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122-792: The National Liberation Council ( NLC ) led the Ghanaian government from 24 February 1966 to 1 October 1969. The body emerged from a coup d'état against the Nkrumah government carried out jointly by the Ghana Police Service and Ghana Armed Forces with collaboration from the Ghana Civil Service . The new government implemented structural adjustment policies recommended by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank . Money in

244-527: A Militarized police Rapid deployment force and Marine Police Unit . The Ghana Police Service operates in 12 divisions: ten covering the regions of Ghana, one assigned specifically to the seaport and industrial hub of Tema , and the twelfth being the Railways, Ports and Harbours Division. The Ghana Police Service's Marine Police Unit and Division handles issues that arise from the country's offshore oil and gas industry . The Ghana Prisons Service and

366-505: A commander-in-chief of the Ghana Armed Forces ( President of Ghana ), parliament ( Parliament of Ghana ), cabinet ( Cabinet of Ghana ), council of state ( Ghanaian Council of State ), and an independent judiciary ( Judiciary of Ghana ). The government is elected by universal suffrage after every four years. Nana Akufo-Addo won the presidency in the general election in 2016 , defeating incumbent John Mahama . He also won

488-483: A constitutional amendment made Ghana a one-party state , with Nkrumah as president for life of both the nation and its party. Nkrumah was the first African head of state to promote the concept of Pan-Africanism , which he had been introduced to during his studies at Lincoln University , Pennsylvania in the United States, at the time when Marcus Garvey was known for his "Back to Africa Movement". He merged

610-689: A unitary presidential constitutional democracy with a parliamentary multi-party system that is dominated by two parties—the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Ghana alternated between civilian and military governments until January 1993, when the military government gave way to the Fourth Republic of Ghana after presidential and parliamentary elections in late 1992. The 1992 constitution of Ghana divides powers among

732-654: A deployment of Ghanaian soldiers to the Vietnam War . Furthermore, the soldiers were told, they were going to be deployed in Rhodesia to fight against the White government of Ian Smith. The soldiers were divided up and led to capture various key government buildings. With the Chief of Defense Staff being at an OAU meeting, the ranking officer was General Charles Barwah, reportedly shot to death when he refused to cooperate with

854-560: A free secondary-school initiative started in 2017 among other programs, despite having recorded its lowest economic growth rate in 37 years in 2020. It produces and exports hydrocarbons such as sweet crude oil and natural gas . The 100%-state-owned filling station company, Ghana Oil Company , is the number 1 petroleum and gas filling station, and the 100%-state-owned state oil company Ghana National Petroleum Corporation oversees hydrocarbon exploration and production of petroleum and natural gas reserves. Ghana aims to further increase

976-516: A maximum of about 270 kilometres (170 miles) with locations for mining of industrial minerals and timber. Ghana is home to five terrestrial ecoregions: Eastern Guinean forests , Guinean forest–savanna mosaic , West Sudanian savanna , Central African mangroves , and Guinean mangroves . It had a 2018 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 4.53/10, ranking it 112th globally out of 172 countries. The White Volta River and its tributary Black Volta , flow south through Ghana to Lake Volta ,

1098-555: A meeting which included Harlley, Kokota, and Ankrah (but excluded a number of the original group) as well as Emmanuel Noi Omaboe , head of the Central Bureau of Statistics, Supreme Court Justice Fred Kwasi Apaloo , Director of Public Prosecutions Austin N. E. Amissah , and security officer D. S. Quacoopome. The name of the military government "National Liberation Council" was reportedly proposed by General Kotoka as an alternative to "National Revolutionary Council"—to indicate that

1220-592: A more effective government apparatus. The military and police, lacking knowledge of economics and governance, relied on the civil service to concoct and engineer the necessary changes. The first Proclamation of the new government, issued two days after the coup, suspended Ghana's 1960 Constitution, dismissed Nkrumah, dissolved the National Assembly and the Convention Peoples' Party, and named Ankrah as chairman and Harlley as deputy chairman. Next,

1342-620: A policy might be pursued in cooperation with the British. On 26 February 1964, Nkrumah wrote to U.S. President Lyndon Johnson criticizing "two conflicting establishments" operating in Ghana. There is the United States Embassy as a diplomatic institution doing formal diplomatic business with us; there is also the C.I.A. organisation which functions presumably within or outside this recognised body. This latter organisation, that is,

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1464-544: A political monolith, with functional control over powerful civil organizations such as the Ghana Trades Union Congress and Ghana Muslim Council . Thus, the CPP had centralized political and economic power in order to pursue rapid industrialization under national control. Behind the scenes was an elite group of economic planners which stood to advance its agenda under military rule. These technocrats within

1586-480: A stable, peaceful society. Dagbon extended beyond the boundaries of present-day Ghana. Kingdoms that emerged from Dagbon include the Mossi Kingdoms of Burkina Faso , and Bouna Kingdom of Ivory Coast . The kingdom enjoyed great prosperity, establishing Ghana's earliest educational systems, and using a writing script prior to European invasion. Female chiefs who rule over male subjects are present in

1708-527: A structural adjustment plan, changing many old economic policies, and growth recovered during the mid-1980s. A new constitution restoring multi-party system politics was promulgated in the presidential election of 1992 , in which Rawlings was elected, and again in the general election of 1996 . In a tribal war in Northern Ghana in 1994, between the Konkomba and other ethnic groups, including

1830-410: A total of around 1,000 people accused of witchcraft. The Ghanaian government has announced that it intends to close the camps. Ghana possesses industrial minerals , hydrocarbons and precious metals . It is an emerging designated digital economy with mixed economy hybridisation and an emerging market . It has an economic plan target known as the "Ghana Vision 2020". This plan envisions Ghana as

