Unsung Nationalist Hero: The Biographical Sketch of Sir Kobina Arku Korsah

Abstract

This thesis documents the life of Sir Kobina Arku Korsah (1894 - 1967), the first African Chief Justice of Ghana. The thesis also critically examines his contribution towards the nationalist struggles that led to the independence of Ghana. Two major topical areas underpin this study. The first is Korsah`s political career as a British-trained lawyer and a legislator. The second is his nationalist politics. The thesis argues that Korsah was one of the first Cape Coast intellectual heavyweights of his time to launch his political career in the elite political pressure group, Ratepayers Association (RPA), after cross-carpeting from the antagonistic Aborigines Right Protection Society (ARPS). Korsah utilised Ratepayers Association as a political vehicle for his nationalist and intellectual erudition to challenge British hegemony as well as contributing towards the development of Gold Coast. The work further highlights the major achievements of Korsah as the Legislative Council member for Cape Coast, and some landmark issues that occurred in his first elections, and how he handled it with savvy, his political activism in the inter-war period as well as his discourses in the Legislative Council of the Gold Coast. Secondly, it highlights the extent to which Korsah as an eminent jurist contributed towards the constitutional development and legal jurisprudence during and after the colonial era, as well his great contribution towards education in general, culminating in the creation of the University College of Gold Coast (University of Ghana). In addition, this study shall also look at his final court ruling that caused his dismissal as the chief justice of Ghana. The study seeks to highlight the comprehensive biography of Korsah via historical approach to fill the gaps in the few selected works in which he was mentioned, but does not explore his well-deserved recognition in the context of Gold Coast nationalism. University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh vii The methodology deployed in this thesis were primary and secondary data qualitative method. This work opens the door to some of the hidden accounts of Ghana`s journey to self-rule, especially the roles played by Korsah, the freemasons and some traditional chiefs.