![mytheoz's tweet photo. NKRUMAH FOUNDED MODERN GHANA
============================
EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTER 10 (PAGES 162-202) OF “GHANA: THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE, 1919-1957” BY F. M. BOURRET (PUBLISHED IN 1960)
1. Bourret states on page 162 of his book "Ghana: The Road to Independence, 1919-1957” that of “all the steps taken towards the goal of political autonomy during this period, the MOST NOTABLE, however, was THE 1946 [BURNS] CONSTITUTION with its provision for a clear African majority on the legislative council and for a legislative union between the Colony and Ashanti.”
2. Ashanti had always preferred a FEDERAL STATE/REPUBLIC since the 1940s. Sir Frederick Bourne's report in 1955 advised against federation as being unsuitable for so small a country but recommended dilution of power to regional assemblies.
3. The 1946 constitution failed after the 1948 riots – a developing wage-earning class mobilised politically and socially. Scarcely a year after the inauguration of the 1946 constitution, certain groups were dissatisfied and, in August 1947, set up the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). Its members, under the direction of Mr George Grant- and Dr Danquah, were drawn from the upper middle class, mostly lawyers and merchants…The UGCC members [mostly elites] wanted self-government at the “earliest opportunity” and thought/took it for granted that “they would retain their leadership as the country advanced towards independence.”
4. But this all changed when Dr Kwame Nkrumah became the Secretary of the UGCC in December 1947. Late in 1947, one of the Accra subchiefs, Nii Bonne, began to organize a boycott campaign to force prices to be lowered. It started in January 1948, but it was difficult to get the people to obey its regulations. Finally, at the end of February, the Accra Chamber of Commerce agreed to reduce prices, and on the 28th, retail buying was resumed. On the same day, a group of ex-servicemen planned to hold a parade but were shot at, with 2 killed and about 5 others wounded at the Junction to Christianborg Castle.
5. The 1948 Watson Report recommended more autonomy for the Gold Coast. In January 1949, the government appointed an all-African committee under the chairmanship of the 55-year-old Sir. Henley Coussey. The 38 members included chiefs and people from all parts of the country, among them all of the 'Big Six' except Nkrumah. The group represented all sections of public opinion except the most radical. In other words, they wanted to dialogue with the moderates and not the likes of Nkrumah, who had become more radical in his approach at this time. Things might have been different had they included Nkrumah in the Coussey Committee.
6. The October 1949 Coussey Report became the basis of the 1951 Constitution. While the Coussey Report was welcomed by more moderate public opinion, it was CRITICIZED by radicals, especially by the Accra Evening News (Kwame Nkrumah's paper). NKRUMAH WANTED FULL DOMINION (INDEPENDENCE), NOT SEMI-INDEPENDENCE, as some of the moderates (including those in the UGCC elites camp) wanted.
7. UGCC folks felt Nkrumah betrayed them (page 173) by using his general secretary position to build a personal following. In September 1954, a new National Liberation Movement (N.L.M.) emerged in Ashanti over issues of cocoa prices afforded to farmers. There were a series of violent clashes between CCP and NLM members in 1954 and 1955. Many of the NLM leaders were ex-CPP members.
8. After the Togoland problem was settled via the plebiscite, the crucial general election required by Mr Lennox Boyd to ascertain whether the NKRUMAH INDEPENDENCE PROPOSALS were supported by a reasonable majority was announced for 12 and 17 July 1956. The election results were so significant that they satisfied the British Government to eventually grant independence to the new nation called Ghana.
9. The final draft of the 1957 constitution maintained a UNITARY STATE, although Nkrumah made some concessions to opposition demands (page 199). The new constitution was signed by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 2 February 1957.
10. Nkrumah is the founder of modern Ghana, although the name Ghana existed for several decades before going to Rev JM Anaman's days in the late 1890s. There was also even an opposition “Ghana Congress Party (GCP)”, which had been the leading opposition party under the 1951 constitution – this was the party of the UGCC, which represented the position of the Chiefs and other older intelligentsia. The records show that the opposition parties at the time wanted a semi-autonomous state and not the UNITARY REPUBLIC known as Ghana today. Yes, they played a role in fine-tuning the constitution and making other suggestions. However, the Ghana we know today would not have existed, but for Nkrumah's constant agitation for full independence and a unitary state, not a federal one. We can argue the merits of unitary vs federal, but we must stay true to the historical records.