1952-667: A trading lodge at a coastal settlement called Anomansah (the perpetual drink), which they renamed São Jorge da Mina . In 1481, King John II of Portugal commissioned Diogo de Azambuja to build the Elmina Castle , which was completed in three years. By 1598, the Dutch had joined the Portuguese in the gold trade, establishing the Dutch Gold Coast ( Nederlandse Bezittingen ter Kuste van Guinea – 'Dutch properties at

2074-623: Is Accra ; other significant cities include Kumasi , Tamale , and Sekondi-Takoradi . In 1957 Ghana became the first colony in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty, under the leadership of Kwame Nkrumah . The earliest kingdoms to emerge in Ghana were the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north and the Bonoman in the south, with Bonoman existing in the area during the 11th century. The Ashanti Empire and other Akan kingdoms in

2196-459: Is a comprehensive measure of African government, based on variables which reflect the success with which governments deliver essential political goods to its citizens. According to 2023 V-Dem Democracy indices Ghana is ranked 67th electoral democracy worldwide and 10th electoral democracy in Africa . Since independence, Ghana has been devoted to ideals of nonalignment and is a founding member of

2318-916: Is classified as a middle income country. Services account for 50% of GDP, followed by manufacturing (24.1%), extractive industries (5%), and taxes (20.9%). Ghana has an increasing primary manufacturing economy and export of digital technology goods along with assembling and exporting automobiles and ships, diverse resource rich exportation of industrial minerals , agricultural products primarily cocoa, petroleum and natural gas, and industries such as information and communications technology primarily via Ghana's state digital technology corporation Rlg Communications which manufactures tablet computers with smartphones and various consumer electronics . Urban electric cars have been manufactured in Ghana since 2014. It announced plans to issue government debt by way of social and green bonds in Autumn 2021, making it

2440-593: Is geographically closer to the intersection of the Prime Meridian and the Equator than any other country, since this point, (0°, 0°), is located in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 614 km (382 mi) off the south-east coast of Ghana. Grasslands mixed with south coastal shrublands and forests dominate Ghana, with forest extending northward from the coast 320 kilometres (200 miles) and eastward for

2562-642: Is located on the Gulf of Guinea , a few degrees north of the Equator . It spans an area of 238,540 km (92,101 sq mi) and has an Atlantic coastline that stretches 560 kilometres (350 miles) on the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to its south. Dodi Island and Bobowasi Island are near the south coast. It lies between latitudes 4°45'N and 11°N, and longitudes 1°15'E and 3°15'W. The prime meridian passes through Ghana, specifically through Tema . Ghana

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2684-569: Is the fifth largest on continental Africa and 3rd largest in sub-saharan Africa with a market capitalisation of GH¢ 57.2 billion or CN¥ 180.4 billion in 2012 with the South Africa JSE Limited as first. The Ghana Stock Exchange was the second best performing stock exchange in sub-saharan Africa in 2013. Ghana produces high-quality cocoa . It is the second largest producer of cocoa globally and its ICCO membership helps in its international cocoa trade. Ghana

2806-477: Is the fifth-largest in Africa and the 21st-to-25th- largest proven reserves in the world. It also has up to 1.7 × 10 cubic metres (6 × 10 ^  cu ft) of natural gas in reserves. The government has drawn up plans to nationalise petroleum and natural gas reserves to increase government revenue. As of 2019, Ghana was the 7th largest producer of gold in the world, producing ~140 tonnes that year. This record saw Ghana surpass South Africa in output for

2928-580: Is used as a key narcotics industry transshipment point by traffickers, usually from South America as well as some from other African nations. In 2013, the UN chief of the Office on Drugs and Crime stated that "West Africa is completely weak in terms of border control and the big drug cartels from Colombia and Latin America have chosen Africa as a way to reach Europe." There is not a wide or popular knowledge about

3050-560: The 2020 election after the presidential election results were challenged at the Supreme Court by flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama. Presidents are limited to two four-year terms in office. The president can serve a second term only upon re-election. The 2012 Fragile States Index indicated that Ghana is ranked the 67th-least fragile state in the world and the fifth-least fragile state in Africa. Ghana ranked 112th out of 177 countries on

3172-922: The Accra Academy where he had his secondary education from 1936 to 1939. He was an interpreter in Ewe and Twi at the district magistrate court, Accra. Then later at the Supreme Court of Ghana , before enlisting in the Gold Coast Police just a week before his 21st birthday in May 1940. He became an inspector in November 1952 and was selected for training at the Metropolitan Police College , Hendon (now Hendon Police College ) in 1953. On his return to Ghana he progressed from

3294-687: The African Union , and a member of the Economic Community of West African States , the Group of 24 and the Commonwealth of Nations. The name Ghana comes from Wagadu , a vast empire in west Africa from the 3rd to 12th centuries; Wagadu was termed Ghana by Arab traders involved in the trans-Saharan trade . Ghana is thought to originate from the title Kaya Maghan of the rulers of Wagadu, which translates as ruler of gold . As

3416-491: The Akan are the largest ethnic group, they constitute a plurality. Most Ghanaians are Christians (71.3%); almost a fifth are Muslims ; a tenth practice traditional faiths or report no religion. Ghana is a unitary constitutional democracy led by a president who is head of state and head of government . For political stability in Africa, Ghana ranked seventh in the 2012 Ibrahim Index of African Governance and fifth in

3538-638: The Atlantic slave trade in this area. More than 30 forts and castles were built by the merchants. The Germans established the Brandenburger Gold Coast or Groß Friedrichsburg. In 1874, Great Britain established control over some parts of the country, assigning these areas the status of the British Gold Coast . Military engagements occurred between British colonial powers and Akan nation-states. The Kingdom of Ashanti defeated

