

“I have seen things that I don’t want to talk about,” he said, conveying the emotional weight of the experiences he had carried for years.

Rather than offering a full account, he conveyed the difficulty of returning to experiences that had left such a lasting mark on him. “Even now, talking about it brings everything back,” Hesse added.

Hesse’s reluctance to elaborate was central to the exchange. Despite the passage of many years, he was not comfortable revisiting every detail of what he remembered.

“I would rather leave it there,” he said, bringing the discussion back to the emotional toll of recounting the attacks.

His account forms part of his broader recollections of working during a turbulent period in Ghana’s political history, when he documented events as a filmmaker while also experiencing the uncertainty and danger surrounding them.