University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh UNIVERSITY OF GHANA INSTITUTE OF AFRICAN STUDIES PLACING NANA SUSUBRIBI KROBEA ASANTE IN THE CONTEXT OF GHANA’S HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT 1933 - 2014 BY STEPHEN ANTI (10068366) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON, IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY (MPHIL) DEGREE IN AFRICAN STUDIES APRIL, 2016 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION Candidate’s Declaration I hereby declare that except for references to works which served as sources of information and which I have duly cited, this dissertation presented to the University of Ghana, Legon, is the result of my own original investigation and that it has neither in whole or in part been previously presented to this or any other university for a degree. Candidate’s Signature: ……………………………. Date: ……………………….. (Stephen Anti) Supervisors’ Declaration We hereby declare that the preparation and presentation of the thesis were supervised in accordance with the guidelines on supervision of thesis laid down by the University of Ghana, Legon. Supervisor’s Signature: ………………………….. Date: ……..……….………... (Prof. Irene Korkoi Odotei) Supervisor’s Signature: ….……………..…………. Date: ………….…………….. (Dr. (Mrs.) Mercy Akrofi Ansah) i University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my parents, Yaw Anti and Yaa Opah and my wonderful sisters, Adwoa Ago, Ama Oye and Akosua Perbea for their encouragement and support throughout this course. ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am greatly indebted to many individuals in writing this dissertation. To my informants all of whom have been extremely generous with their time, hospitality and assistance, I owe deep gratitude. It is impossible to mention each of them by name, but I express my gratitude to them all. I should particularly like to thank the subject, Nana Susubribi Krobea Asante, Omanhene of Asante Asokore Traditional Area who in spite of his busy schedules, made himself available to me as well as his correspondences and private papers gathered over the years which served as a major source of authentic information for this work. My thanks are similarly to the staff of the Ghana Arbitration Centre- Ama Ameyaw, Josephine Offei and Isaac Frempong- who unquestioningly searched out materials for me whenever I was there. I am grateful to my supervisors, Prof. Irene Korkoi Odotei and Dr. (Mrs.) Mercy Akrofi Ansah for their patience when I sometimes missed out on appointments. Their encouragement, suggestions and criticisms prompted me to think and inspired me to relentlessly discover huge information details. I am particularly grateful to Prof. Odotei for her genuine interest in encouraging me to pursue my Masters Degree programme. Finally I cannot end without a special word of thanks to Dr. Ebenezer Ayesu (my Deus ex machine), Prof. Akosua Adoma Perbi, Dr. Samuel Ntewusu, Dr. Edem Adotey, Ms Abigail Abena Gyamaa Abankwah, Kwadwo Anim and the 2013/2014 academic year group of the Institute of African Studies particularly, Ronald Mireku Yeboah, Mercy Mingle and Divine Yaw Amu and the many others for their support, encouragement and suggestions throughout this work. iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ABSTRACT Biographical works are essential ingredients in historical writing and interpretation. They essentially interrogate how a person’s life reflects the larger process during the person’s lifetime. Biographies of many prominent Ghanaians such as Kwame Nkrumah, K.A. Busia, J.B. Danquah, Kwegyir Aggrey, among others have been given tremendous attention in academic circles in Ghana. Various aspects of the lives of these people who played significant roles in the country’s history and development have been the subject of studies. One other person, in this researcher’s view whose life is worthy of study and emulation by young people is Nana Susubribi Krobea Asante, the Omanhene of Asokore Traditional Area, known in private life as Dr. S.K.B. Asante, an experienced international legal luminary and arbitrator. He has also played a prominent role in Ghana’s socioeconomic and political development. Nana Susubribi Krobea Asante was born during the colonial period and had his elementary school education during the Second World War. His secondary school education coincided with the nationalists struggle for independence in Ghana and Africa. He received his first degree at Ghana’s independence and became a state attorney in the first Republic when Ghana attained Republican status in 1960. He also served under the Second Republic and General Acheampong’s National Redemption Council as Solicitor General and Deputy Attorney General respectively. He again played a critical role in Ghana’s transition to democratic governance in the early 1990s by chairing the Committee of Experts that formulated proposals for the drafting of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana. This thesis therefore examines his life and career in the context of Ghana’s history and development. It seeks to write history from his life experiences as he lived it from 1933-2014. His academic achievements including publications on international and domestic law and his development efforts as the Omanhene of Asante Asokore, among others, as well as his personal reflections and views on issues of national development are also highlighted. iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS Title Page DECLARATION ...................................................................................................... i DEDICATION ......................................................................................................... ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ...................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................ iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ..........................................................................................v CHAPTER ONE .......................................................................................................1 1.1 Introduction ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Statement of the Problem ................................................................................ 2 1.3 Objectives of the Study ................................................................................... 3 1.4 Research Questions ......................................................................................... 3 1.5 Literature Review ............................................................................................ 4 1.6 Significance of the Study ................................................................................ 7 1.7 Methodology ................................................................................................... 7 1.8 Delimitation and Limitations of the Study ...................................................... 8 1.9 Organization of the Study ............................................................................... 9 CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................11 2.1 Birth, Childhood and Elementary School Education ................................... 11 CHAPTER THREE .................................................................................................30 3.0 Secondary School and University Education ................................................ 30 3.1 Brief History of Achimota College ............................................................... 30 3.2 A Student at Achimota College ..................................................................... 31 3.3 Experimenting with Teaching at Prempeh College....................................... 47 3.4 Law or History: S.K.B. Asante at the Crossroad .......................................... 49 3.5 S.K.B. Asante, the Undergraduate ................................................................ 53 3.6 Studying at King’s College, London and Internship ..................................... 58 3.7 Yale Law School ........................................................................................... 63 CHAPTER FOUR ...................................................................................................73 4.1 Marriage and Family Life ............................................................................ 73 CHAPTER FIVE .....................................................................................................81 v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 4.1 Professional Working Life ........................................................................ 81 5.2 PUBLIC SERVICE IN GHANA ................................................................ 81 5.3 Assistant State Attorney .............................................................................. 83 5.4 Solicitor General of Ghana .......................................................................... 87 5.5 Deputy Attorney-General of Ghana .......................................................... 110 5.6 Chairman of the Ghana Constitution Drafting Committee ....................... 115 5.7 First Chairman of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission of Ghana 126 5.8 INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ................................................................. 129 5.8.1 Attorney at the Legal Department of the World Bank ........................................