3660-477: The Gold Coast colony prepared for independence, the nation's leader and first prime minister later first president Kwame Nkrumah the one who led Ghana to independence, settled on Ghana , aiming to evoke a sense of unity and liberation among the Ghanaian people . The name was a powerful reminder of their shared heritage and the legacy of the ancient empire that once thrived in the wider region. It encapsulated

3782-525: The Nanumba , Dagomba and Gonja , between 1,000 and 2,000 people were killed and 150,000 people were displaced. After the 2000 general election , John Kufuor of the New Patriotic Party became president of Ghana on 7 January 2001 and was re-elected in 2004 , thus also serving two terms (the term limit) as president of Ghana and marking the first time under the fourth republic that power

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3904-676: The Non-Aligned Movement . Ghana favours international and regional political and economic co-operation, and is an active member of the United Nations and the African Union . Ghana has a strong relationship with the United States. Three recent U.S. presidents— Bill Clinton , George W. Bush , and Barack Obama —and a Vice President— Kamala Harris —have made diplomatic trips to Ghana. Many Ghanaian diplomats and politicians hold positions in international organisations, including Ghanaian diplomat and former Secretary-General of

4026-649: The Northern Territories , and British Togoland . These were unified as an independent dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations . On 6 March 1957 Ghana became the first colony in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve sovereignty - that is, gain independence. Under President Kwame Nkrumah , it became influential in decolonisation efforts and the Pan-African movement . Ghana is a multi-ethnic country with linguistic and religious groups; while

4148-526: The Takoradi Harbour . These ships were carrying thousands of kilograms of cocaine, with a street value running into billions of Ghana cedis . However, drug seizures saw a decline in 2011. Drug cartels are using new methods in narcotics production and narcotics exportation, to avoid Ghanaian security agencies. Underdeveloped institutions, porous open borders, and the existence of established smuggling organisations contribute to Ghana's position in

4270-581: The Volta river projects. The U.S. was reluctant to negotiate with Nkrumah partly because they foresaw a coup d'état led by Otu, Ankrah, and Harlley. In April, the U.S. Embassy in Accra submitted a report to the State Department titled "Proposed United States Aid Posture toward a Successor Government to Nkrumah's." A U.S. National Security Council memo from Robert Komer to McGeorge Bundy appraised

4392-517: The secession of White Rhodesia . Nkrumah also resisted economic policies proposed in May 1965 by the International Monetary Fund and reasserted by the World Bank in September 1965. Nkrumah left the country on February 21, 1966, for a diplomatic meeting with Ho Chi Minh . He traveled first to China. The United States encouraged him to go on this diplomatic mission and indeed promised to halt

4514-483: The "Special Branch" intelligence service from the police force and brought it under civilian control. Police Commissioner John Harlley and his second-in-command Anthony Deku had long aspired to take control of the government. Harlley had compiled a large dossier on corruption within the CPP and used these files to gain legitimacy for his cause. To take over the country, however, the Police Force had to work with

4636-466: The 1950s, the CPP sponsored a variety of popular economic projects and in the process created a large foreign debt. In 1960, the CPP moved to nationalize the Ghanaian economy and heavily tightened its control in areas such as currency and taxation. By 1963, the public was suffering from shortages and price gouging. Fewer and fewer businesspeople benefited from party membership. Amidst growing unpopularity,

4758-1107: The 19th century, the territory of the southern part of Ghana was included in the Kingdom of Ashanti . The government of the Ashanti Empire operated first as a loose network and eventually as a centralised kingdom with a specialised bureaucracy centred in the capital city of Kumasi . Prior to Akan contact with Europeans, the Akan people created an economy based on principally gold and gold bar commodities , which were traded with other states in Africa. The Ga-Dangme and Ewe migrated westward from south-western Nigeria. The Ewe – formerly known as Dogbo- migrated from Oyo area with their Gbe-speaking kinsmen (Adja, Fon, Phla/Phera and Ogun/Gun) and in transition, settled at Ketou in Benin Republic, Tado in Togo, Dogbo Nyigbo in Benin Republic and with Nortsie (a walled town in present-day Togo) as their final dispersal point. Their dispersal from Nortsie

4880-467: The 2012 Fragile States Index . It has maintained since 1993 one of the freest and most stable governments on the continent, and it performs relatively well in healthcare , economic growth, and human development, so that it has a significant influence in West Africa and Africa as a whole. Ghana is highly integrated in international affairs, being a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and

5002-599: The Administrative Committee, and the Publicity Committee—manifested on the day of the coup as organs of government. The Economic Committee, in particular, was composed of high-ranking members of the pre-existing civil service and played the lead role in creating the policies of the new government. The coup leaders and the "technocrats" of the civil service shared the view that politics and politicians needed to be set aside in order to set up

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5124-614: The Akans were established in the Akan state called Bonoman , for which the Brong-Ahafo region was named. From the 17th century, Akans emerged from what is believed to have been the Bonoman area, to create Akan states, mainly based on gold trading. These states included Bonoman (Brong-Ahafo region), Ashanti ( Ashanti Region ), Denkyira ( Western North region ), Mankessim Kingdom ( Central region ), and Akwamu (Eastern region) . By

5246-410: The British intelligence service, MI6 , remain (as of 2009) classified. Britain and the United States began discussions of regime change in Ghana in 1961. Details of plans from this time are mostly unknown, since declassified documents from this period remain censored. One such plot involved Finance Minister K.A. Gbedemah , who secured CIA and State Department support for a plan to overthrow Nkrumah—but

5368-516: The British some times in the 100-year-long Anglo-Ashanti wars and eventually lost with the War of the Golden Stool in 1900. In 1947, the newly formed United Gold Coast Convention led by "The Big Six" called for "self-government within the shortest possible time" following the 1946 Gold Coast legislative election . Kwame Nkrumah , a Ghanaian nationalist who led Ghana from 1957 to 1966 as

