Ghana

May 7th 1957

Ghana independence day

1949

Kwame Nrkumah breaks with United Gold Coast Convention and forms Convention People's Party

Trade Union Act

Made strikes illegal. Was introduced towards the end of his reign, the same time that the DPA was enacted

Preventative detention act

Nkrumah created the Preventive Detention Act that made it possible for his administration to arrest and detain anyone charged with treason or otherwise deemed a security risk without due process of law in the judicial system. Prisoners were often held without trial, and their only legal method of recourse was personal appeal to Nkrumah himself. This was extremely unpopular and effected his fall in 66

1964

Nkrumah made Ghana into a single party state

Konla Gbedemah

Nkrumah's financial minister visits the US •Meets with Eisenhower and Nixon to talk about the Volta Project. Eisenhower "the best way to get the plan started again is to develop with American companies". Post war ideal of entering the free market and using American companies (rather then investing money the US economy will still benefit from this relationship as money is being filtered into the American econ) oThe Kaiser Aluminum company enters into the project

The 1966 Coup

On February 24th 1966, while Nkrumah was in Beijing, the government was overthrown by armed forces and police due to dissatisfaction with his government. The National Liberation Council (NLC) composed of 4 army officers and 4 police officers, assumed executive power. It appointed a cabinet of civil servants and promised to restore democratic government as quickly as possible. The ban on the formation of political parties remained in force until 68. Representative assembly to drafted a constitution for the Second Republic of Ghana so that in August 69, the first competitive nationwide political contest since 56 began with 5 parties.

1948 Accra riots

The riots occurred as a result of violence that erupted, killing 3 former Ghanaian service men who we're protesting for pensions and compensation for their WW2 service, at a protest. The riots lasted five days and killed 29 people and resulted in 200 injuries

1964

The world price of coco crashed. Ghana's main force of Ghana's exchange. The nation which was once one of the richest nation in Africa began to fall into debt. This accumulated with the loan from the World Bank furthers their debt

Second Republic

Was established after the 66 coup. Ghana's government returned to civilian authority under the Second Republic in 69. Parliamentary election produced the Progress Party, led by Kofi. A Busia. Until Mid-1970 a presidential commission led by Brigadier A.A Afrifa held the powers of the chief of state. August 31st 1970, former Chief Justice Edward Akufo-Addo was chosen President and Dr.Busia became Prime Minister

The Big Six

Were the six leaders of the UGCC (who was the leading political party in the early fight for independence). They helped organize the Accra riots They were detained by colonial authorities after the 48 Accra riots Ebenezer Ako-Adjei,Edward Akufo-Addo,Joseph Boakye Danquah,Kwame Nkrumah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey and William Ofori Atta

WW2's influence on the Gold Coast

oAfricans throughout the continent contributed to the Allied war effort as soldiers or by contributions to wartime production. Soldiers from many parts of African including the Gold Coast had fought and died to help liberate Burma from the Japanese. They also witnessed the strength and feeling of the Asian nationalist movements (India). oThose who stayed at home could no longer believe in Europeans as a privileged aristocracy after seeing the activities of ordinary British and American soldiers and airmen serving in West Africa oIt turned the UK into a debtor nation and encouraged it to make the colonies more economically efficient. Britain's African colonies came to be considered as more crucial. British officials regarded the Gold Coast as a model colony

1951 election

oThe tangible beginning of the independence process oFirst election held for legislative assembly •There had always been elections, but it was the first time the council did not have complete control over the legislation •Some groups ere calling for self governance •Nkrumah, and his finance minister Komal Agebli Gbedmemah, were said to have organized the election through prison oThey were running with the CPP •Nkrumah won the Accra Central Seat and 34/38 of the elected seats in Assembly oThe UGCC lost oNkrumah was released from prison and appointed "Leader of Government Business" •The new British governor Sir Charles Arden-Clark summoned Nkrumah from prison and invited him to take up the position of "Leader of Government Business" charged with the duty of nominating colleagues for ministerial office The UK wanted continued access to the Gold Coast dollar earning resources and from 1951 to 1957 rising cocoa prices increased government revenue by 50%

