US based Ghanaian professor, Stephen Kwaku Asare popularly know as Kwaku Azar has rubbished President Akufo-Addo’s institution and notion that Ghana was founded on August 4 hence the celebration of the day as Founders’ Day.
Prof. Azar’s comment on Facebook comes on the back of a renewed controversy on the subject when President Akufo-Addo in his address to the nation yesterday insisted that Ghana was founded by two important events in the history of then Gold Coast. Firstly, on 4 August 1897, Gold Coast Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society led by John Mensah Sarbah was formed. Furthermore, the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) was formed on 4 August 1947 by J.B. Danquah and George Alfred Paa Grant.
President Akufo-Addo went on to say he rejects completely the notion that country was founded by a single individual stating his total disagreement with the claims that Kwame Nkrumah founded Ghana.
However, it is instructive to note that the said important days President Akufo-Addo is referring to in his justification was a time Ghana was know as Gold Coast until Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s efforts led to the independence of the present day Ghana and the change of the country from Gold Coast to Ghana in 1957. It is also worth noting that prior to the 1940s, the Ashanti areas, Northern Area and former Volta Region (today’s Volta and Oti Regions) which was then know as British Togoland were not part of the then Gold Coast.
“Like the Asante protectorate, the Northern Territories were placed under the authority of a resident commissioner who was responsible to the governor of the Gold Coast. The governor ruled both Asante and the Northern Territories by proclamations until 1946.
With the north under British control, the three territories of the Gold Coast—the Colony (the coastal regions), Asante, and the Northern Territories—became, for all practical purposes, a single political unit, or crown colony, known as “the dependency” or simply as the Gold Coast.” – According to Wikipedia
Map of the Gold Coast Colony, the Ashanti Colony, the Northern Territories and the mandate territory of British Togoland
The borders of present-day Ghana were realised in May 1956 when the people of the old Volta Region, known as British Mandated Togoland, were convinced by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to join his effort to form a one country which led to a vote in a plebiscite to become part of modern Ghana.
Also, it is on record that President Akufo-Addo’s uncle JB Danquah completely rejected Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s SELF-GOVERNMENT NOW efforts. This is evident in JB Danquah’s letter to the British King on October 10, 1951.
I exceedingly regret delay in replying to your two letters. That man Kwame Nkrumah, who is now Leader of Government Business has started his tricks again, this time, he, who is the Government, is inviting all the political leaders and chiefs to join him to send an ultimatum to His Majesty’s Government of the United Kingdom for “SELF-GOVERNMENT NOW” and if rejected to declare Positive Action-strikes and boycott, etc.
By: Efo Korsi Senyo / awakenewsroom.com