MAIN REFERENCE
---Bourret, F. M. (1962). Ghana: The road to independence, 1919-1957. London: Oxford University Press. pp 160-202
NB: I've made Chapter 10 of the book available for download at https://t.co/KsDDpusy7k](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUOSN5UWwAAJrD7.jpg)
![mytheoz's tweet photo. NKRUMAH FOUNDED MODERN GHANA
============================
EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTER 10 (PAGES 162-202) OF “GHANA: THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE, 1919-1957” BY F. M. BOURRET (PUBLISHED IN 1960)
1. Bourret states on page 162 of his book "Ghana: The Road to Independence, 1919-1957” that of “all the steps taken towards the goal of political autonomy during this period, the MOST NOTABLE, however, was THE 1946 [BURNS] CONSTITUTION with its provision for a clear African majority on the legislative council and for a legislative union between the Colony and Ashanti.”
2. Ashanti had always preferred a FEDERAL STATE/REPUBLIC since the 1940s. Sir Frederick Bourne's report in 1955 advised against federation as being unsuitable for so small a country but recommended dilution of power to regional assemblies.
3. The 1946 constitution failed after the 1948 riots – a developing wage-earning class mobilised politically and socially. Scarcely a year after the inauguration of the 1946 constitution, certain groups were dissatisfied and, in August 1947, set up the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). Its members, under the direction of Mr George Grant- and Dr Danquah, were drawn from the upper middle class, mostly lawyers and merchants…The UGCC members [mostly elites] wanted self-government at the “earliest opportunity” and thought/took it for granted that “they would retain their leadership as the country advanced towards independence.”
4. But this all changed when Dr Kwame Nkrumah became the Secretary of the UGCC in December 1947. Late in 1947, one of the Accra subchiefs, Nii Bonne, began to organize a boycott campaign to force prices to be lowered. It started in January 1948, but it was difficult to get the people to obey its regulations. Finally, at the end of February, the Accra Chamber of Commerce agreed to reduce prices, and on the 28th, retail buying was resumed. On the same day, a group of ex-servicemen planned to hold a parade but were shot at, with 2 killed and about 5 others wounded at the Junction to Christianborg Castle.
5. The 1948 Watson Report recommended more autonomy for the Gold Coast. In January 1949, the government appointed an all-African committee under the chairmanship of the 55-year-old Sir. Henley Coussey. The 38 members included chiefs and people from all parts of the country, among them all of the 'Big Six' except Nkrumah. The group represented all sections of public opinion except the most radical. In other words, they wanted to dialogue with the moderates and not the likes of Nkrumah, who had become more radical in his approach at this time. Things might have been different had they included Nkrumah in the Coussey Committee.
6. The October 1949 Coussey Report became the basis of the 1951 Constitution. While the Coussey Report was welcomed by more moderate public opinion, it was CRITICIZED by radicals, especially by the Accra Evening News (Kwame Nkrumah's paper). NKRUMAH WANTED FULL DOMINION (INDEPENDENCE), NOT SEMI-INDEPENDENCE, as some of the moderates (including those in the UGCC elites camp) wanted.
7. UGCC folks felt Nkrumah betrayed them (page 173) by using his general secretary position to build a personal following. In September 1954, a new National Liberation Movement (N.L.M.) emerged in Ashanti over issues of cocoa prices afforded to farmers. There were a series of violent clashes between CCP and NLM members in 1954 and 1955. Many of the NLM leaders were ex-CPP members.
8. After the Togoland problem was settled via the plebiscite, the crucial general election required by Mr Lennox Boyd to ascertain whether the NKRUMAH INDEPENDENCE PROPOSALS were supported by a reasonable majority was announced for 12 and 17 July 1956. The election results were so significant that they satisfied the British Government to eventually grant independence to the new nation called Ghana.
9. The final draft of the 1957 constitution maintained a UNITARY STATE, although Nkrumah made some concessions to opposition demands (page 199). The new constitution was signed by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 2 February 1957.
10. Nkrumah is the founder of modern Ghana, although the name Ghana existed for several decades before going to Rev JM Anaman's days in the late 1890s. There was also even an opposition “Ghana Congress Party (GCP)”, which had been the leading opposition party under the 1951 constitution – this was the party of the UGCC, which represented the position of the Chiefs and other older intelligentsia. The records show that the opposition parties at the time wanted a semi-autonomous state and not the UNITARY REPUBLIC known as Ghana today. Yes, they played a role in fine-tuning the constitution and making other suggestions. However, the Ghana we know today would not have existed, but for Nkrumah's constant agitation for full independence and a unitary state, not a federal one. We can argue the merits of unitary vs federal, but we must stay true to the historical records.
