JB DANQUAH CELEBRATED

Some NPP leaders at the function

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Friday, February 6, 2015

There was full house at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Wednesday night when the commemoration of 50 years of the passing of Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah described by historians a ‘Doyen of Ghana Politics’ reached its climax with a public lecture.

People from all over Ghana especially from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) fraternity who subscribe strongly to the ideals of J.B. Danquah as he was affectionately called, thronged the venue to witness the solemn but hard-hitting lecture delivered by NPP flagbearer for the 2016 election Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Hoards of dignitaries including former President John Agyekum Kufuor, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin among others were in attendance.

Just as the programme was starting, there were groups of enthusiastic youth who sang and chanted NPP slogans throughout the lecture.

Dr. Danquah, one of Ghana’s foremost statesmen died on February 4, 1965 after being detained without trial by the Convention People’s Party (CPP) government led by Ghana’s first President Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

He had died at 6:30 am on February 4, 1965 in a Condemned Cell No. 9 at Nsawam.

The politician, lawyer, journalist, poet, philosopher who is referred to by many as a ‘Great Light’ and ‘the flower of West African scholarship’ was first detained under the Preventive Detention Act on October 3, 1961 and released on June 22, 1962. 

On 8 January 1964, he was again arrested, detained and died, having suffered a heart attack.

According to Extract from the Report of the Commission of Enquiry into Ghana Prisons, 1967-1968, “The life of Dr. J. B. Danquah in the cells was regimented in the same manner as that of a condemned prisoner awaiting execution … his cell was subject to frequent rigid searches”.

Earlier, The Dr. Danquah Final Funeral Rites Committee leading the commemoration of 50 years of the passing of the great man as he was described by some historians had been denied access to the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons where he died in detention for any ceremony whatsoever.

Prof. Mike Aaron Oquaye, a former MP and Chairman of the anniversary committee who set the tone did not mince words when he touted Dr. Danquah’s qualities as a visionary leader.

“As early as 1947 he anticipated ‘Dumsor’ (in reference to the current persistent power outages) and recommended for the establishment of a Volta Basin Corporation which we now call Volta River Authority,” adding “what became VRA, Danquah called Volta Basin Corporation.”

Prof. Oquaye who is a Professor of History also described Dr. Danquah as ‘father of university education’ in Ghana and said he campaigned to get the authorities to bring university college to the country.

Former President Kufuor said honouring the memory of Dr. Danquah was long overdue saying “my emotions are overflowing now because it is a delayed occasion but it is better late than never.”

He said although the NPP is considered as the rightful heirs to J.B. Danquah’s political tradition, “his role in the struggle for independence and the establishment of democratic process should always be remembered and honoured not only by our party but I will say by all of Ghana.”

Nana Akufo-Addo who delivered the topic: “Danquah the unfinished agenda” said the stateman’s “struggles and even his death have not been in vain,” adding “the memory of the late J.B. Danquah will continue to live on for as long as the nation Ghana lives.”

He commended J.B Danquah for giving “our country its name Ghana after years of research into the history and traditions of the people of the Gold Coast.

He said the democratic ideals that Dr. Danquah stood for is yielding fruits in Ghana’s current democratic dispensation saying “We live in a Ghana today where governments can change by ballots and do change by ballots and will change by ballots.”

Speaking on the topic: “Sacrifice and Service” Prof. S.K.B. Asante, bemoaned the rate at which Ghana’s historical facts continued to be distorted.

He said those who were deeply involved in Ghana’s pre and post independence struggle especially politicians owed Ghanaians a duty to tell the younger generation what actually transpired and not take sides.

C.K. Tedam, a stalwart of the Danquah/Busia/Dombo Tradition who spoke on the topic “The Northern People’s Party and Danquah” recounted the role Dr. Danquah played in the liberation struggle.

He said Dr. Danquah had strong ties with the people of the north.