J. B. Danquah has never been campaign leader nor founder of the University of Ghana [Part 3]

By:
Prof N. Lungu
Kwame Botwe-Asamoah
Kofi Kissi Dompere
(Cite as: Lungu, Botwe-Asamoah, & Dompere, 2019)
"… In the third part, the final document, we provide additional information on Gold Coast University (and KNUST) funding agreements, and compare the importance of key players using multiple sources. and accounts. We formulate a critique of the propaganda and falsehood "Danquah the founder", as we have seen with the multiple premises and conclusions of Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere in his article of May 2018; and an evaluation of President Akufo Addo's statements on this subject. The statements of President Akufo Addo are, in our view, indicative of the intention to dubiously and mistakenly attribute Ghanaian cultural values, ideas, symbols, to one of his relatives, his uncle. But these values, the University of Ghana in this case, were created by all peoples and belong to the collective, the Commonwealth. The objective historical archives do not show that the "invaluable work" of Dr. J. B. Danquah mobilized the inhabitants of the Gold Coast to insist on the construction of the University of Ghana. In fact, we show that at some point Dr. J. B. Danquah's commercial interests conflicted with the Gold Coast's national interest in important issues in this area. Dr. J. B. Danquah has never been the principal responsible for the campaign for the Gold Coast University College (UCGC). Many personalities have contributed much more to the creation of the University of Ghana. JB Danquah did not establish the University of Ghana … All Ghanaians, including those in the NPP, who are truly interested in unitary Ghana, should resist any attempt to rename Ghana's first university after an individual "( Lungu, Botwe). Asamoah and Dompere, 2019).

Critical review of the error "Danquah the founder":

There are two questions to solve here. First of all, it was the invaluable work of Dr. J. B. Danquah that mobilized the inhabitants of the Gold Coast to insist on the construction of the University of Ghana? Second, was he the founder of the University of Ghana? On the basis of previous deliberations, the answer to both questions is clearly NO. It is therefore illusory to say that Dr. J. B. Danquah was the principal creator of the University of Ghana, and its founder, in addition.

The creation of the University of Ghana, based on the report of the majority of the Elliot Commission (sponsored by Sir Arku Korsah), was the culmination of the immense work of many renowned organizations, committees, institutions and personalities at his home. and abroad. Among the main Ghanaians, members of organizations and civil society groups who campaigned and mobilized for the creation of the Gold Coast College College / Ghana, were Sir Arku Korsah, the Dr. Nanka-Bruce, Reverend Prof. Baeta and Sir E. Asafu-Adjaye, often conveniently ignored by the acolytes of Dr. JB Danquah.

It is in this context that we examined Paul Adom-Otchere's article, "Political Science Student," about the name change from the University of Ghana to Legon in honor of Mr. Danquah. In his article, he made several historical blunders, for example, omitting the names of some of the personalities cited above, historical personalities who have played a leading role in many ways to create the University of Ghana / University College of the Gold Coast. .

Paul Adom-Otchere, "Student in Political Science", Journey with several false premises and arrives at the wrong destination:

We must point out that Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere's Danquah-romancing essay, published on Ghanaweb.com on May 15, 2018, on "The Real History" of the University of Ghana has in has been chosen from a single, anti-intellectual source. fashion, poorly informed and careless, on the vast and consistent literature on the subject. He seems to have totally and deliberately neglected to sufficiently calibrate his intellectual compbad as a "science" and philosophy of historical badysis and the requirements of discovery.

And so, his readers (and listeners) were the poorest for that.

The central premise of Mr. Paul Adom-Otchere's campaign to rename the University of Ghana after Danquah is that the argument in favor of the university college precedes the important role played by cocoa farmers and farmers. Asantehene by providing some funds (13% according to our calculation) for the new university; and that it was Mr. Danquah's compelling argument and pivotal work among the "farmers" that eventually led to the establishment of the University College of Gold Coast.