MAIN REFERENCE
---Bourret, F. M. (1962). Ghana: The road to independence, 1919-1957. London: Oxford University Press. pp 160-202
NB: I've made Chapter 10 of the book available for download at https://t.co/KsDDpusy7k](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUOSIElXQAA8Ryf.jpg)
![mytheoz's tweet photo. NKRUMAH FOUNDED MODERN GHANA
============================
EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTER 10 (PAGES 162-202) OF “GHANA: THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE, 1919-1957” BY F. M. BOURRET (PUBLISHED IN 1960)
1. Bourret states on page 162 of his book "Ghana: The Road to Independence, 1919-1957” that of “all the steps taken towards the goal of political autonomy during this period, the MOST NOTABLE, however, was THE 1946 [BURNS] CONSTITUTION with its provision for a clear African majority on the legislative council and for a legislative union between the Colony and Ashanti.”
2. Ashanti had always preferred a FEDERAL STATE/REPUBLIC since the 1940s. Sir Frederick Bourne's report in 1955 advised against federation as being unsuitable for so small a country but recommended dilution of power to regional assemblies.
3. The 1946 constitution failed after the 1948 riots – a developing wage-earning class mobilised politically and socially. Scarcely a year after the inauguration of the 1946 constitution, certain groups were dissatisfied and, in August 1947, set up the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). Its members, under the direction of Mr George Grant- and Dr Danquah, were drawn from the upper middle class, mostly lawyers and merchants…The UGCC members [mostly elites] wanted self-government at the “earliest opportunity” and thought/took it for granted that “they would retain their leadership as the country advanced towards independence.”
4. But this all changed when Dr Kwame Nkrumah became the Secretary of the UGCC in December 1947. Late in 1947, one of the Accra subchiefs, Nii Bonne, began to organize a boycott campaign to force prices to be lowered. It started in January 1948, but it was difficult to get the people to obey its regulations. Finally, at the end of February, the Accra Chamber of Commerce agreed to reduce prices, and on the 28th, retail buying was resumed. On the same day, a group of ex-servicemen planned to hold a parade but were shot at, with 2 killed and about 5 others wounded at the Junction to Christianborg Castle.
5. The 1948 Watson Report recommended more autonomy for the Gold Coast. In January 1949, the government appointed an all-African committee under the chairmanship of the 55-year-old Sir. Henley Coussey. The 38 members included chiefs and people from all parts of the country, among them all of the 'Big Six' except Nkrumah. The group represented all sections of public opinion except the most radical. In other words, they wanted to dialogue with the moderates and not the likes of Nkrumah, who had become more radical in his approach at this time. Things might have been different had they included Nkrumah in the Coussey Committee.
6. The October 1949 Coussey Report became the basis of the 1951 Constitution. While the Coussey Report was welcomed by more moderate public opinion, it was CRITICIZED by radicals, especially by the Accra Evening News (Kwame Nkrumah's paper). NKRUMAH WANTED FULL DOMINION (INDEPENDENCE), NOT SEMI-INDEPENDENCE, as some of the moderates (including those in the UGCC elites camp) wanted.
7. UGCC folks felt Nkrumah betrayed them (page 173) by using his general secretary position to build a personal following. In September 1954, a new National Liberation Movement (N.L.M.) emerged in Ashanti over issues of cocoa prices afforded to farmers. There were a series of violent clashes between CCP and NLM members in 1954 and 1955. Many of the NLM leaders were ex-CPP members.
8. After the Togoland problem was settled via the plebiscite, the crucial general election required by Mr Lennox Boyd to ascertain whether the NKRUMAH INDEPENDENCE PROPOSALS were supported by a reasonable majority was announced for 12 and 17 July 1956. The election results were so significant that they satisfied the British Government to eventually grant independence to the new nation called Ghana.
9. The final draft of the 1957 constitution maintained a UNITARY STATE, although Nkrumah made some concessions to opposition demands (page 199). The new constitution was signed by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 2 February 1957.
