seriously considered opinions
Tribute to Elder Statesman K. B. Asante from the Convention Peoples Party The old man has gone back to the village and we shall no longer be regaled with deep insights of a man who lived a full and fruitful life and who selflessly shared his wealth of knowledge with all. KB Asante, a … Continue reading Tribute to Elder Statesman K. B. Asante from the Convention Peoples Party
(Reindorf, Carl Christian. History of the Gold Coast and Asante. 2nd Edition. Ghana University Press, 2007) A thematic review by Gyau Kumi Adu Email: (joewykay55@gmail.com) Have you ever thought why “history” is the mother of all knowledge? One reason is that it shows the level of progress of any body of knowledge or event, and the … Continue reading History of the Gold Coast and Asante: Reindorf, Carl Christian. (1895) – A thematic review by Gyau Kumi Adu
LECTURE IX CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS The future belongs to those who plan for it; the good plan takes account both of the present and the past. If we remember not the works and toils of our fathers we have no claim ourselves to be remembered in history, and if we recognize not the defects in the present we would not … Continue reading Concluding Observations: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
LECTURE VIII THE ROLE OF KING TACKIE TAWIAH I To pull to pieces is, after all, the work of a child...our chief duty as Citizens is to build up our country, mould our nation, and help to effect the uprising of our race...In all circumstances of life - "Be wilde, Be bolde, and everywhere Be Bolde."[1] We come now … Continue reading The role of King Tackie Tawiah I: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
LECTURE VII THE FORGING OF NEW GA-DANGME UNITY AND THE KATAMANSO WAR To lead the Gá-Dangme you need the courage of Okaikoi and the sagacity of great high priests. It is a task in selflessness and courage. In all things be bold and fearless, seeking above all to ensure the security and happiness of the … Continue reading The forging of new GaDangme Unity and the Katamanso War: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
LECTURE VI HISTORY OF THE GA MASHI TO 1824 The death of Okaikoi marked the end of the Ayawaso period; many Gá retired to Anecho or Little Popo (also known by the Gá as Tóng)[1] in present-day Togo, but the bulk of the population resettled or joined kinsmen along the coastal strip. At any … Continue reading History of GaMashie to 1824: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
LECTURE V THE PROPHETS, AND INFLUENCE OF RELIGION in EIGHTEENTH AND NINETEENTH CENTURIES This brief Lecture considers the influence of religion on Gá-Dangme society. As was shown in chapter Gá-Dangme society was originally a theocracy in which the fore-telling priests exercised enormous authority. Naturally, a number of prophets have in Gá-Dangme history come to be associated … Continue reading The Prophets and influence of Religion: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
LECTURE IV TRADITIONAL LAW AND PROCEDURE IN THE ROYAL COURT In this Lecture we consider briefly the nature of traditional law among the Gá-Dangme and the role of the king in maintaining a system of law and order.[1] In view of the customary nature of a large corpus of traditional law, some attention is … Continue reading Traditional law and procedure in the Royal Court: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
LECTURE III THE TRADITIONAL CONSTITUTION OF THE GA-DANGME Order constitutes the heart of any disciplined structure; an army of iron-hearted men can never achieve victory without orderly regimentation. A prosperous society can only be built on a sound constitutional structure 3.1 The general constitutional framework This Lecture begins our examination of the traditional legal structure of the … Continue reading Traditional constitution of the Gadangme: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
LECTURE II THE RISE OF AYAWASO "Ayawaso was a city on a hill whose light pierced the surrounding darkness, and brought purity and knowledge to people far and wide. If we are to know ourselves completely, we must first seek knowledge of the thoughts and deeds of our forefathers at Ayawaso; and write them upon our hearts."[1] The second … Continue reading The rise of Ayawaso: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
LECTURE I A PEOPLE BLESSED "An Accra man was then respected, not by reason of his national prestige only, but by his personal ability and superior qualities also ... In war, travel and voyage, in times of epidemic, and in the … Continue reading A people Blessed: King Tackie Tawiah Memorial lectures by Nii Armah Josiah-Aryeh
Black Labour: Speaking for Ourselves!!!! - 6th December 2017 at Peckham Labour missed an opportunity in the 1980s to embrace and consolidate the support that it had from the mass of African and Caribbean people. These people had mostly voted Labour at elections and the rejection of their own movement, Black Sections, was a kick … Continue reading What the Black Labour Movement must do! – Ade Sawyerr