In addition, Adom-Otchere advanced a predisposed case (in support of Dr. Danquah's name change) when he stated that:

"… The cocoa farmers were responsible for both Legon and UST (instead of KNUST) …, but we named UST after Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who played no real role in his formative reflections." If, therefore, he continues, "we must credit anyone for the work done towards our first university; he was "the opinion leader and active activist, Dr. J.B. Danquah" (Adom-Otchere).

Again, it should be noted that Asantehene Otumfuor Agyemeng Prempeh II accepted Bradley's recommendation that the country's first university would be located in Accra, provided another university was established in Kumasi. At the time, a substantial portion of cocoa revenues came from the Ashanti region, where most farmers lived.

That is to say: obtaining promises of funds for one or two university buildings does not make it a key player in the foundation, let alone the founder of this institution nearly 72 years after its creation. As we show below, someone had to set up a system of collecting and accounting for funds beyond the mere designation of the entity (Cocoa Marketing Board), and then continue the transfer to the purposes approved by law.

Other pioneers and outstanding personalities qualified as "founders" of the Gold Coast College:

As discussed above, the campaign for the implementation of the majority report has been conducted by several personalities, civic organizations and many other entities such as, if we try to credit Ghanaians with the leading work done for from the JB Danquah University foundation will certainly be behind many notable personalities.

The credit goes to Sir Arku Korsah, the only Gold Coaster member of the Elliot Commission who signed the majority report and played the role of leader of the campaign. In fact, it was Sir Arku Korsah who also signed "the documents relating to the lands … (as) … second president of the board of the University College … on behalf of the Council", agreement negotiated between the College, the Government of the Gold Coast and the Chiefs (and people of La), "by notification of officials" (Agbodeka).

After Arku Korsah, Dr. Frederick Nanka-Bruce, whose radio address called FM Bourret pointed out that Secretary Jones was more than convinced to finally accept the creation of the University College of Gold Coast / Ghana.

The suggestion that Dr. JB Danquah would have traveled the Gold Coast Colony to mobilize cocoa farmers and allow them to sell a percentage of their sales to fund the creation of the University of Ghana is a one-sided goal, if we must be charitable.

In addition, if "two members of the legislative council, Dr. Danquah and Prof. Baeta, have worked on their own on this issue of guaranteeing funds for the project 'to farmers in the Ashanti region, how is it that Paul Adom-Otchere discriminates against' Prof Baeta 'and credits all the funds raised, all "897,000 pounds sterling", "collected solely through Danquah's efforts"?

Reverend Professor Baeta has played an equally important role in raising funds for the university by traveling alone to meet Asantehene and cocoa farmers from Ashanti province. In fact, the biographical data on Reverend Prof Baeta also indicate that it was his initial efforts that led to a capital contribution of £ 897,000.00 (which other sources cited as £ 900,000.00) , thanks to donations from cocoa farmers, represented by Gold Coast Cocoa Marketing. Board.

But Paul Adom-Otchere would prefer that his readers (and listeners) believe that the contribution of £ 897,000 (and other future funds from the Cocoa Marketing Board, £ 2 million per historical account), has been granted for express / specific purposes, belongs to Dr. JB Danquah. (As we have already shown, some of these funds have gone elsewhere, geographically, to fund programs outside the University College of Gold Coast).

Unfortunately for Adom-Otchere, The book of Professor Francis Agbodeka, the only source that he uses to support his erroneous badertion that JB Danquah is, for all intents and purposes, the founder of University College Gold Coast, and therefore deserves his name to replace " University of Ghana, "says JB. Danquah's name appears on only 2 pages (13 and 105) of his 384-page book, notations excluded.

To compound the problem for Adom-Otchere, Agbodeka says in his book that JB Danquah "was seen" educating farmers in the country so that they could voluntarily contribute to the project … ". Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB). However, in his very well-documented book, Agbodeka neglects to rely on this statement.