10. Nkrumah is the founder of modern Ghana, although the name Ghana existed for several decades before going to Rev JM Anaman's days in the late 1890s. There was also even an opposition “Ghana Congress Party (GCP)”, which had been the leading opposition party under the 1951 constitution – this was the party of the UGCC, which represented the position of the Chiefs and other older intelligentsia. The records show that the opposition parties at the time wanted a semi-autonomous state and not the UNITARY REPUBLIC known as Ghana today. Yes, they played a role in fine-tuning the constitution and making other suggestions. However, the Ghana we know today would not have existed, but for Nkrumah's constant agitation for full independence and a unitary state, not a federal one. We can argue the merits of unitary vs federal, but we must stay true to the historical records.
MAIN REFERENCE
---Bourret, F. M. (1962). Ghana: The road to independence, 1919-1957. London: Oxford University Press. pp 160-202
NB: I've made Chapter 10 of the book available for download at https://t.co/KsDDpusy7k](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUOSDwHWUAEl-8a.jpg)
Olivia
Online
Abdulai Iddrisu
@aiddrisu1
Professor of History & African Studies
Dundas Mn
Joined August 2014
176 Following
64 Followers
57 Posts
With exceptional anticipation, Ghana looks forward to welcoming the legendary Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka as a guest speaker at the Next Steps conference on Reparatory Justice being hosted by President John Mahama in Accra this week.
BREAKING: President John Dramani Mahama has announced that holders of African passports travelling to Ghana for business or tourism will no longer pay visa fees when applying through the country’s newly launched e-visa platform.
“I studied in Ghana, and there was a specific programme that only a few colleges offered. It was by far the most perspective-gaining and life-changing experience of my entire life.”
— Christina Koch, NASA astronaut and electrical engineer, and the first woman to travel beyond low Earth orbit on a lunar mission
Who to follow
Elisa Prosperetti
@e_prosperetti
African & Global History l Asst Prof @NIE/NTU Singapore l An Anticolonial Development (CUP 2026) https://t.co/CZLsbzn6jF l Host @NewBooksAfrica.
Matt Lockwood
@MattLockwood71
Michigander. Dad. Spartan. Warrior. Nobody rides for free.
Eliasu Mumuni, PhD
@elinottingham
Agriculture II Development Policy II Organisational and Transdisciplinary CommunicationII Innovation Communication|| II Knowledge management I Fulbright Fellow
@IranIntl_En How about the rest of the zombies?
Our fundraiser ends on Feb. 1, can you help us reach our goal? Cuts to funding for higher education, world studies, and international aid has represented the loss of almost 50% of WARA and WARC’s annual funding. Please consider giving!
Donate here:
https://t.co/3yHt7pnODy
On the instructions of President Mahama, Ghana has made an additional donation of construction equipment, air-conditioned tents, boats, outboard motors, medical supplies, water purifiers, plumbing and electrical tools to the Jamaican government as they rebuild their country post Hurricane Melissa.
The Jamaican Foreign Minister, Senator the Honourable Kamina Abena Johnson Smith, JP, received the donation on behalf of the Jamaican government.
The request by the Jamaican Government for an extension of “Operation Boafo” from 30 days to 90 days has also been granted by Ghana’s Commander-in-Chief.
Ghana’s foreign policy would no longer be defined by how much we can take from others but by how much we can share with others, particularly our friends in distress.
For God, Country & Friendly Nations 🇬🇭 🙏🏾
This should be the 3rd or 4th time that I would be posting this scene.
Though, I always tell my son that I love him. But I believe that in this movie (fences), Denzel was telling his son that he loves him, without necessarily using the word "love".
Very sweet scene.
Overthinking is what kills you ...
In contemporary art, few sculptures have captured the imagination quite like Thomas Lerooy’s “Weight of Thought.” This profound work, a part of Lerooy’s 2009 series for his Braindance exhibition, is a testament to the artist’s ability to intertwine classical motifs with modern existential dilemmas. The sculpture, with its exaggerated head and diminutive torso, stands as a powerful symbol of the burdens that knowledge and thought can impose on the human spirit.
The inception of “Weight of Thought” was born out of Lerooy’s personal struggle with indecision during the conceptualization of his exhibition. The artist describes his head as feeling “very big and heavy,” overwhelmed by the endless search for a unifying idea. It was this sensation of cognitive overload that Lerooy sought to encapsulate in bronze – a material as timeless as the human condition it represents.
Lerooy’s sculpture draws heavily from the aesthetics of Classical Greek and Roman art, yet it subverts these traditions to reflect contemporary concerns. The figure’s muscular body, reminiscent of ancient heroes, is ironically undermined by the oversized head, which tilts precariously, threatening to topple the entire structure. This juxtaposition speaks to the modern struggle of balancing the weight of our thoughts with the reality of our physical existence.