ACHIMOTA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CREATIVE ARTS By: Nat Nuno-Amarteifio Since its founding, Achimota College and School as it was named at the time of its inception, has had a disproportionate influence on the creative arts in Ghana. In every area of creativity, music, painting, sculpture, literature and theatre, Achimota’s influence has been deep … Continue reading ACHIMOTA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CREATIVE ARTS
Was at the House of Commons yesterday to take part in this debate. this is my presentation. Inequality remains a problem in the United Kingdom, especially for black people. There is a still a penalty for being black, there is a penalty in stop and search, in health, in education, in the criminal justice system … Continue reading Race Equality and the Black Experience in 2017 – the current debate
Anyemi Nii Ahele Akwafro Matɔmatɔ Matɔade, yaa wo ojogbann ye Nuntso minshi
Tribute in honour of the late Kingsford Nii Ahele Quarcoo
Pleasant are Thy courts above,
In the land of light and love;
Pleasant are Thy courts below
In this land of sin and woe;
O, my spirit longs and faints
For the converse of Thy saints,
For the brightness of Thy face,
For Thy fullness, God of grace
Our faith in God directs us to accept, with sadness, the passing of our brother and friend King Nii Ahele Quarcoo. For us whose lives he touched in his many roles, his untimely earthly departure, in answering the call of our maker, nevertheless leaves us shattered. His passing flashes a void physically and psychologically onto our consciousness, not only within our organisation Gadangme Nikasemo Asafo, but right through the Ga nation as well.
His dedication to his people’s cause on all fronts demand unquestionably that we pay tribute to King Nii Ahele…
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The Atsiiimota of my time stood out for three things; excellent academic tutoring, a breadth of extracurricular activities and deep acculturation and socialization.
As usual, very well written and argued addition to the debate. Maybe the issue will never be resolved but that would be a real shame – countries must move forward together, nations must not be polarised and states will attain maturity. A principled approach is needed at all times and rewriting of history serves no purpose at all. The history of a nation is what happened not what one would have wished to have happened.
Ekow Nelson
Last week the President sought to put the obsessive debate raging over the placement of the apostrophe in ‘Founders Day’ to rest. And he did so, like his immediate two predecessors, by authorising 21st September as a public holiday in honour of Ghana’s first Prime Minister and President while at the same time indicating his intention to seek legislation to declare August 4th Founders Day to commemorate the founding of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in 1947.
Ghana already has a Founders Day called 6th March 1957 when the country came into being, so one wonders why we need another one. Far from settling the issue, this latter move runs the risk of reinforcing the perception that the President and his henchmen are pre-occupied with revising Ghana’s history to bolster the reputation of Dr JB Danquah.
Macaulay revisited
In his contribution to the debate on…
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King Tackie Tawiah - The Lion of the Coast The reign of Tackie Tawiah I: King of Accra - 1862-1902 with an account of the origin and contribution of the Ga-Dangme and kindred peoples to the history and customary law of Ghana (To be published as History and Constitution of the Gá-Dangme) A Lecture in three … Continue reading An Introduction – King Tackie Tawiah Memorial Lectures by Nii Armah Josiah Aryeh
We can debate who started the struggle for independence but we can’t dispute who achieved it. Surely, that alone should put this matter to rest.
Ekow Nelson
Last Friday the organisers of Ghana@60 commemorated the founding of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in Saltpond, positioning it as an overlooked significant national event. The founding of a political party with no notable accomplishments is being touted as Ghana’s Birthday along with, or perhaps, instead of, March 6th, 1957. Sadly, the current President lent the authority of his office to a commemorative farce that flies in the face of historical truth.
False starts with no accomplishments
It is argued that the founding of the UGCC represents the conception of Ghana’s independence struggle. But is it? When exactly did the anti-colonial struggle begin? It certainly is not 4th August 1947. Prior to that there was the Aborigines Rights Protection Society and the National Congress of British West Africa, preceded by the Fante Confederacy and many others. As Professor Emmanuel Kwaku Senah has argued, “national histories do not…
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I am struggling to see what is being celebrated here. The UGCC was formed in Aug 1947. Nkrumah joined as SG four months later. As a colonial office dispatch observed, prior to Nkrumah's arrival in December of that year the movement's main supporters were "in the large coastal towns of Accra, Saltpond, Cape Cost, … Continue reading The UGCC was a colossal failure – Ekow Nelson
The Ade Sawyerr Blog 