Besides Nkrumah's activities the other factor that greatly accelerated the spread of the UGCC were the riots and looting of February 1948. This event became the watershed in the history of Ghana’s struggle against colonial rule.
Let’s
look at the causes of the 1948 riots or disturbance in Accra.
Immediate
Causes
1.
Boycott of European Goods
In 1948, Nii Kwabena Bonnie, who was the Osu
Alata Mantse and leader of the "National Boycott Movement" organised
a very successful boycott of goods sold by immigrant merchants (Europeans and
Syrians) two days earlier because of high prices. An agreement had been reached
with the Colonial Administration to do something about the prices on 28
February, 1948. That day, a reduction in the prices of consumables was to be
effected.
2.
The Shooting incident
It was on the same day that a group of
unarmed ex-servicemen decided to go on a special peaceful march to present a
petition on their deteriorating conditions to Sir Gerald Creasy, the Governor,
at his residence - the Christiansburg Castle, Osu. On reaching the Osu-Labadi
cross-road not far from the Castle, they encountered a contingent of policemen
on duty under the command of Captain Colin Imray, who ordered them to stop. As
the ex-servicemen were marching forward in defiance of the order, Captain Imray
ordered his men to shoot. On the men’s refusal, he took a gun and fired at the
marchers. The result was the death of Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and
Private Odartey Lamptey. Five other ex-servicemen were wounded. The news of the
incident aroused violent anti-government protests, looting and general anarchy
in Accra. There was spontaneous reaction in other towns like Nsawam, Koforidua,
Akuse and Kumasi. After the riot 29 people had lost their lives while 237
others sustained injuries of varying degrees. Property damage was estimated at
£2 million.
The UGCC was wrongly blamed for the
disturbances and its six leading members - Dr. J. B. Danquah, Dr. Kwame
Nkrumah, Akuffo Addo, William Ofori Atta, Ako Adjei and Obetsebi Lamptey were
arrested and detained in various isolated areas in the Northern Territories.
These people later became known as the "Big Six".
The Watson Commission
The effects of the riot and lootings, however, went beyond these. They made the British government realize that the people of the Gold Coast were not prepared to continue peaceably under colonial rule. The UGCC demanded an official inquiry into the events of February. The Watson commission was set up by the British government under Aiken Watson. The commission, which reported in June 1948, said that a number of things were responsible for the riots. These were social, political and economic conditions, like discontent of the former soldiers about reemployment and pensions, the domination of the economy by Europeans and Syrians, the high prices of imported goods, the cutting down of diseased cocoa trees, shortage of housing, and the sense of uselessness on the part of the educated leaders who had been kept out of participation in the government of their own country. The commission recommended that a new constitution which would increase the number of Ghanaians in the Legislative Council should be introduced, and they (Ghanaians) should be given a greater role in the proceedings of the Executive Council under the proposed constitutional changes. The commission also recommended that the development of education be speeded up. The British government accepted the recommendations about reforms in the constitution.
Besides
Nkrumah's activities the other factor that greatly accelerated the spread of
the UGCC were the riots and looting of February 1948. This event became the
watershed in the history of Ghana’s struggle against colonial rule.
Let’s
look at the causes of the 1948 riots or disturbance in Accra.
Immediate
Causes
1.
Boycott of European Goods
In 1948, Nii Kwabena Bonnie, who was the Osu
Alata Mantse and leader of the "National Boycott Movement" organised
a very successful boycott of goods sold by immigrant merchants (Europeans and
Syrians) two days earlier because of high prices. An agreement had been reached
with the Colonial Administration to do something about the prices on 28
February, 1948. That day, a reduction in the prices of consumables was to be
effected.
2.
The Shooting incident
It was on the same day that a group of
unarmed ex-servicemen decided to go on a special peaceful march to present a
petition on their deteriorating conditions to Sir Gerald Creasy, the Governor,
at his residence - the Christiansburg Castle, Osu. On reaching the Osu-Labadi
cross-road not far from the Castle, they encountered a contingent of policemen
on duty under the command of Captain Colin Imray, who ordered them to stop. As
the ex-servicemen were marching forward in defiance of the order, Captain Imray
ordered his men to shoot. On the men’s refusal, he took a gun and fired at the
marchers. The result was the death of Sergeant Adjetey, Corporal Attipoe and
Private Odartey Lamptey. Five other ex-servicemen were wounded. The news of the
incident aroused violent anti-government protests, looting and general anarchy
in Accra. There was spontaneous reaction in other towns like Nsawam, Koforidua,
Akuse and Kumasi. After the riot 29 people had lost their lives while 237
others sustained injuries of varying degrees. Property damage was estimated at
£2 million.
The UGCC was wrongly blamed for the
disturbances and its six leading members - Dr. J. B. Danquah, Dr. Kwame
Nkrumah, Akuffo Addo, William Ofori Atta, Ako Adjei and Obetsebi Lamptey were
arrested and detained in various isolated areas in the Northern Territories.
These people later became known as the "Big Six".
The Watson Commission
The
effects of the riot and lootings, however, went beyond these. They made the
British government realize that the people of the Gold Coast were not prepared
to continue peaceably under colonial rule. The UGCC demanded an official
inquiry into the events of February. The Watson commission was set up by the
British government under Aiken Watson. The commission, which reported in June
1948, said that a number of things were responsible for the riots. These were
social, political and economic conditions, like discontent of the former
soldiers about reemployment and pensions, the domination of the economy by
Europeans and Syrians, the high prices of imported goods, the cutting down of
diseased cocoa trees, shortage of housing, and the sense of uselessness on the
part of the educated leaders who had been kept out of participation in the
government of their own country. The commission recommended that a new
constitution which would increase the number of Ghanaians in the Legislative
Council should be introduced, and they (Ghanaians) should be given a greater
role in the proceedings of the Executive Council under the proposed
constitutional changes. The commission also recommended that the development of
education be speeded up. The British government accepted the recommendations
about reforms in the constitution.