Who saw?
What have they missed as well?
By "crediting" JB Danquah, the Ghanaian critic would like to know what Professor Baeta did for the Gold Coast University College, while, on his own initiative, he also committed himself to obtaining funds for the Gold Coast University College, as JB. Danquah, as indicated.

Agbodeka states all this in a personal statement that we all need to "see". This confirms our conclusion that Reverend Professor Baeta has not played a less important role in fundraising for the project.

In fact, Reverend C. G. Baeta was a "leading member ()" of the academic council since the "1949/50 session", practically from the beginning. More importantly, according to Agbodeka, Professor Baeta was:

"… (O) n founders of the UCGC through … a campaign in the Legislative Council for a University College …", (Agbodeka).

The government was the main funder when the University College of the Gold Coast was created:

This brings us to the role of the Gold Coast Government in the creation of the UCGC since the Secretary of State Colonies would not provide any significant financial badistance in the form of endowment or direct funding, after payment of £ 400,000, initial development funds.

LILY:
"… Among those who have worked hard to ensure the good financial management of the College, include Director Balme, who has had many meetings with representatives of the Government of the Gulf Coast … Governor Arden Clark and Prime Minister Kwame Nkrumah also supported the University College … (and) … Mr. Armitage … .and the Hon. K. A. Gbedemah, who, as Minister of Finance and Government Representative on the College Council, communicated the Cabinet's decisions to University College "(Agbodeka).

That is why, at this point, we must emphasize that the apparent attempt to downplay the policies of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah who actually built and / or established the two universities, as Adom-Otchere said, deserves to be clarified here. It is true that Nkrumah was out of the country during the campaign for the implementation of the majority report and the resulting arrangements. Nevertheless, Nkrumah's internal self-government deserves credit for following up on the agreement reached between Colonial State Secretary Creech Jones and Asantehene regarding the creation of Kumasi College of Technology in 1952, following the establishment of Kumasi College of Technology. UCGC, at Legon, in 1947/1948.

"… When the Gold Coast decided to set up a college, it was planning to fund it through the government. It has happened that the Cocoa Marketing Board (CMB), the richest agency in the country, comes to supplement government subsidies, … .The Colonial Office … claimed that the Gold Coast does not have the same effect. was not currently a poor territory and that funds could come from the reserves built in the country by the cocoa trade by the government … (in 1949) … four main sources of funding for the UCGC were agreed. The first was the government grant that was to be granted every five years, that is, from 1948 to 1953-53-1958 … (according to a 5-year schedule). For the second five – year period 1953-1958, the emerging African government led by Mr Kwame Nkrumah doubled the amount to £ 4 million, in order to speed up the training of graduates of the government 's program. Africanization. The year 1954 also saw the creation of the second source of funding, an endowment fund, in which the government paid 2 million pounds … The CMB was the other source of funding UCGC … Finally, the undergraduates were paying fees from their state scholarships. is a source of funding for the College. The fees were for tuition, meals and accommodation. For the 1949-1950 session, they rose to £ 63 for intermediate courses and £ 90 for diplomas … '(Agbodeka).

At this point, it is very important for every Ghanaian (and African) to understand what the Colonial Office in London meant by "reserves constituted by the government's trade in cocoa".

Funds designated as "Reserves" have not been accounted for by the Colonial Office operating from London.

One of the first laws pbaded by the Nkrumah's internal autonomy was the amendment of the Gold Coast Cocoa Marketing Board (GCCMB) Ordinance of 1951, according to which [a] "Common national property" controlled by the national government. Subsequently, internal autonomy within the Convention's People's Party (CPP) has increased the price of cocoa beans for cocoa farmers.

Dr. Danquah vehemently opposed the 1951 GCCMB amendment / order, stating that "GCCMB funds were not" profits "for the government" (Kwame Ninsin).

But it was the profits from the nationalization of the cocoa industry, as well as from the extractive industry (mining), that formed the basis of the five-year CPP Development Plan (1951-1955). As part of this development plan, work on the current campus of the University of Ghana began in earnest in 1951. In addition, Kumasi College of Technology is also part of this plan. has been created.

