Kwaku Darko Ankrah, a historian, has stirred controversy over Ghana’s history by stating that several individuals contributed to Ghana’s independence, not just the renowned Big Six.
The Big Six refers to the six leading figures in Ghana’s independence movement: Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, Ebenezer Ako-Adjei, Edward Akufo-Addo, Joseph Boakye Danquah, Emmanuel Obetsebi-Lamptey, and William Ofori-Atta.
There have been public discussions about who founded Ghana after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo firmly rejected the notion that Ghana was founded by a single individual, disagreeing with claims that Kwame Nkrumah single-handedly founded Ghana.
In an interview with Bernard Avle on The Point of View on Channel One TV, Mr Ankrah explained that the six individuals arrested during a meeting were tagged as the Big Six, arguing that the country probably had many more contributors at that time.
According to the historian, most United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) members, including R.S. Blay, Paa Grant, and Joseph William de-Graft Johnson, were not arrested after the 1948 riot, hence their names were not included in the Big Six.
“The Big Six itself, many people have made it look like some historical epoch thing. The Big Six could have been more than six. After the declaration of the riot, the disturbances in 1948. The disturbance itself was not a result of the UGCC’s planning. Things that were happening around that time – the veterans had successfully moved on to send their grievances to the Christianborg castle -Osu. When they met Major Amreh and were fired upon, we all know what happened to the three people-Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and Odartey Lamptey dying as a result.
“These fuelled a lot of agitations around that time. It was within that time that Nii Kwabena Bonney also declared his boycott on the importation of European goods against the Association of West African Merchants (AWAM). So, these were the issues that were going on. Nkrumah around that time as the General Secretary instigated the committee of youth organisation who also participated, the UGCC men took part and the disturbances moved across the country.
“The CPP central committee, called members to meet, so the six leaders of the group that were first to go to the headquarters were the people the police arrested. The six of them who went early in the headquarters, the six that they found and arrested transmogrified into the so-called Big Six.”
The historian stressed that the members of the UGC were not united, as there was some internal wrangling.
He underscored the need for the President to publicly declare the role his father and uncles played in Ghana’s independence.
“He [Akufo-Addo] has kingship ties to at least three of the Big Six, and it will be mis-normal on his side not to re-echo or the desire to have their names properly edged in the historical making of the country called Ghana.
“For him, if you push Nkrumah’s agenda as a founder. It means he’s going to go against his father, Edward Akufo, and his two uncles – William Ofori Atta (Paa Willie), as well as Dr J.B Danquah. He as a person has a huge interest in this celebration,” he stated.
In 2019, Parliament passed a law establishing August 4 as Founders’ Day to honour the collective efforts of those who contributed to Ghana’s independence struggle, while designating September 21 as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Day.
This decision sparked protests from individuals and groups who believed in Nkrumah’s singular role in the country’s founding.
