In a tribute, President Akufo-Addo prayed that God would bless Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah (JB), a founding father of Ghana’s freedom, and grant him eternal rest until the Day of Judgment when they will all be reunited. Words fail to convey the depth of the Ghanaian people’s appreciation for all that you have done, says President Akufo-Addo. You can’t destroy them. May you be blessed and held in the bosom of God until the day of the Lord’s resurrection, when we will all meet again. While attending the memorial service for Dr. JB Danquah at Kyebi in the Eastern Region last weekend, President Akufo-Addo made the following statement in the Book of Condolence Message at the Ofori Fie.
J.B. Danquah’s death in Nsawam jail on February 4, 1965, as a consequence of Kwame Nkrumah’s imprisonment laws, was a watershed moment in Ghanaian history. His hostility toward despotism and faith in freedom had led him to take a stand. But on February 4, 2024, precisely 59 years after the day, the family of J.B. Danquah gathered at the Ebenezer Presbyterian Church of Ghana, Kyebi, for a memorial service to honor his memory. In honor of Dr. Danquah’s death and in preparation for a proper burial, an all-black-and-white celebration was organized under the patronage of the Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin. While speaking at the event, the Most Reverend Dr. Abraham Opare Kwakye, who is the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, advised the family of the late Dr. J.B. Danquah to release any anguish they may have had due to the circumstances surrounding Dr. Danquah’s death.
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Instead of living out the J.B. Danquah beliefs of promoting justice and freedom for everyone while respecting traditional institutions, he suggested the family should do the opposite. He also encouraged Ghanaians to be brave like J.B. Danquah and speak out against injustice without fear. Dr. J.B. Danquah was detained in the Nsawam Medium Security Prison under the orders of the Kwame Nkrumah-led Convention Peoples Party (CPP) under horrific circumstances. In his tribute, the Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin recounted how the entire nation was shocked and grieved over his untimely death. The influential work of J.B. Danquah, whose 1928 London publication “AKAN LAWS AND CUSTOMS—AND THE AKYEM ABUAKWA CONSTITUTION” provided a theoretical and scientific analysis of the customary institutions of the Akan people, according to Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin, This work contributed to the understanding and preservation of Akan culture, heritage, and tradition.
J.B. Danquah was punished even in death, according to the Okyenhene. The funeral had to take place within twelve hours, according to the Nkrumah-led CPP government. Public displays of grief, including the lying-in-state of his body, were to be avoided. Members of Parliament, ministers of state, the Okyenhemaa, Nana Adutwumwaa Dokua, the previous Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye, and Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia were all there.
Other attendees included members of the clergy, traditional leaders, and members of the general public. Rt. Rev. Dr. Abraham N. O. Kwakye, who is also the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, presided over the event. Members of the families of Dr. Danquah, Paa Grant, Oko Adjei, and Obetsebi-Lamptey were also present. In the interim, Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin would preside over the scholar and politician’s final funeral rites. The late JB Danquah had the title of Twafohene of Okyeman and was formally known as Barima Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Dankwa I when he passed away. On February 10, 2024, in Kyebi, Eastern Region, at the courtyard of Ofori Panin Fie, the event is supposed to happen. After Barima Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Dankwa I’s death, the throne of Twafohene remained empty until his grandson, Katakyie Kwame Boakye Dankwa II, was enstooled as his successor on December 16, 2023.