Over a decade later, “Weight of Thought” continues to resonate with audiences. Its themes of mental burden and the search for meaning have found new relevance in a world increasingly dominated by information overload and existential uncertainty. The sculpture has been embraced by various movements and individuals, from students grappling with academic pressures to activists within the Black Lives Matter movement, illustrating the universality of Lerooy’s message.
Lerooy’s creative process reflects a battle between internal and external forces. The artist’s internal struggle to exceed his mental capacities is externalized in the sculpture’s form. The head, swollen with thoughts, spills over with liquid – a visual metaphor for the overflow of ideas that cannot be contained within the confines of the mind.
Since its unveiling, “Weight of Thought” has taken on a life of its own, with the public layering their own meanings onto the artwork. Lerooy acknowledges this evolution, noting that the sculpture’s significance has grown beyond his original intent. It has become a canvas for the collective consciousness, reflecting the diverse experiences and interpretations of its viewers.
Thomas Lerooy’s “Weight of Thought” stands as a monumental piece within the landscape of modern sculpture. Its ability to encapsulate the human experience, with all its intellectual and emotional complexities, ensures its place in the annals of art history. As we continue to navigate the labyrinth of our own thoughts, Lerooy’s sculpture serves as a poignant reminder of the delicate balance we all must strike between the mind and the material world.
Artist : Thomas Leeroy
#archaeohistories
With the firm support of President Mahama, I have carried out the following drastic and decisive actions following the damming findings of a special audit team i put together a couple of months ago to investigate alleged corrupt practices at Ghana’s embassy in Washington DC:
1) The immediate dismissal of Mr. Fred Kwarteng.
Mr. Kwarteng was a local staff recruited on August 11, 2017 to work in the embassy’s IT department. According to findings and his own admission, he created an unauthorized link on the embassy’s website which diverted visa and passport applicants to his company, Ghana Travel Consultants (GTC) where he charged extra for multiple services on the blind side of the ministry and kept the entire proceeds in his private account. His illegal extra charges which were not approved by the ministry and parliament as required under the Fees and Charges Act ranges from US$29.75 to US$60 per applicant. The Investigations reveal that he and his collaborators operated this illegal scheme for at least 5 years.
This conduct has been reported to the Attorney-General for possible prosecution and retrieval of funds obtained through fraudulent schemes.
2) All Ministry of Foreign Affairs staff posted to the Washington embassy have been recalled home with immediate effect.
3) The embassy’s IT department has been promptly dissolved.
4) All locally recruited staff at the embassy have been suspended.
5) The Auditor-General has been invited to conduct forensic examination of all transactions and to determine the total cost of this elaborate fraudulent scheme.
6) Ghana’s embassy in Washington DC shall be closed for a few days from today as we finalize the ongoing restructuring and systems overhaul.
Any inconvenience these radical measures may cause visa and passport applicants is regretted.
President Mahama’s government will continue to demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, naked conflict of interest and blatant abuse of office.
More updates soon.
I just took action to oppose the elimination of the National Endowment for the Humanities! Join me and take action here: https://t.co/63VqFlewBd
NKRUMAH FOUNDED MODERN GHANA
============================
EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTER 10 (PAGES 162-202) OF “GHANA: THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE, 1919-1957” BY F. M. BOURRET (PUBLISHED IN 1960)
1. Bourret states on page 162 of his book "Ghana: The Road to Independence, 1919-1957” that of “all the steps taken towards the goal of political autonomy during this period, the MOST NOTABLE, however, was THE 1946 [BURNS] CONSTITUTION with its provision for a clear African majority on the legislative council and for a legislative union between the Colony and Ashanti.”
2. Ashanti had always preferred a FEDERAL STATE/REPUBLIC since the 1940s. Sir Frederick Bourne's report in 1955 advised against federation as being unsuitable for so small a country but recommended dilution of power to regional assemblies.
3. The 1946 constitution failed after the 1948 riots – a developing wage-earning class mobilised politically and socially. Scarcely a year after the inauguration of the 1946 constitution, certain groups were dissatisfied and, in August 1947, set up the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). Its members, under the direction of Mr George Grant- and Dr Danquah, were drawn from the upper middle class, mostly lawyers and merchants…The UGCC members [mostly elites] wanted self-government at the “earliest opportunity” and thought/took it for granted that “they would retain their leadership as the country advanced towards independence.”
