Meet Kobina Sekyi, Gold Coast Nationalist and Lawyer

William Esuman-Gwira Sekyi, better known as Kobina Sekyi was a Gold Coast Nationalist and lawyer born in the capital of Central region, Cape Coast on November 1,1892.

He attended the first senior high school in Gold Coast, Mfantsipim Boys School and admitted in University of London and graduated in 1913.

He had originally wanted to become an engineer like his mother’s younger brother, J. B. Essuman-Gwira, but because his family controlled the purse strings and they wished him to study law, that was the career he entered.

He studied Law and qualified to become a barrister.

He was called to the Bar from the Inner Temple in 1918 and

return to his motherland and established himself as a lawyer and get involved in active nationalist politics and Journalism.

Kobina became a proud member and executive of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society (ARPS) which was formed to opposed the Land Bill which was introduced by the colonial government.

He played a vital role in promoting African culture, norms and values. He believed that African could be successful by declining  all foreign goods and following customs and traditions passed on by our ancestors. He was strongly opposing the Europeans and their culture and doubting the views that Africans should adopt European and American ideologies in order to advance.

He was strongly believed  that Africans should use their culture of their ancestors to develop a country.

He became very popular when he became the first educated elite to appear in a colonial court in the Ghanaian “ntoma” as a lawyer. He vowed never to wear European clothes because he believed in being an African totally.

Is through his wise saying that encourages many people of Gold Coast to fought against the colonial rule and gained independence on March 6,1957

He died in Cape Coast, on 20 June 1956