5490-515: The C.I.A., seems to devote all its attention to fomenting ill-will, misunderstanding and even clandestine and subversive activities among our people, to the impairment of the good relations which exist between our two Governments. When in early 1965 Nkrumah requested financial assistance from the United States, the State Department turned him down and suggested he ask the IMF. Nevertheless, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson did agree to lend him financial aid for

5612-606: The Convention People's Party illegal and took hundreds of people into "protective custody". These included former members of parliament and district commissioners, as well as 446 people affiliated directly with Nkrumah—including his financial advisor and his driver. Leaders of the Ghana Muslim Council were dismissed on the grounds of their party loyalties. Formation of new political parties was banned. Commissioners were established to investigate corruption in

5734-560: The Council declared its intention to restore civilian government "as soon as possible" and its plan for separation of powers between executive, legislative, and judicial branches. The Council decreed that the judicial system would continue along the same model, but judges were asked to take new oaths in which they agreed to abide by government decrees. (In practice, military commissions would take authority over judicial functions of political importance.) The new government made membership in

5856-506: The GAF are conceptualised in the constitution, Ghana's Law on Armed Force Military Strategy, and Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre agreements to which GAF is attestator. GAF military operations are executed under the auspices and imperium of the Ministry of Defence . Although Ghana is relatively peaceful and is often considered being one of the least violent countries in

5978-594: The GAF to support the United States of Africa ambitions. Thus, in 1961, 4th and 5th Battalions were established, and in 1964 6th Battalion was established, from a parachute airborne unit originally raised in 1963. Today, Ghana is a regional power and regional hegemon . In his book Shake Hands with the Devil , Canadian Forces commander Roméo Dallaire highly rated the GAF soldiers and military personnel. The military operations and military doctrine of

6100-583: The Ghanaian officer corps was deeply Anglophilic and saw British culture as an indicator of status. Thus, they already objected to Nkrumah's dismissal of British officers in 1961. Nor were they pleased about an ongoing realignment away from Britain to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for officer training. Air Marshal Otu would write in June 1968 that Ghana "had become a single party totalitarian dictatorship; it had also abregated personal liberties; it had thrown to

6222-463: The Guinea coast') and building forts at Fort Komenda and Kormantsi. In 1617, the Dutch captured the Elmina Castle from the Portuguese and Axim in 1642 ( Fort St Anthony ). European traders had joined in gold trading by the 17th century, including the Swedes , establishing the Swedish Gold Coast ( Svenska Guldkusten ), and Denmark–Norway , establishing the Danish Gold Coast ( Danske Guldkyst or Dansk Guinea ). European traders participated in

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6344-463: The Party increased its repression of political opponents. It used the Preventive Detention Act to jail its opponents without trial for up to five years. In 1964, Nkrumah won a heavily rigged referendum that made the CPP the sole legal party, with himself as president for life of both nation and party. Press freedom reached a low ebb, as evidenced in an October 1965 statement by the Ghanaian Times : "Our socialist society cannot, and would not, tolerate

6466-405: The President Nana Akufo-Addo , Ghana was "the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve the goal of halving poverty, as contained in Goal 1 of the Millennium Development Goals ". In 1957, the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) consisted of its headquarters, support services, three battalions of infantry and a reconnaissance squadron with armoured vehicles. President Nkrumah aimed at rapidly expanding

6588-428: The Presidential Guard continued. When Colonel Kokota threatened to bomb the presidential residence if resistance continued after 12 pm, Nkrumah's wife Fathia Nkrumah advised the Guards to surrender and they did. A CIA telegram informed Washington of the coup, and said, "The coup leaders appear to be implementing the plans they were reported earlier to have agreed on for the immediate post-coup period." According to

6710-494: The State Planning Commission, was similarly disposed if not as closely involved. Nkrumah faulted the police for allowing an attempted bombing against him in 1962. When on 2 January 1964, a police officer shot at Nkrumah and killed his bodyguard, the Police Force was reorganized from above, eight top officers were dismissed, and the rank and file were disarmed. Subsequently, in April 1965, the Police Service Act gave Nkrumah direct authority to hire and fire police. Nkrumah also removed

6832-422: The United Nations Kofi Annan , International Criminal Court Judge Akua Kuenyehia , as well as former President Jerry John Rawlings and former President John Agyekum Kufuor , who both served as diplomats of the United Nations. In September 2010, President John Atta Mills visited China on an official visit. Mills and China's former President Hu Jintao marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between

6954-406: The West, the coup was immediately rewarded by food aid and a relaxation of the policies designed to isolate Ghana. World cocoa prices began to increase. Relations with Britain, which had been suspended over the Rhodesia issue, were restored. Ghana Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana , is a country in West Africa . It lies adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to

7076-437: The agricultural sector. The Volta River Authority and the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation , both state-owned, are the two major electricity producers. The Akosombo Dam , built on the Volta River in 1965, along with the Bui Dam , the Kpong Dam and several other hydroelectric dams, provide hydropower . In addition, the government sought to build the second nuclear power plant in Africa . The Ghana Stock Exchange

7198-402: The army did not have money for new uniforms and equipment. Some key figures of the coup had come into personal conflict with Nkrumah. Otu, the Chief of Defense Staff, and Ankrah, the Deputy Chief, had been fired in August 1965 and replaced with officers considered more loyal. The generals later claimed that actions such as these represented an overreach of civilian power over the military. Afrifa

7320-415: The aspirations of the Ghanaian people for self-governance, progress, and a future marked by dignity and resilience. The earliest recorded kingdoms to emerge in modern Ghana were the Mole-Dagbon states. Before the unification of Dagbon, societies were decentralised, and headed by the Tindaamba (singular: tindana). These decentralised states were unified by King Gbewaa , who lived a long life, and formed

