Usman Abass

CHIEFS, UNION JACK FLAGS AND THE KING'S MEDALS UNDER BRITISH RULE IN GHANA: THE CASE OF ASHANTI (1916-1938

TAD, 2025

Chiefs were instrumental in the pre-colonial and colonial states of Ghana and West Africa. Throug... more Chiefs were instrumental in the pre-colonial and colonial states of Ghana and West Africa. Through the chieftaincy institution, the indigenous medium of socio-political administration, communities were united to form a common identity based on history, religion, and customs. The chief is the first citizen of a native state through whom the ancestral nexus is continued. However, during the age of colonialism, chieftain positions degenerated because the chiefs cooperated with the colonial regime as agents of the Crown. The paper found that during that period of degeneration, chiefs were offered medals with 3-or 2-inch silver gilt chains for their service and contributions to the colonial administration; they were also offered the Union Jack flag and government cane staff if they did "good work" on behalf of the colonial office. Thus, this paper examines the contributions made by Ashanti chiefs to the colonial office between 1919 and 1938, for which they were rewarded with Union Jack flags and/or medals. To unravel that, archival and secondary sources were utilised in the study. The paper asserts that the role of chiefs in the establishment of colonial rule in Ghana has been brought to light by the commendations bestowed upon them by the colonial office in recognition of their diverse services and contributions.

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PUSH OR PULL FACTOR: RATIONALE FOR THE COLLAPSE OF THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE, 1839-1908

Journal of Internatonal Relatons and Poltcal Scence Studes, 2025

The present paper attempts to chronicle the historical reasons for the collapse of the Ottoman Em... more The present paper attempts to chronicle the historical reasons for the collapse of the Ottoman Empire from the mid-nineteenth century to the early twentieth century through a discourse of the "Push" and "Pull" analyses. There may be numerous reasons for the phenomenon from varied perspectives, as the empire was grand and spanned nearly 600 years. However, this paper focuses on the "Push" or "Pull" debate rationale raised by Quataert, as put forward by two scholars: Halil Inalcik and Leften S. Stavrianos, respectively. The "Push" perspective of Inalcik viewed the collapse of the Ottoman state as stemming from its good intentions of bridging the equality gap between the various echelons of the state through the promulgation of various Imperial Rescripts, but it failed to implement the reforms holistically in the nineteenth century. In contrast, the "Pull" standpoint of Stavrianos did not see any good intentions from the Ottoman state but attributed the disintegration of the empire to its political and economic exploitation of the subject peoples, especially the non-Muslim subjects. Thereupon, the paper attempts to connect the dots by exploring these two perspectives from the announcement of the Gülhane Edict in 1839 to the Young Turk Revolution of 1908 that ousted the Ottoman sultanate. The paper concludes that the "Push" factor analysis was instrumental in the collapse of the Empire. The paper uses a qualitative research technique through the lens of comparativehistorical analysis to probe the phenomenon.

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MANIFESTO, RHETORIC, AND ELECTION IN GHANA, 2008-2024

Africania-İnönü Üniversitesi Uluslararası Afrika Araştırmaları Dergisi, 2025

This study looks at the effectiveness of manifestos in the Ghanaian political climate. The polici... more This study looks at the effectiveness of manifestos in the Ghanaian political climate. The policies of successive governments have failed in developing the country and its people because of partisanship, and manifesto-based politicking. Party manifestos are drafted with fancy words towards winning elections and discarded afterwards. This has a detrimental effect on the common person in the form of poor healthcare provision, social inclusion, poverty, unemployment, the emergence of schools of shame (schools without classroom buildings and having lessons under trees), development, etc. This study was carried out through a meticulous assessment of the manifestos of Ghana's two leading political parties, the NDC and NPP, between 2008 and 2024. The parties make nearly similar promises to the electorate, and they include, inter alia, areas such as governance, infrastructure, poverty reduction strategies, security, economy, and education. Yet, instead of completing projects already in motion to meet the needs of the people, they start new projects only to cast them aside when power changes hands. Also, a questionnaire was administered to test how manifestos beguile citizens to go to the polls to vote during elections consistently. The study put forward that by adopting a national development policy outlook, the perils of manifesto-based politics, regarding underdevelopment and political insecurities, would be overcome towards socioeconomic continuity and human development. The paper uses qualitative structured interviews, secondary sources, and manifestos through the lenses of CDA and (political) rhetorics to study the role of manifestos in Ghanaian politics.

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Democracy: A Reflection on Ghana’s Republics, 1960-1992

Africania, Feb 1, 2024

Since 1992, Ghana has been held up as a beacon of democracy in Africa. As the country prepared fo... more Since 1992, Ghana has been held up as a beacon of democracy in Africa. As the country prepared for independence from Britain, educated natives formed political parties based on Western models to advance their demands. Two of the earliest political parties were the UGCC and the CPP, formed in 1947 and 1949 respectively. People from different ethnic groups joined one of the two parties to create a consensual democratic model. It was the adoption of a British type of representative government, but with a unicameral legislature. The 1951 elections gave Ghana its first taste of democratic voting, allowing the people to choose leaders they trusted to alleviate their hardships. Elections in 1954 and 1956 further consolidated this. The country is endowed with enormous human and natural resources. When the First Republic was announced in 1960, politics was all about development, massive projects, sound policies and improving the welfare of the people. By 1966, however, the rivalry between Nkrumah and the army and police introduced coups into Ghanaian politics. Since then, Ghana has experienced five coups in its young history. As a result, Ghanaian politics has been reduced to economic stagnation, corruption, propaganda, ill-conceived policies and the emergence of shortsighted and ultra-credit-hungry leaders who borrow to consume, leading to the impoverishment of the citizens. Perhaps Ghana would have been more developed than it is now if the first coup had not taken place and if Nkrumah had had enough time to realise his vision for the country. It is from this perspective that the paper assesses Ghana's republics. The paper uses archival sources, mainly newspapers, and secondary sources to explore the country's democratic trajectories to the present day.

