The Coussey Committee was established on 14 March 1949, after the 1948 Accra riots , to draft a constitution towards self-rule for the country Gold Coast. The committee was chaired by Sir Henley Coussey and published their report on 7 November 1949.
6-506: The committee made provision for greater African representation in Government as there were increasing demands for a representative government by Gold Coasters. The Watson Commission had earlier recommended an extensive Legislative Assembly with more Ghanaians included on 26 April 1948. All the leaders of the UGCC were members of the committee except Kwame Nkrumah . He was considered a proponent of
12-783: The intelligentsia . At the West Africa arena, he officially rejected the recommendations on 20 November 1949. Nkrumah declared the Coussey constitution as "bogus and fraudulent". A principal body, the Ghana Representative Council (ARC), was formed to initiate an appeal against the report. This event led to Nkrumah breaking away from the UGCC. He later announced the formation of the Convention People's Party (CPP) on 12 January 1949 to attain his ideals of "self-government, now, now, now", which became their slogan. The CPP attacked both
18-663: The British ideology, as his views of "independence now" were at variance with the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC). His radical views led to his demotion to a treasurer in August 1948. William Ofori Atta headed a committee convened at Saltpond , later in June 1949, to settle the differences between Kwame Nkrumah and other UGCC members. The Committee on Youth Organization (CYO), the youth wing, insisted Nkrumah not be reconciled with
24-739: The Gold Coast. The leadership of the United Gold Coast Convention sent a telegram to the Secretary of State of the Colonies Arthur Creech Jones in London blaming Governor Creasey as the cause of the disturbance. These leaders were arrested and detained; they become known as the Big Six . The disturbance lasted for five days and the colonial government commissioned the Watson Commission to probe
30-461: The cause of the disturbance. The reference of the commission was "To enquire into and report on the recent disturbances in the Gold Coast and their underlying causes; and to make recommendations on any matter arising from the enquiry." The commission was made up of Aiken Watson (chairman), Andrew Dalgleish and Keith A. H. Murray. The commission submitted its report on 26 April 1948 to the Governor of
36-621: The colonial government and the UGCC. Watson Commission The Watson Commission was a commission of enquiry appointed by Sir Gerald Hallen Creasy , governor of the Gold Coast (1948–1949) to investigate the disturbances that occurred in the Gold Coast in February and March 1948. The commission was chaired by Aiken Watson. On 28 February 1948 the shooting of protesting ex-service men lead to looting and rioting in Accra and other major towns in
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