7442-427: The bombing of North Vietnam in order to ensure his safety. A group of 600 soldiers stationed in the northern part of the country was ordered to start moving south to Accra, a distance of 435 miles (700 km). They were told at first that they were mobilizing to respond to the situation in Rhodesia. The coup leaders told the soldiers, when they reached Accra, that Nkrumah was meeting with Ho Chi Minh in preparation for

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7564-492: The border with Togo and felt it had received unfair treatment under Nkrumah and the CPP. The Ewe officers, who formed the inner circle of the coup, all grew up in the same area, and Harlley and Kotoka (the most prominent members from each of the forces) both attended Anloga Presbyterian School. The coup planners had all received training in Britain, either at Metropolitan Police College or at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst , and were widely perceived as "pro-Western". In general,

7686-406: The budget. According to reports, the SDGs were implemented through a decentralized planning approach. This allows for stakeholders' participation, such as in UN agencies, traditional leaders, civil society organizations, academia, and others. The 17 SDGs are a global call to action to end poverty among others, and the UN and its partners in the country are working towards achieving them. According to

7808-419: The building to cover the fact. This proposal was quashed, but inside CIA headquarters the Accra station was given full, if unofficial credit for the eventual coup, in which eight Soviet advisors were killed. None of this was adequately reflected in the agency's written records. Historian John Prados has written that it has not been verified that the CIA had any role in directing the coup, though they were aware of

7930-495: The colours red, gold, green, and a black star, dates back to this unification. On 1 July 1960, following the Ghanaian constitutional referendum and Ghanaian presidential election , Nkrumah declared Ghana a republic and assumed the presidency. 6 March is the nation's Independence Day , and 1 July is celebrated as Republic Day . Nkrumah led an authoritarian regime in Ghana, as he repressed political opposition and conducted elections that were not free and fair. In 1964,

8052-429: The country's debt or in increasing the ratio of exports to imports. The National Liberation Council regime won support from powerful groups in Ghanaian society: local chiefs, intelligentsia, and business leaders, as well as the expanding military and police forces. However, its policies of economic austerity were not beloved of workers at large, who suffered from increasing unemployment and repression of strikes. In 1969

8174-404: The country's first prime minister and president , formed the Convention People's Party in 1949 with the motto "self-government now". The party initiated a "positive action" campaign involving non-violent protests, strikes and non-cooperation with the British authorities. Nkrumah was arrested and sentenced to one year imprisonment during this time. In the Gold Coast's 1951 general election , he

8296-491: The coup and renounced Nkrumaist socialism. On March 4, top Nkrumah aide Emmanuel Ayeh-Kumi publicly accused the former President of corruption. Other party leaders followed suit. The government released more than 800 prisoners from the previous regime. By June 1966, spokesmen for the new government began to qualify their statements on the restoration of civilian government, saying more time was needed "to establish an effective machinery of government" and for people "to readjust to

8418-401: The coup in Ghana to more recent operations in the Congo, Stockwell wrote: This is the way the ouster of Nkrumah was handled in Ghana, 1966. The 40 Committee had met and rejected an agency proposal to oust Nkrumah. The Accra station was nevertheless encouraged by headquarters to maintain contact with dissidents of the Ghanaian army for the purpose of gathering intelligence on their activities. It

8540-403: The coup. The State Broadcasting House and international communications buildings were captured quickly. The heaviest fighting broke out at The Flagstaff House , the presidential residence, where the military overthrowers met resistance from the Presidential Guard. The coup leaders informed the public of the regime change over the radio at dawn on February 24, 1966. Colonel Kokota's statement over

8662-500: The day was instituted as a public holiday in Ghana ( Founders' Day ). The government of Nkrumah was subsequently overthrown in a coup by the Ghana Armed Forces , codenamed "Operation Cold Chop". This occurred while Nkrumah was abroad with Zhou Enlai in the People's Republic of China, on a mission to Hanoi , Vietnam, to help end the Vietnam War . The coup took place on 24 February 1966, led by Colonel Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka and Brigadier Akwasi Afrifa. The National Liberation Council

8784-520: The first African country to become a developed country between 2020 and 2029 and a newly industrialised country between 2030 and 2039. This excludes fellow Group of 24 member and Sub-Saharan African country South Africa, which is a newly industrialised country. Ghana's economy has ties to the Chinese yuan renminbi along with Ghana's vast gold reserves. In 2013, the Bank of Ghana began circulating

8906-406: The first African country to do so. The country, which was planning to borrow up to $ 5 billion in international markets, would use the proceeds from these sustainable bonds to refinance debt used for social and environmental projects and pay for educational or health. Only a few other nations have sold them so far, including Chile and Ecuador . The country will use the proceeds to forge ahead with

9028-501: The first time, making Ghana the largest gold producer in Africa. In addition to gold, Ghana exports silver , timber, diamonds , bauxite , and manganese , and has other mineral deposits. Ghana ranks 9th in the world in diamond export and reserve size. The government has drawn up plans to nationalize mining industry to increase government revenue. "Shortages" of electricity in 2015 and 2016 led to dumsor ("persistent, irregular and unpredictable" electric power outages), increasing

9150-698: The government found common cause with the military and police in their disdain for the mass politics of the Convention People's Party. One such figure was B. A. Bentum, former Secretary-General of the Agricultural Workers Union and subsequently the Minister of Forestry under the CPP. Bentum disapproved of the country's socialist tendencies and collaborated with the plotters by supplying them with information (including details about secret Chinese training camps, being used to train revolutionaries from other African countries). Kojo Botsio , chairman of