4. But this all changed when Dr Kwame Nkrumah became the Secretary of the UGCC in December 1947. Late in 1947, one of the Accra subchiefs, Nii Bonne, began to organize a boycott campaign to force prices to be lowered. It started in January 1948, but it was difficult to get the people to obey its regulations. Finally, at the end of February, the Accra Chamber of Commerce agreed to reduce prices, and on the 28th, retail buying was resumed. On the same day, a group of ex-servicemen planned to hold a parade but were shot at, with 2 killed and about 5 others wounded at the Junction to Christianborg Castle.
5. The 1948 Watson Report recommended more autonomy for the Gold Coast. In January 1949, the government appointed an all-African committee under the chairmanship of the 55-year-old Sir. Henley Coussey. The 38 members included chiefs and people from all parts of the country, among them all of the 'Big Six' except Nkrumah. The group represented all sections of public opinion except the most radical. In other words, they wanted to dialogue with the moderates and not the likes of Nkrumah, who had become more radical in his approach at this time. Things might have been different had they included Nkrumah in the Coussey Committee.
6. The October 1949 Coussey Report became the basis of the 1951 Constitution. While the Coussey Report was welcomed by more moderate public opinion, it was CRITICIZED by radicals, especially by the Accra Evening News (Kwame Nkrumah's paper). NKRUMAH WANTED FULL DOMINION (INDEPENDENCE), NOT SEMI-INDEPENDENCE, as some of the moderates (including those in the UGCC elites camp) wanted.
7. UGCC folks felt Nkrumah betrayed them (page 173) by using his general secretary position to build a personal following. In September 1954, a new National Liberation Movement (N.L.M.) emerged in Ashanti over issues of cocoa prices afforded to farmers. There were a series of violent clashes between CCP and NLM members in 1954 and 1955. Many of the NLM leaders were ex-CPP members.
8. After the Togoland problem was settled via the plebiscite, the crucial general election required by Mr Lennox Boyd to ascertain whether the NKRUMAH INDEPENDENCE PROPOSALS were supported by a reasonable majority was announced for 12 and 17 July 1956. The election results were so significant that they satisfied the British Government to eventually grant independence to the new nation called Ghana.
9. The final draft of the 1957 constitution maintained a UNITARY STATE, although Nkrumah made some concessions to opposition demands (page 199). The new constitution was signed by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 2 February 1957.
10. Nkrumah is the founder of modern Ghana, although the name Ghana existed for several decades before going to Rev JM Anaman's days in the late 1890s. There was also even an opposition “Ghana Congress Party (GCP)”, which had been the leading opposition party under the 1951 constitution – this was the party of the UGCC, which represented the position of the Chiefs and other older intelligentsia. The records show that the opposition parties at the time wanted a semi-autonomous state and not the UNITARY REPUBLIC known as Ghana today. Yes, they played a role in fine-tuning the constitution and making other suggestions. However, the Ghana we know today would not have existed, but for Nkrumah's constant agitation for full independence and a unitary state, not a federal one. We can argue the merits of unitary vs federal, but we must stay true to the historical records.
MAIN REFERENCE
---Bourret, F. M. (1962). Ghana: The road to independence, 1919-1957. London: Oxford University Press. pp 160-202
NB: I've made Chapter 10 of the book available for download at https://t.co/KsDDpusy7k
![mytheoz's tweet photo. NKRUMAH FOUNDED MODERN GHANA
============================
EXCERPTS FROM CHAPTER 10 (PAGES 162-202) OF “GHANA: THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE, 1919-1957” BY F. M. BOURRET (PUBLISHED IN 1960)
1. Bourret states on page 162 of his book "Ghana: The Road to Independence, 1919-1957” that of “all the steps taken towards the goal of political autonomy during this period, the MOST NOTABLE, however, was THE 1946 [BURNS] CONSTITUTION with its provision for a clear African majority on the legislative council and for a legislative union between the Colony and Ashanti.”
2. Ashanti had always preferred a FEDERAL STATE/REPUBLIC since the 1940s. Sir Frederick Bourne's report in 1955 advised against federation as being unsuitable for so small a country but recommended dilution of power to regional assemblies.
3. The 1946 constitution failed after the 1948 riots – a developing wage-earning class mobilised politically and socially. Scarcely a year after the inauguration of the 1946 constitution, certain groups were dissatisfied and, in August 1947, set up the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). Its members, under the direction of Mr George Grant- and Dr Danquah, were drawn from the upper middle class, mostly lawyers and merchants…The UGCC members [mostly elites] wanted self-government at the “earliest opportunity” and thought/took it for granted that “they would retain their leadership as the country advanced towards independence.”
