Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin
The Minority Leader in Parliament, Alexander Kwamina Afenyo-Markin, has touted the contributions of Dr Joseph Boakye Danquah, one of the ‘Big Six’, popularly known as JB Danquah, to the development of Ghana.
Speaking at an event to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the passing of JB, on March 9, 2025, Afenyo-Markin indicated that the democracy Ghana enjoys today was born out of JB Danquah’s vision.
He added that the late JB Danquah, one of the leading figures of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), paid the ultimate price by sacrificing his life for the love of Ghana.
“Today, we gather in solemn remembrance and profound reflection as we mark sixty (60) years since the passing of one of Ghana’s most remarkable patriots, Dr Joseph Boakye Danquah, who endured the ultimate sacrifice for his love for his country and the freedom of her people. His legacy is woven into the fabric of Ghana’s political, intellectual, and constitutional development.
“Dr Danquah was more than a scholar, politician, statesman, and advocate. He was a poet, a playwright, and a chronicler of our history, customs, and norms. He was a visionary who dedicated his life to laying the foundational principles of our democracy,” he said.
The Minority Leader, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu, also pointed out that the freedoms Ghanaians enjoy today, which are enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana, were fought for by the late statesman.
“Indeed, the principles of democratic accountability, free enterprise, free expression, and the rule of law, which are all today enshrined in the 4th republican constitution, are the very ones he fought for from the 1920s and died for in 1965. It is a testament to his foresight, and that of the many others who shared those ideals, that the 1992 Constitution has given rise to the longest enduring democratic rule in Ghana’s history,” he said.
About JB Danquah:
JB Danquah was born in December 1895 at Bempong and died on February 4, 1965, at Nsawam. He was the Dean of the Ghanaian Nationalist Politicians and one of the principal opposition leaders to Kwame Nkrumah.
Educated in law and philosophy in London, Danquah established a private law office after his return to the Gold Coast (Ghana) in 1927. He founded a newspaper, the “Times of West Africa”, in 1931 and served as secretary of a delegation to the British Colonial Office in 1934 and as Secretary-General of the Gold Coast Youth Conference (1937–1947).
He actively sought constitutional reforms in the early 1940s and became a member of the Legislative Council in 1946. He helped to found the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC), which demanded self-government.
Danquah was arrested briefly after riots in 1948, together with the late Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, which greatly enhanced their prestige. Danquah was elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1951 but failed to be re-elected in 1954 and 1956. In 1960, he decided to run for president against Nkrumah. Danquah received only 10% of the vote.
He was imprisoned in 1961 under the Preventive Detention Act. Released in 1962 and elected President of the Ghana Bar Association, he was again imprisoned early in 1964 and died a year later.
His writings include “Gold Coast: Akan Laws and Customs and the Akim Abuakwa Constitution” (1928) and “The Akan Doctrine of God” (1944).
BAI/AE
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