9272-405: The head of the police force in the new designation as Inspector-General of Police and in addition, assumed ministerial responsibility for the interior between 1966 and 1969 and foreign affairs between 1967 and 1968. On 3 September 1969, a presidential commission was formed which carried out presidential functions during the 1969 democratic transitional process in Ghana. Harlley was a member of

9394-423: The index. Ghana ranked as the 64th-least corrupt and politically corrupt country in the world out of all 174 countries ranked and ranked as the fifth-least corrupt and politically corrupt country in Africa out of 53 countries in the 2012 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index . Ghana was ranked seventh in Africa out of 53 countries in the 2012 Ibrahim Index of African Governance . The Ibrahim Index

9516-428: The interest in renewables. As of 2019, there is a surplus of electricity. The judicial system of Ghana deals with corruption, economic malpractice and lack of economic transparency. According to Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index of 2018, out of 180 countries, Ghana was ranked 78th, with a score of 41 on a scale where a 0–9 score means highly corrupt, and a 90–100 score means very clean. This

9638-475: The intersection of three hydro-climatic zones. Changes in rainfall, weather conditions and sea-level rise affect the salinity of coastal waters. This is expected to negatively affect both farming and fisheries. In 2015, the government produced a document titled "Ghana's Intended Nationally Determined Contribution". Following that, Ghana signed the Paris Climate Agreement in 2016. Ghana is

9760-621: The kingdom, and inheritance is both patrilineal and matrilineal. The Yaa Naa is the King of Dagbon and the Gundo Naa is the Queen. The kingdom remained uncolonised. In 1896, Germany invaded Eastern Dagbon (Naya) and burnt down its capital, Yendi, during the Battle of Adibo . The Akan -speaking peoples began to move into what later became Ghana toward the 15th century. By the 16th century,

9882-479: The military, 20 members of the presidential guard had been killed and 25 wounded. Others suggest a death toll of 1,600. According to Nkrumah biographer June Milne, "whatever the death toll, it was far from the 'bloodless coup' reported in the British press." Francis Kwashie, part of the core planning group for the takeover, later commented that he and his comrades lacked "the faintest idea" of how to proceed upon gaining power. Several participants seemed to believe that

10004-551: The military—not only because they had been disarmed, but also because, as the primary executors of repression and brutality under the CPP, they did not enjoy a good reputation with the general public. Coup planners from the military identified mistreatment of the armed forces, and preferential treatment of the President's Own Guard Regiment, as sources of their dissatisfaction. The salaries of soldiers and officers, set in 1957, had lost much of their value amidst general inflation, and

10126-464: The most obvious candidates for nominal leadership, turned the position down, preferring instead to retain command over their respective forces. Thus, on February 21 (the day Nkrumah left the country; three days before the coup) the group selected J. A. Ankrah, a popular general who suffered involuntary retirement in August 1965. The decision to form a ruling council was made on the morning of the coup, at

10248-488: The narcotics industry and intercepted narcotics within Ghana, since it is an underground economy . The social context within which narcotic trafficking, storage, transportation, and repacking systems exist in Ghana and the state's location along the Gulf of Guinea makes Ghana an attractive country for the narcotics business. The Narcotics Control Board has impounded container ships at the Sekondi Naval Base in

10370-666: The narcotics industry. President Mills initiated ongoing efforts to reduce the role of airports in Ghana's drug trade. Homosexual acts are prohibited by law in Ghana. According to a 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center , 96% of Ghanaians believe that homosexuality should not be accepted by society. Sometimes elderly women in Ghana are accused of witchcraft , particularly in rural Ghana. Issues of witchcraft mainly remain as speculations based on superstitions within families. In some parts of northern Ghana, there exist what are called witch camps . These are said to house

10492-447: The national budget shifted away from agriculture and industrialization towards the military. National enterprises, property, and capital were privatized or abandoned. Nkrumah had condemned the development projects of multinational corporations as signs of neocolonialism . The NLC allowed foreign conglomerates to operate on extremely favorable terms. The Ghanaian cedi was devalued by 30%. These economic changes did not succeed in reducing

10614-607: The neighbouring Togo, Benin Republic and Nigeria (around Badagry area). Akan trade with European states began after contact with the Portuguese in the 15th century. European contact was by the Portuguese people , who came to the Gold Coast region in the 15th century to trade. The Portuguese then established the Portuguese Gold Coast (Costa do Ouro), focused on the availability of gold. The Portuguese built

10736-399: The new government indicated that it would not retaliate excessively against officials from the old regime. All but twenty of the hundreds of imprisoned Nkrumaists were free by 1968. And although the system of ministries was re-arranged, the membership and hierarchy of the civil service remained mostly intact, and in fact gained power after the coup. B. A. Bentum (verily a CPP minister himself)

10858-683: The new government, especially by public organizations in Accra. Nkrumah, in China, claimed that the military had orchestrated these demonstrations. In part because Nigeria's military had accomplished a coup of its own in January 1966, regime change in Ghana did not come as a complete shock. Under new leadership, groups like the Trades Union Congress and the Ghana Young Pioneers (shortly before they were disbanded) celebrated

10980-470: The new leaders sought to liberate the country from Nkrumah and the CPP rather than to transform society. The council consisted of four soldiers and four police officers. With this membership, the Council displayed more ethnic diversity than did the core group of coup planners. Two members, Nunoo and Yakubu, had no advance knowledge of the coup at all. Three committees—the Economic Committee,

11102-672: The new situation". Rule by the National Liberation Council was sustained by strong support from the intelligentsia, in the civil service and at university, as well as by the military and police forces themselves. Diplomatic relations with Russia, China, and Cuba were ceased, their embassies closed, and their technicians ejected. Ghana withdrew its embassies from these countries, from Hanoi in North Vietnam, and from five countries in Eastern Europe. From