4. But this all changed when Dr Kwame Nkrumah became the Secretary of the UGCC in December 1947. Late in 1947, one of the Accra subchiefs, Nii Bonne, began to organize a boycott campaign to force prices to be lowered. It started in January 1948, but it was difficult to get the people to obey its regulations. Finally, at the end of February, the Accra Chamber of Commerce agreed to reduce prices, and on the 28th, retail buying was resumed. On the same day, a group of ex-servicemen planned to hold a parade but were shot at, with 2 killed and about 5 others wounded at the Junction to Christianborg Castle.
5. The 1948 Watson Report recommended more autonomy for the Gold Coast. In January 1949, the government appointed an all-African committee under the chairmanship of the 55-year-old Sir. Henley Coussey. The 38 members included chiefs and people from all parts of the country, among them all of the 'Big Six' except Nkrumah. The group represented all sections of public opinion except the most radical. In other words, they wanted to dialogue with the moderates and not the likes of Nkrumah, who had become more radical in his approach at this time. Things might have been different had they included Nkrumah in the Coussey Committee.
6. The October 1949 Coussey Report became the basis of the 1951 Constitution. While the Coussey Report was welcomed by more moderate public opinion, it was CRITICIZED by radicals, especially by the Accra Evening News (Kwame Nkrumah's paper). NKRUMAH WANTED FULL DOMINION (INDEPENDENCE), NOT SEMI-INDEPENDENCE, as some of the moderates (including those in the UGCC elites camp) wanted.
7. UGCC folks felt Nkrumah betrayed them (page 173) by using his general secretary position to build a personal following. In September 1954, a new National Liberation Movement (N.L.M.) emerged in Ashanti over issues of cocoa prices afforded to farmers. There were a series of violent clashes between CCP and NLM members in 1954 and 1955. Many of the NLM leaders were ex-CPP members.
8. After the Togoland problem was settled via the plebiscite, the crucial general election required by Mr Lennox Boyd to ascertain whether the NKRUMAH INDEPENDENCE PROPOSALS were supported by a reasonable majority was announced for 12 and 17 July 1956. The election results were so significant that they satisfied the British Government to eventually grant independence to the new nation called Ghana.
9. The final draft of the 1957 constitution maintained a UNITARY STATE, although Nkrumah made some concessions to opposition demands (page 199). The new constitution was signed by HM Queen Elizabeth II on 2 February 1957.
10. Nkrumah is the founder of modern Ghana, although the name Ghana existed for several decades before going to Rev JM Anaman's days in the late 1890s. There was also even an opposition “Ghana Congress Party (GCP)”, which had been the leading opposition party under the 1951 constitution – this was the party of the UGCC, which represented the position of the Chiefs and other older intelligentsia. The records show that the opposition parties at the time wanted a semi-autonomous state and not the UNITARY REPUBLIC known as Ghana today. Yes, they played a role in fine-tuning the constitution and making other suggestions. However, the Ghana we know today would not have existed, but for Nkrumah's constant agitation for full independence and a unitary state, not a federal one. We can argue the merits of unitary vs federal, but we must stay true to the historical records.
MAIN REFERENCE
---Bourret, F. M. (1962). Ghana: The road to independence, 1919-1957. London: Oxford University Press. pp 160-202
NB: I've made Chapter 10 of the book available for download at https://t.co/KsDDpusy7k](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUOSZkOXEAAoxSR.jpg)
BREAKING: Kamala Harris' campaign goes for the jugular and mockingly tells Donald Trump to "man up" and face her in a debate as he waffles back and forth on it.
And it gets even better...
"He’s got no problem spreading lies and hateful garbage at his rallies or in interviews with right-wing commentators. But he’s apparently too scared to do it standing across the stage from the Vice President of the United States," said Harris for President co-Chair Cedric Richmond.
"Since he talks the talk, he should walk the walk and – as Vice President Harris said earlier this week – say it to her face on September 10. She’ll be there waiting to see if he’ll show up," Richmond added.
Trump recently told Fox News hack Maria Bartiromo that he's "leading in the polls" and is unsure if he should debate since "everybody knows her, everybody knows me." It's worth noting that Harris is beating him in many of the polls.
Clearly, Trump is terrified to face Harris. She's a former prosecutor and he's a convicted felon. She would dismantle him on stage and he knows it.