1954

•CPP wins new round of elections-Loses control of the north (lots of farmers with large profits) ‡ from National Liberation Movement. Ethnic rivalry delayed independence

CCP

•Convention People's Party •1942-present •First party to rule independent Ghana •Embraced the poor and rich citizens. It sought to unite the nation through modernization and development, mainly economically as Nkrumah felt that all other development would occur once their economy developed

Second Coup

•Jerry Rawlings stages his second successful coup on December 31st 1979 •Extreme political instability within Ghana during 1979 due to many changes in power. On May 15th 1979, less than five weeks before constitutional elections were to be held, a group of junior officers led by Flight Lieutenant J.J.R attempted a coup •Initially unsuccessful, the coup leaders were jailed and held for court-martial .On June 4th, however, sympathetic military officers overthrew the Akuffo regime and released Rawlings and his cohorts from prison 14 days before the scheduled elections

Kaiser Ghana Deal

•July 1958-Nkrumah went to Eisenhower to discuss the Volta Dam project.Eisenhower directed Nkrumah to the Kaiser Aluminum company and a deal was made (Kaiser, an American company, recommended that the smelter be built at Tema and they urged that the alumna should be imported until revenue from the industry made it possible to mine its own bauxite.They refused to agree unless Ghana got backing from the World Bank) •Eventually the US, UK and the World Bank loaned Ghana 35 million pounds oThis resulted in massive debt •Nkrumah's government also gave written agreement that the smelter would not be nationalized

The Fall of Nkrumah

•Many Ghanaians felt that Nkrumah spent too much time trying to achieve the impossible goal of African unity which was still very far from being achieved by the end of the 20th century •Nkrumah was aggressive in involvement in African politics and by his belief that Ghanaian troops could be sent anywhere in Africa to fight so-called liberation wars •He had also made his country into a single party state, he chose his MP, there were no competitive parliamentary elections, and in essence Ghana had become a no party state with no representation of the people -The CCP administration was abusive and corrupt-They were the only legal political party at the time

1956

•May-Nkrumah issues a white paper proposing for the Gold Coasts independence •August-The Gold Coast assembly adopted the resolution demanding independence from Britain •The British government agreed if the reasonable majority of the Gold Coast legislative Assembly would vote yet in a general election they would grant them independence

World Bank

•Nkrumah asked 30 million pounds. Believed that electricity was vital to economic development in Ghana •He was than given two choices . Kaiser aluminum invests, and then the WTO would give them the loan. The WTO would then give then an increase •This means that the dam would need to produce x amount of power to pay off the loan.If the dam does not produce x then Keiser will not invest and the WTO will not revoke the loan offer •Nkrumah takes the first offer as it will create development as he wanted the project at all costs

Kwame Nkrumah

•September 21st 1909- April 27th 1972 •47-On his return to the Gold Coast in he was invited to become the secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) •49-Founded the Convention People's Party •51-Was released from prison to take up a post in government •57-Became the prime minister of the independent state of Ghana •60-Became president •He sought to promote economic and social development-A pillar of this was the volta dam project, which included the hydro electric dam and smelting plant that was funded by the World Bank and Kaiser Aluminum •66 -Was overthrown by the army and police in a coup

1947

•United Gold Coast convention founded •Nkrumah returns from the US

First coup causes

1966. Due to drowning discontent with his government due to failed economy (cocoa crash and debt from the world bank loan) corruption and lack of general infrastructure in the country as a whole (with the exception of the volta dam, the presidential palace, and the new highway). He had also created a no party state

Cocoa Crash

30's-Ghanaian government took control of the industry. Before this Ghana was the exporter of 30-40% of the world's cocoa. They established a buying monopoly. 65-Collapse of the world price of cocoa. 70's -Ghana looses its cheap labour supply. This all exacerbates the poor economic