Ghana in Search of Regional Integration Agenda 6 liberation of the African continent.” 8 This dictum established the foreign policy of Ghana. Being the first sub-Sahara African country to have gained independence, the future of Ghana as a beacon of light for the continent could not have been over emphasised. The foreign policy themes of Nkrumah clearly accentuated the expected integration role of Ghana in Africa. They were: 9 The emancipation of Africa from colonialism and restoration of the dignity of the black race; The establishment of power and influence in Africa; The pursuit of world peace and security through a policy of positive neutrality and non-alignment and; The promotion of international cooperation and development through such inter­governmental organisations as the United Nations(UN), the Organisation of African Unity(OAU) and the Commonwealth. It must be pointed out that these four-pronged principles have influenced Ghana's Foreign Policies from 1957 to date. Every regime, of course, has had its area of emphasis arising out of the different personalities and perceptions of its leaders as a consequence of prevailing domestic and external conditions. These conditions are, of course, defined by the national interest(national interest being chiefly what the ruling leadership says it is). There are some striking elements of these principles that define the personality and personal beliefs of Nkrumah. The first and fourth principles show the vivid desire of Ghana to integrate with her immediate neighbours and the African continent at large. It revealed his nurtured hope that a united continent would make it strong and less vulnerable to outside influence. As an adherent of Pan-Africanism and a joint-secretary(with George Padmore) of the 1945 Pan-African Congress held in Manchester, Britain, this was not surprising. What is startling is the third principle of non-alignment and positive neutrality. Nkrumah's association with the West and East was anything but neutral and non­aligned. He was pro-East in his utterances and had a close relationship with the USSR, China and Cuba. In another instance, he went to America upon the recommendation of Britain, to contract a loan of$140 million for the building of the Akosombo Hydroelectric Dam. 8 K. B. Asante, Foreign Policy Making in Ghana: Options for the 21 st Century, A Friedrich Ebert Stiftung Publication, 1997, p. 29. 9 http://bbc.co.uk/worldservice/focusonafrica accessed on 11/ 11/ 08