The Coussey Report: The report Nkrumah rejected but used to win power
In January 1948, the people of Accra were told to stop buying European goods. A Ga chief, Nii Kwabena Bonne III, called a boycott of European imports, angry that prices had climbed far beyond what ordinary people could pay. His target was the Association of West African Merchants, the foreign trading firms that controlled the […]
In January 1948, Accra residents were instructed to cease purchasing European goods due to a boycott led by Ga chief Nii Kwabena Bonne III. The boycott targeted the Association of West African Merchants, foreign trading firms controlling imported goods. On the same day, ex-servicemen from Burma marched towards the governor's residence, carrying a petition about promised pensions and jobs they never received.
Police intervened, and three marchers were killed. In March 1948, the governor declared a state of emergency after unrest spread across towns. The colonial government accused United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) leaders of causing the situation, arresting six of them – the Big Six.
A commission under Aiken Watson investigated the crisis and submitted a report in March 1949, recommending a new constitution drafted by Africans. The Coussey Committee was formed at the end of 1948, chaired by Sir Henley Coussey. The committee comprised about 40 members, including chiefs, lawyers, clergy, and doctors, with three members from the Big Six.
Kwame Nkrumah, who had returned from abroad to serve as the UGCC's general secretary, was demoted to treasurer in August 1948. His demand for immediate self-government led to his expulsion from the UGCC and the founding of the Convention People's Party (CPP).
The Coussey Committee proposed a Legislative Assembly with an elected African majority and an Executive Council with eight African ministers. The report was accepted by the British government in October 1949. However, Nkrumah rejected the proposals, calling them "bogus and fraudulent." He demanded a constituent assembly and immediate self-government.
Following the government's declaration of a state of emergency in January 1950, Nkrumah launched his Positive Action campaign, leading to his arrest in January. Nkrumah was sentenced to three years in prison, while the CPP contested all 38 elected seats in the first elections under the new framework on February 8, 1951, winning 34 out of 84 seats.
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