Significantly, "reserves" were formed from profits derived from the nationalization of the cocoa industry and the extractive industry. Thus, European cocoa buyers, for example, would no longer be an additional layer in the cocoa marketing chain, collecting "profits" when they did not grow the land themselves or did not own these resources, even as cocoa farmers themselves contributed to the sale of gold. National development program of the coast according to their means.

The construction of the first dormitory, Legon Hall, began in September 1951 and was completed in 1952. The second dormitory, Akuafo Hall, was built by the PCP government and opened by Dr. Nkrumah in 1955 and not in 1953, as Otchere wanted. we believe. It is also a fact of Ghana's history that Nkrumah became prime minister on March 5, 1952. He was not the government business leader in 1953, as Otchere again revealed his naivety to history. Ghana's policy.

It should be borne in mind that Gold Coast University funding was a process that took place between 1948 and 1954. Thus, between 1951 and 1955, most of the revenue was cocoa, following the nationalization of the 1951 Ordinance (against which Dr. Danquah strongly opposed the cocoa industry) was partially generated for the five-year development, which made it possible to generously finance university education, among other needs and values ​​of the Gold Coast, then Ghana.

Also on "Financial Administration", Agbodeka considered it important to provide additional details for the purpose of the story in the book commissioned by the University of Ghana:

"… The estimates mentioned above have been prepared to cover a program to be implemented in two stages. The first step was to create a college of about 600 students. The second step was to create a university for 3,000 to 4,000 students. Although the funds for this program were to be distributed every five years, there was still room for further grants … Thus, a deficit of the first series of recurrent expenditure amounting to £ 400,000 as well as expenses Unforeseen capital of £ 151,500 was quickly cleared and above the original 1948-1953 quinquennium (by the government). The same principle was extended to a number of departments or schools that were not part of

initial estimates … Thus, between the middle of 1949 and the year around 1956, the department (later institute) extra-mural studies benefited from a separate grant from the government, "and in November

1949, the CMB awards UCGC the first of its million lions (with the second

to follow soon) for an agricultural faculty outside the current five-year period. Another example is the National Museum, which has benefited from a separate vote of the government until it leaves University College for its current premises in Accra. Special educational services provided on campus for government sponsored courses have received grants. For the 1952-53 session, the UCGC expects grants for various projects outside the five-year period. Later, several institutes had to attract well-marked subsidies directly from the government … ". (Agbodeka).

Komla Agbeli Gbedemah, who will later become the CPP's finance minister after independence, was the "government representative on the University College Board (1955-1960)" (Agbodeka) during the UCGC's physical constitution period, with no Doubt appointed by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah a smooth funding system and continued government support to the UCGC.

The creation of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in 1961 is the result of Kwame Nkrumah's vision that science and technology are essential to the industrialization of Ghana. It is in this spirit that the Nkrumah government developed the seven-year development plan focused on education.

In 1960, Nkrumah appointed an international commission under the chairmanship of Kojo Botsio to advise the government on the future of the University of Ghana and the transformation of Kumasi College Technology into a full-fledged university. The Commission presented its report in May 1961 and the Parliament promulgated it on 1 July 1961 (Botwe-Asamoah).

The law granted the University of Ghana jurisdiction of the University of London. In this arrangement, Nkrumah became Chancellor of the University of Ghana. The law also converted Kumasi College of Technology into a full-fledged university, now known as the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.

The financial resources required for the creation of KNUST came from a portion of the $ 500 million reserves that the CPP's self-government had accumulated between 1951 and 1956 in the form of low-interest British securities. Long-term interest "(Richard D. Mahoney), derived from cocoa revenues. , extractive industry (mining) and other sources. As noted earlier, Mr. J.B. Danquah strongly opposed the 1951 Gold Coast Cocoa Marketing Board Amendment Bill in the Legislature, claiming that it constituted a violation of the full exercise of the property. private (the root of the ideology of the NPP according to ").

