African political tradition and its effect on liberty: the Ghanaian case

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Periodical article

Title:	African political tradition and its effect on liberty: the Ghanaian case
Author:	Amankwah, A.H.
Year:	1989
Periodical:	Annual conference - African Society of International and Comparative Law
Volume:	1
Pages:	148-170
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Ghana
Subjects:	authoritarianism civil and political rights
Abstract:	What happened in Ghana under the Nkrumah regime was not a political incident, but formed part of a political tradition that had been evolving for a long time. This was a tradition of despotism, sycophancy, corruption, lack of concern for the public welfare, excessive reverence for old age, and some democratic and liberal traits. This article surveys the development of Ghana's indigenous political tradition, and demonstrates that it was inimical to personal freedom and individualism. This situation was accentuated by the paternalism of colonial tutelage and its support of the chiefs. The new leaders of independent Ghana then used the legacy of the colonial apparatus to protect their newly acquired political power and in the process augmented the power of the State far in excess of what was needed for the protection of legitimate national interests, thereby sacrificing personal liberty. Notes, ref.