11224-428: The output of oil to 2.2 million barrels (350,000 m ) per day and gas to 34,000,000 cubic metres (1.2 × 10 ^  cu ft) per day. The Jubilee Oil Field , which contains up to 3 billion barrels (480,000,000 m ) of sweet crude oil, was discovered in 2007. Ghana is believed to have up to 5 billion barrels (790,000,000 m ) to 7 billion barrels (1.1 × 10  m ) of petroleum in reserves, which

11346-620: The previous regime and to organize the continued suppression of the CPP. The NLC disbanded and confiscated the assets of eight Nkrumaist organizations, including the United Ghana Farmers' Co-operative Council, the National Council of Ghana Women and the Ghana Youth Pioneers. Boy Scouts and Girl Guides groups were introduced to replace the latter. Once the CPP was no longer seen as a political threat,

11468-436: The publication of any newspaper in Ghana which departs from the ideology and loyalties demanded from the press in socialist and Nkrumaist Ghana." General Afrifa later commented, regarding Radio Ghana: "From early morning till late at night there poured forth a sickening stream of Stalinist adulation and abject flattery. News was so often distorted or suppressed that Ghanaians stopped believing what they heard." The Party acted as

11590-573: The radio was as follows: Fellow citizens of Ghana, I have come to inform you that the military, in cooperation with the Ghana Police, have taken over the government of Ghana today. The myth surrounding Nkrumah has been broken. Parliament is dissolved and Kwame Nkrumah is dismissed from office. All ministers are also dismissed. The Convention People's Party is disbanded with effect from now. It will be illegal for any person to belong to it. The soldiers proceeded to arrest CPP ministers as fighting with

11712-743: The rank of assistant Superintendent of Police to become the commissioner of police in 1965. At the time of the February 24, 1966 coup d'état that removed the Convention People's Party government of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah , Harlley was the Commissioner of Police , making him the most senior police officer in the country. He was one of the eight members of the National Liberation Council government formed afterward and made vice chairman. He remained in his office as

11834-535: The regime underwent a carefully managed transition to civilian rule. Elections held on 29 August 1969 thus inaugurated a new government led by the NLC's chosen successor: the Progress Party of Kofi Abrefa Busia . It has been alleged that Central Intelligence Agency was involved in the coup d'etat. From 1951 to 1966, Ghana was controlled by the Convention People's Party and its founder Kwame Nkrumah. During

11956-550: The region, Ghana has experienced political violence in the past and 2017 has thus far seen an upward trend in incidents motivated by political grievances. The Ghana Police Service and the Criminal Investigation Department are the main law enforcement agencies, responsible for the detection of crime, maintenance of law and order and the maintenance of internal peace and security. The Ghana Police Service has eleven specialised police units, including

12078-442: The renminbi throughout Ghanaian state-owned banks and to the Ghana public as hard currency along with the national Ghanaian cedi for second national trade currency. Between 2012 and 2013, 38% of rural dwellers were experiencing poverty whereas only 11% of urban dwellers were. Urban areas hold greater opportunity for employment, particularly in informal trade, while nearly all (94 percent) of "rural poor households" participate in

12200-536: The situation by ignoring Nkrumah’s pleas for economic aid. The new OCAM (Francophone) group’s refusal to attend any OAU meeting in Accra (because of Nkrumah’s plotting) will further isolate him. All in all, looks good. RWK Nkrumah himself feared for his life and felt great distress during this time. Diplomatic relations with the West seemed to deteriorate, with Nkrumah's publication of Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism and his criticism of Britain's response to

12322-444: The situation: McGB— FYI, we may have a pro-Western coup in Ghana soon. Certain key military and police figures have been planning one for some time, and Ghana’s deteriorating economic condition may provide the spark. The plotters are keeping us briefed, and State thinks we’re more on the inside than the British. While we’re not directly involved (I’m told), we and other Western countries (including France) have been helping to set up

12444-561: The south emerged over the centuries. Beginning in the 15th century, the Portuguese Empire , followed by other European powers , contested the area for trading rights, until the British ultimately established control of the coast by the 19th century . Following more than a century of colonial resistance, the current borders of the country took shape, encompassing four separate British colonial territories: Gold Coast , Ashanti ,

12566-459: The south, sharing a border with Ivory Coast in the west , Burkina Faso in the north , and Togo in the east . Ghana covers an area of 239,567 km (92,497 sq mi), spanning diverse ecologies , from coastal savannas to tropical rainforests . With nearly 35 million inhabitants, Ghana is the second-most populous country in West Africa . The capital and largest city

12688-568: The sub-division Borstal Institute for Juveniles administers incarceration. Ghana retains and exercises the death penalty for treason, corruption, robbery, piracy, drug trafficking, rape, and homicide. The new sustainable development goals adopted by the United Nations call for the international community to come together to promote the rule of law; support equal access to justice for all; reduce corruption; and develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels. Ghana

12810-524: The sustainability of Chinese-financed projects, environmental impacts, and the lack of transparency in their investments call for a careful assessment of these collaborations. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad met with Mahama in 2013 to hold discussions on strengthening the Non-Aligned Movement and also co–chair a bilateral meeting between Ghana and Iran at the Ghanaian presidential palace Flagstaff House . The Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were integrated into Ghana's development agenda and

12932-636: The teachings of Garvey, Martin Luther King Jr. and the naturalised Ghanaian scholar W. E. B. Du Bois into the formation of 1960s Ghana. Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, as he became known, played an instrumental part in the founding of the Non-Aligned Movement , and in establishing the Kwame Nkrumah Ideological Institute to teach his ideologies of communism and socialism . His life achievements were recognised by Ghanaians during his centenary birthday celebration, and