NOTE: At the time, in 1951, Mr. Danquah had a direct interest in A. G. Leventis & Company Limited, a private cocoa buying agency.

To go further, we must emphasize that the physical establishment of KNUST was the policy of the Kwame Nkrumah government, including the seven-year Development Plan. In this plan, Nkrumah considered science and technology as an instrument of Ghana's industrialization.

We must also know Sir Asafu-Adjaye, the elected representative of the Council of the University College of the Ashanti Confederation in the Legislative Council in 1946, at the time when MM. JB Danquah and Beata went to Asanteman to appeal to Asantehene. and cocoa farmers to make financial contributions (through the CMB) to the establishment of the college with the proceeds of cocoa sales.

Sir Asafu-Adjaye was a member of the Board of the University College from its first meeting on 8 February 1949 (Agbodeka).

All things considered, thanks to the efforts of Dr. J. B. Danquah, Rev. Prof. CG Baeta, and presumably Sir Edward Asafu-Adjaye (all members of the Legislative Council), the Cocoa Fund generated £ 897,000.00, which represents only 13.67% of the initial cost of creating and operation of Gold Coast University College. Proposes that Dr. JB Danquah be the founder of this institution and that on this basis the name of the University of Ghana be renamed Danquah.

We found that Dr. JB Danquah had denied several opportunities for senior management positions in the Côte d'Or education sector, particularly the UCGC, and that he could have achieved rapid if he wished. But Danquah refused.

Dr. J. B. Danquah has never been a member of any of the many education commissions. He was not a board member of the Gold Coast University at its first meeting in 1949, a crucial decision for the establishment of this institution. You see, according to Agbodeka, in addition to three (3) Academic staff of the University College, Principal / Balme and Secretary / Clerk (5 officials):

• Three (3) members were appointed by the Governor in Council

• One (1) member has been appointed by the unofficial African members of the Gold Coast Legislative Council.
• One (1) member has been appointed by the Provincial Joint Council

• One (1) member has been appointed by the Council of the Ashanti Confederation (Sir Asafu-Adjaye, as we have already noted)

• Two (2) members have been appointed by the Interuniversity Council

Dr. J. B. Danquah never volunteered and was never appointed by any of these entities to sit on the College Board in the crucial year of 1949; and in 1949 and 1954.

In our humble opinion, Paul Adom-Otchere's statement on the change of name of the University of Ghana after Mr. Danquah's name is not unintentional. His article was published on Ghanaweb.com on May 15, 2018, seven (7) days after President Akufo Addo's speech at the University of Ghana Endowment Fund Luncheon on May 7, 20018.

Paul Adom-Otchere arrived at the wrong destination with a political agenda totally at odds with the true history of the founding University College of Gold Coast, now the University of Ghana.

conclusions:
Ghanaians are not fools.
The series of public lectures and media debates on the incomprehensible "Founding Fathers" of President Akufo Addo and some members of the NPP in 2017 leading to the "Founding Fathers" as a holiday is in our memories. Thus, the President attributing the implementation of the majority report of the Elliot Commission to Dr. Danquah, as well as to presenting him as the founder of the University of Ghana, is certainly an overhaul of the history that has renamed the University of Ghana after Dr. Danquah.

There is absolutely no objective and historical basis for this belief.

For us, the President's current campaign to rename public institutions after famous Ghanaians is a dress rehearsal for what appears to be an impulsive will to rename the University of Ghana after his uncle, Dr. J. B. Danquah. That is why the President, on July 31, 2018, appointed, almost a year ago, Mrs. Mary Chinery-Hesse, former Chief Advisor to the President of the Cabinet of the former President JK Kufuor, in As Chancellor of the University of Ghana, has become a major concern for many Ghanaian and Ghanaian supporters, both inside and outside Ghana, including many diaspores.

