Historian Yaw Anokye Frimpong has given the historical antecedents that led to Accra, the capital town of the Ga people of the Greater Accra Region, becoming the nation’s capital.
According to him, one of the main reasons Ghana’s British colonial masters changed the capital of the then Gold Coast from Cape Coast to Accra was because of the might of the then King of the Ga people, Nii Tackie Tawiah.
He asserted that the British realised that the people of Cape Coast were always defeated by the Asantes in their own backyard, but the Gas always stood their ground and were able to protect their territory.
He added that because the Gas, led by King Tackie Tawiah, were always able to ward off the Asantes, who were seeking to expand their territory, the colonial masters felt he (the Ga king) and his soldiers could protect them better.
“When he became king in 1862, Asantes and Ewes were close allies, and they were always making incursions into the coastal areas. He brought together the Akuapems, the Akyems and the people of Ada, and he led them to drive away the Asantes and Ewes. He was able to do this about three times.
“The whites realised that the capital town, which was in Cape Coast, was not being properly protected because the Fantes were not strong, and so the Asantes were always defeating them. So, if this man (Nii Tackie Tawiah) was able to protect Accra, they should make it the capital town,” he said.
He added, “This was one of the reasons Accra became the capital of Ghana… This was the political reason behind Accra becoming the capital of Ghana. The whites thought that if they made Accra the capital, they would get soldiers led by Tackie Tawiah to protect them.”
The historian also indicated that the British wanted a place where they could trade in peace, and they felt Accra would be the best place for them because of the presence of the Ga Mantse.
“One of the reasons Accra became the capital was because of its stability during the reign of King Tackie Tawiah. Because of his (the Ga Mantse’s) wisdom, economic activities in Accra skyrocketed.
“The whites were mostly concerned about trade. They looked at where they could get their security and safety to trade. And they felt that once King Tackie Tawiah was in Accra, they would be better protected than in Cape Coast,” he reiterated.
Watch a video of his remarks below:
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