13054-512: The tensions which were rising between the Ghana military and the Nkrumah government. CIA operative Howard Bane even claimed in February 1966 that a string of coups which had occurred in other African nations were also motivating the Ghana military to topple Nkrumah. Memoranda released in 2001 suggest that the United States and United Kingdom discussed a plan "to induce a chain reaction eventually leading to Nkrumah's downfall." Relevant files from

13176-455: The three-man commission whose other members were Lt. General Akwasi Afrifa and Lt. General Albert Kwesi Ocran . This commission remained in place even after the handover to the democratically elected Progress Party government of Kofi Abrefa Busia . On August 7, 1970, the commission was replaced by an interim President, Nii Amaa Ollennu . Harlley was married to Nancy Harlley ( née Woanyah). Following his service in government, Harlley spent

13298-794: The two nations, at the Great Hall of the People . China reciprocated with an official visit in November 2011, by the vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of China , Zhou Tienong who visited Ghana and met with Ghana's President John Mahama . China recently became one of the top investing countries of Ghana, which predominantly focus on infrastructure, natural resources, and manufacturing sectors, have promoted economic growth, job creation, and technology transfer in Ghana. However, concerns regarding

13420-407: The victorious officers would simply handpick acceptable civilian administrators and put them in charge. Marginalizing Nkrumah and other radicals would allow a sort of merger between the Convention People's Party and the opposition United Party, and the work of government could go on. The group decided that an interim government was necessary and went about determining its membership. Kokota and Harlley,

13542-427: The winds [the] sacred principle of the rule of law, reduced elections to a farce and much worse, spurned all its traditional ties with the West in favour of dubious advantages of association with strange friends from the east." Some of the first allegations about United States involvement in the coup came from retired CIA officer John Stockwell in his 1978 book, In Search of Enemies . In a footnote comment comparing

13664-405: The world's third-largest reservoir by volume and largest by surface area, formed by the hydroelectric Akosombo Dam , completed in 1965. The Volta flows out of Lake Volta into the Gulf of Guinea . The northernmost part of Ghana is Pulmakong and the southernmost part of Ghana is Cape Three Points . The climate of Ghana is tropical , and there is wet season and dry season . Ghana sits at

13786-517: Was appointed Secretary-General of the Trades Union Congress and authorized to cull its old CPP leadership. Bentum dissociated the Trades Union Congress from the All-African Trade Union Federation, began a "Productivity Drive" to raise output, helped the government with public relations abroad, and created a mechanism for supplying civilian workers to assist the armed forces. Public demonstrations were held in support of

13908-709: Was based on perceived levels of public sector corruption. The trans-African automobile route – the Dakar-Lagos Highway passes through Ghana. There are several airports in Ghana . John Willie Kofi Harlley He was born at Akagla in the Volta Region which was then British Togoland under British jurisdiction following the World War I . He attended Presbyterian Schools at Boso and Akropong . He completed his elementary school education at Anloga Presbyterian School in 1936 and later enrolled into

14030-405: Was described as a "stable democracy". As a result of the 2016 general election , Nana Akufo-Addo became president on 7 January 2017. He was re-elected after a tightly contested election in 2020 . To combat deforestation, on 11 June 2021 Ghana inaugurated Green Ghana Day, with the aim of planting five million trees in a concentrated effort to preserve the country's rainforest cover. Ghana

14152-450: Was detected by the national intelligence service. Central Intelligence Agency interest in Ghana increased again in 1964, when Director of Central Intelligence John A. McCone began participating in high-level meetings to discuss future relations with the country. On 6 February 1964, U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk asked McCone to study the possibility of a government takeover led by J.A. Ankrah. McCone indicated on February 11 that such

14274-712: Was elected to Parliament and was released from prison. He became prime minister in 1952 and began a policy of Africanization. At midnight of March 6, 1957, the Gold Coast, Ashanti, the Northern Territories, and British Togoland were unified as one single independent dominion within the British Commonwealth under the name Ghana. This was done under the Ghana Independence Act 1957 . The current flag of Ghana , consisting of

14396-423: Was facing a court-martial for insubordination, to begin on 25 February 1966. Harlley and Deku were accused of involvement in a newly exposed scheme to illicitly sell diamonds to a European dealer—according to rumour, Nkrumah would have arrested them upon return to the country. Ethnic loyalties may also have influenced some of the coup planners. A significant number came from the Ewe group, which had been divided by

14518-577: Was formed, chaired by Lieutenant General Joseph A. Ankrah . A series of alternating military and civilian governments, often affected by economic instabilities, ruled Ghana from 1966, ending with the ascent to power of Flight Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings of the Provisional National Defence Council in 1981. These changes resulted in the suspension of the constitution in 1981 and the banning of political parties . The economy soon declined, so Rawlings negotiated

14640-535: Was given a generous budget, and maintained intimate contact with the plotters as a coup was hatched. So close was the station's involvement that it was able to coordinate the recovery of some classified Soviet military equipment by the United States as the coup took place. The station even proposed to headquarters through back channels that a squad be on hand at the moment of the coup to storm the Chinese embassy, kill everyone inside, steal their secret records, and blow up

14762-640: Was necessitated by the high-handed rule of King Agorkorli (Agɔ Akɔli) who was the reigning monarch of the tribe at that time. The Ewe in Ghana speak three principal dialects: Anlo(along the coast),Tongu(along the Volta river) and Ewedome (in the hill country side).The Ga-Dangme occupy the Greater Accra Region and parts of the Eastern Region, while the Ewe are found in the Volta Region as well as

14884-530: Was transferred from one legitimately elected head of state and head of government to another. Nana Akufo-Addo , the ruling party candidate, was defeated in a very close 2008 general election by John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress . Mills died of natural causes and was succeeded by Vice President John Mahama on 24 July 2012. Following the 2012 general election , Mahama became president in his own right, and Ghana

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