Senior Citizen, Mr. K.B Asante believes marking the historical event leading to the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) will bring to bear the reason for the movement and the sacrifice made for the country today.
According to the former Diplomat, even though the days of UGCC as political party is over, it is worth marking due to the history attached to the major event as it was the starting point, leading to the independence of the country.
Speaking on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, Mr. K.B Asante debunked the notion that J.B Danquah was the founder of the United Gold Coast Convention as captured by the Daily Statesman newspaper.
Setting the historical record straight, Mr. K.B Asante affirmed that UGCC was founded by Paa Grant who was a Merchant, Self-made businessman and an Industrialist; realising that Ghana deserved better rather than in the hands of other people.
“UGCC was founded by Paa Grant; a merchant, self-made businessman and an industrialist who felt Ghana deserves better and we should run the country ourselves with the experience people we have. He did not see why other people should rule the country for us,” he stated.
“Paa Grant formed the UGCC and I have no quarrel with that and that is a fact. Maybe I am wrong about the history I read. J.B Danquah became a leading member of the party but the whole idea came from Paa Grant and that is what I know,” the Senior Citizen insisted.
Explaining the formation of UGCC, he averred that inasmuch as Paa Grant was a great man, he found that he was not the person to lead this aspect of nationalism of fighting for the future of the country.
He maintained that Paa Grant discovered there were others who were doing some works toward that end and that J.B Danquah was one of them; emphasizing that J.B Danquah became an integral part of Gold Coast politics.
“He therefore invited Danquah and others and United Gold Coast Convention was formed. It was a major event in the then Gold Coast. Leading intellectuals and politicians in Cape Coast and Western Province were brought together and then later they found there was a similar movement in Accra and so they decided to join the UGCC,” he explained.
“Paa Grant financed it a lot and he felt it was important to do it and he didn’t say he wanted to be President. All he wanted was the progress of the Gold Coast. And so UGCC was formed of politicians and intellectuals of Cape Coast and Accra and Saltpond was the meeting place,” he added.
Delving further, the former Diplomat stressed that Ebenezer Ako-Adjei was asked to be the secretary for UGCC but he rather suggested Kwame Nkrumah whom they had knew for a long time in New York and so Nkrumah was invited.
“Paa Grant financed his [Nkrumah’s] return and he came and became the secretary of the party [UGCC]. There was a riot and the leaders of UGCC were arrested and we know of them as the big six. After, there was a breakaway and Nkrumah formed CPP”, he reiterated.
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