In closing, it should be noted that the other major universities created by ordinances of the British colonial era, namely the University of Ibadan, the University of Khartoum, the United States. Makerere University and the University of the West Indies have not been renamed individual. Each of these institutions represents all the peoples of their respective countries. The attempt to rename the University of Ghana after Dr J. B. Danquah, which seems to underline the speech of President Akufo Addo on May 7, 2018 in Legon, is a serious parody in preparation.

All Ghanaians, including those in the NPP who are truly interested in unitary Ghana, must resist any attempt to change the name of Ghana's first university after each individual.

References / Quotations:
Address by the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, at the launch of the Endowment Fund of the University of Ghana, May 7, 2018, at the Great Hall of the University of Ghana, Legon, Accra.

Adom-Otchere, Paul. (2018). "To Rename Legon, Historicity, Politics, and Romance," May 15, 2018, https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/On-renaming-Legon-historicity-politics-and- romanticization-651985.

Agbodeka, Francis. (1998). "History of the University of Ghana: Half a Century of Higher Education (1948-1998)", University of Ghana. Woeli Publishing Services, Accra, Ghana.

Ashbey, Eric. (1964). "African Universities and Western Traditions," Godkin Conferences at Harvard University, London, Oxford University Press.

Blackpast.Org. J, B. Danquah
https://www.blackpast.org/global-african-history/danquah-j-b-1895-1965/ .

Botwe-Asamoah, Kwame. (2005). "Kwame Nkrumah's Thought and Politico-Cultural Policies: An Africa-Centered Paradigm for the Second Phase of the African Revolution", Routledge, New York and London.

Bourret, F.M. (1949). "The Gold Coast: Survey of the Gold Coast and British Togoland / and 1919-1946," Department of History, San Francisco Women's College, Stanford University Press; Oxford University Press, 1949

——————— (and other materials provided).

CUI.EDU. General Information About the University of Ghana

http://www.cui.edu/uploadedfiles/academicprograms/globalprograms/study-abroad/ghana-sciences.pdf .

Esedebe, P. Olisanwuche. (1994). Pan-Africanism, Idea and Motion, 1776-1991, Howard University Press.

Ghanaplacenames Search. At the origin of "Legon" (Alternative): NI-LEY GON … KNOWLEDGE … GON … HILL) … "Hill of Knowledge". "(Https://sites.google.com/site/ghanaplacenames/database/greater-accra/legon).

Lungu, Professor N. (2017). Quantum bond in education under Kwame Nkrumah and the CPP (1951 – 1966), https://www.modernghana.com/news/757977/quantum-leap-in-ed-education-under-kwame-nkrumah- and-the-cpp- 1.html.

Nwauwa, Apollos O. (1996). "Imperialism, University and Nationalism: British and University Education for Africans from 1860 to 1960," Frank Cbad & Co. Ltd.

Report of the Commission for Higher Education in East Africa (De Warr report), submitted to Parliament in 1937, PRO, CO822 / 83/11.

Rapport de la Commission de l'enseignement supérieur en Afrique de l'Ouest », présenté au Parlement en juin 1945 par le secrétaire d'État et publié sous la forme d'un document de commande n o 6647, PRO, ZHC1 / 8805.

Rapport de la Commission de l'enseignement supérieur en Afrique de l'Ouest », présenté au Parlement en juin 1945 par le secrétaire d'État et publié sous la forme d'un document de commande n ° 6655, PRO, ZHC1 / 8806. La Commission Elliot comprenait trois Africains, K. A. Korsah de la Gold Coast, E. H. Taylor-Cummings de la Sierra Leone et I. O. Ransome-Kuti du Nigéria.

Université du Ghana. Création de l'Université du Ghana, https://www.ug.edu.gh/content/establishment-university .

SUBJ: J. B. Danquah n’a jamais été chef de la campagne ni fondateur de l’Université du Ghana (troisième partie).

© Lungu, Botwe-Asamoah et Dompere, 2019.