2. J.B Danquah

• B Danquah once wrote a newspaper column under the pseudonym ‘Zadiq’, in which he criticised the follies of the time.
• He’s the founding father, alongside Nkrumah, who settled on the name Ghana for the colony upon attaining Independence.

Generally known as ‘the doyen of Gold Coast politics’, J.B Danquah was as skilled an orator as Nkrumah, but with a more contemplative demeanour. The two, who started out as allies, ended up as bitter enemies as the fight for Independence progressed.
Yet Danquah also contributed his quota to the Independence effort. He was instrumental in the founding of the UGCC, which in many ways set up the acceleration of the Independence struggle.
He is mostly credited with carrying out the research which found the name of the ancient kingdom of Ghana as apropos for the newly established Independent nation. He was influential in getting the northern part of the country (the Ashanti and Northern colonies) to join the Gold Coast family.
J.B Danuquah was part of the legislative council of 1946, where he continued to fight for self rule. He, alongside Dr Nkrumah, addressed the ex-servicemen who went to the castle on 28th February 1948 and were unceremoniously gunned down.
J.N Danquah was a renowned intellectual who published many books, including both fiction and non-fiction. He wrote a play known as ‘The Third Woman’ in 1943, and many others on Akan culture and literature.