Harris herself has said that Trump should "say it to my face" and debate her. Her confidence is apparent.
The Democratic National Committee has also announced plans to begin slamming Trump as "afraid to debate," which will get right under his infamously thin skin.
This is a lose-lose situation for Trump. If he agrees to debate he'll get crushed, in no small part because Harris has the upper hand on the all of the issues. If he refuses to debate he'll look like the coward he is.
Please retweet and ❤️ if you'd love to see Kamala destroy Trump in a debate — and consider joining the growing exodus to Tribel, a new pro-democracy social network that is exploding in popularity because Twitter and Facebook are trying to stop its growth — which is only making Tribel grow even faster. Please follow us on Tribel to get all of our breaking news alerts sent straight to your phone or computer by clicking the following link: https://t.co/HnJzSKjCwX
@BidensWins I forget, now why did Donald Trump have to pick a new vice president?
BREAKING: In stunning newly leaked audio, Donald Trump’s VP, JD Vance, confirms that Donald Trump does not actually care about people other than himself. Retweet so all Americans know even JD Vance thinks Donald Trump is too selfish to be a good President
Our State Capture lenses continue to keenly monitor developments on the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia scungy agreement to hand over Ghana’s famed W.E.B. Du Bois Centre to a private foundation for 50 years.
Latest intercepted documents unveil a great deal of confusion within government, and an alarming lack of due diligence.
President Akufo-Addo has written to the privately owned W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation to confirm his participation in a 27th August, 2024 sod cutting ceremony at the Du Bois Centre which will formally transfer our iconic Du Bois Centre to the President’s preferred SPV for 50 years.
In confirming his participation for the sod cutting, President Akufo-Addo is not the least bothered that the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation has not met the Conditions Precedent under the infamous lopsided 50-year agreement?
Whereas President Akufo-Addo is eager to finalize the 50-year hand over of the W.E.B. Du Bois Centre by hurriedly confirming his participation through a 6th May, 2024 letter signed by his secretary, Nana Bediatuo Asante, which was addressed to the Board Chair of the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation, Mr. Daniel Rose (copy attached); the President’s Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is frantically sounding alarm bells.
Chief Director of the Tourism Ministry, John Yao Agbeko wrote only last week (July 8, 2024) to the W.E.B. Du Bois Museum Foundation warning that if they do not show evidence of availability of funds amounting to US$13million in a Ghana account, evidence of funds to pay salaries of staff at the Du Bois Centre and a Performance Bond issued by an internationally recognized bank, the Ministry would not hand over the site to them (intercepted letter duly attached).
So we now have a bizarre situation where the President has given full blessings to his latest State Capture scheme, promising to attend the launch, even though his own Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture is cautioning against proceeding with the 50-year transaction.
27th August, 2024 promises to be an exceedingly eventful day.
It is instructive to observe that the Ministry of Tourism’s July 8, 2024 letter demanding proof of funds raises fundamental questions about the nature of due diligence carried out before the agreement was signed last year. Fair to also ask, would this have been the outcome if this transaction was transparent, presented to Parliament and subjected to an open competitive procurement process?
It has also emerged that President Akufo-Addo’s pet architect, David Adjaye, has predictably been selected as the ordained architect to redesign the Du Bois Centre as part of the 50-year takeover.
Adjaye appears happy to list this project on his website as he confirms another insider-deal without competitive procurement.
The modus operandi is clearer now, if you want to be favored at the highest level under this Akufo-Addo/Bawumia regime, and be invited to the create, loot and share party, make sure you are ready to partner with David Adjaye.
David Adjaye has been central in the sleazy US$450million Akufo-Addo’s Cathedral project, the dubiously inflated US$222.8million Bank of Ghana Headquarters project, Agenda 111 hospitals project, Marine Drive Project, Trade Fair project, W.E.B. Du Bois Centre 50-year takeover, and all the others. You can be sure of full iron-clad presidential support once you have David Adjaye in your corner.
But the day of reckoning is fast approaching.
In the meantime, I am looking forward to my parliamentary questioning of the Ministers who were asked to sign this rip-off, unpatriotic and anti-Pan-Africanist 50-year sweetheart agreement.
I have absolutely no doubt that with our ever expanding Anti-State Capture Coalition, we shall surely defeat the canker of State Capture and rescue our beloved country.
We would be victorious, again!
For God and Country.
Ghana First 🇬🇭
Zambia debt audit shows Government paid 600% premium for laptops https://t.co/RXrD9YUXL3
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