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Imperialism and the End of Chieftaincy in Colonial Ghana, 1925-1950

Gaziantep University Journal of Social Sciences

Nearly all the literature on colonialism in Africa focuses on African resistance rather than the ... more Nearly all the literature on colonialism in Africa focuses on African resistance rather than the roles of the Traditional Rulers in its formation. Thus, this paper is a deviation from that. This paper intends to portray the position of the Chiefs in the colonial enterprise, and how it led to the decline of the chieftaincy institution in Ghana. In doing so, I trace the events that attracted Europeans and subsequently led to the imposition of colonialism in Ghana, and how those interactions modify the status quo thus leading to new social stratifications and hierarchical formations. The peak of European imperialism’s drive coincided with the formative stages of most African States. So, it prevented the development of large States on the African continent. The study, thus, explores the impact of British imperialists and administrators in colonial Ghana in the face of the modus operandi and modus vivendi of the Chiefs. Although the Gold Coast Colony was established in July 1874, the Chi...

Imperialism and the End of Chieftaincy in Colonial Ghana, 1925-1950

GAZİANTEP UNIVERSITY JOURNAL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES, 2023

Nearly all the literature on colonialism in Africa focuses on African resistance rather than the ... more Nearly all the literature on colonialism in Africa focuses on African resistance rather than the roles of the Traditional Rulers in its formation. Thus, this paper is a deviation from that. This paper intends to portray the position of the Chiefs in the colonial enterprise, and how it led to the decline of the chieftaincy institution in Ghana. In doing so, I trace the events that attracted Europeans and subsequently led to the imposition of colonialism in Ghana, and how those interactions modify the status quo thus leading to new social stratifications and hierarchical formations. The peak of European imperialism’s drive coincided with the formative stages of most African States. So, it prevented the development of large States on the African continent. The study, thus, explores the impact of British imperialists and administrators in colonial Ghana in the face of the modus operandi and modus vivendi of the Chiefs. Although the Gold Coast Colony was established in July 1874, the Chiefs remained at the helm of affairs until they decided in 1925 to work with the colonial regime in administering the territory. Thus, as this “error” indubitably marked the beginning of the end for the Chiefs and the Chieftaincy Institution, it paved the way for the emergence of the leadership of the educated class by the middle of the twentieth century. The paper uses archival sources with secondary sources. The archival documents will explicate how deeply the Chiefs partook in establishing Colonialism in Ghana.

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The Position of Women in the Social and Political History of Ghana

The official aim of the US Peace Corps established in 1961 was to introduce the United States to ... more The official aim of the US Peace Corps established in 1961 was to introduce the United States to other countries and to provide a workforce for underdeveloped  Dokuz Eylul University, M.A. student, Social Sciences Institute, usman_abass@yahoo.com  Dokuz Eylul University, Faculty of Letters, American Studies Department, fcdoskaya@hotmail.com Usman Abass-Füsun Çoban Döşkaya countries. However, they were used as an unarmed force during the Cold War period against the Soviet Union. Ghana is the first country to which United States Peace Corps, volunteers were sent. Undoubtedly, it has got something to do with the fact that Ghana is the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from colonial domination in 1957, and that its future looked promising. Ghana is one of the important countries of Africa, but it is difficult to be a woman in a place where the belief in witchcraft is widespread, and there are “witch camps.” This study examines the position of women in the socia...

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Gana’nın Sosyal ve Siyasi Tarihinde Kadınların Rolü

1961 yilinda kurulan Amerikan Baris Gonullulerinin resmi amaci ABD’yi diger devletlere tanitmak v... more 1961 yilinda kurulan Amerikan Baris Gonullulerinin resmi amaci ABD’yi diger devletlere tanitmak ve az gelismis ulkeler icin isgucu saglamakti. Ancak bu kurum Soguk Savas sirasinda Sovyetler Birligi’ne karsi silahsiz bir kuvvet olarak kullanildi. Gana, Amerikan Baris Gonullulerinin ilk gonderildigi ulkedir. Bunda kuskusuz, Gana'nin Sahra alti Afrika'sinda 1957'de somurge egemenliginden bagimsizligini kazanmis ilk ulke olmasinin ve geleceginin umut verici gozukmesinin etkisi vardir. Gana Afrika’nin onemli ulkelerinden biridir ancak cadiliga inanildigi ve “cadi kamplarinin” oldugu bir yerde kadin olmak zordur. Bu calisma, Gana'nin sosyal, ekonomik ve siyasi tarihlerinde kadinlarin konumunu somurgecilikten bugune kulturel ve politik degisiklikler donemi ile incelemektedir. Ganali kadinlar bagimsizlik oncesi ve sonrasi donemde siyasete onemli katkida bulunmus ve 1950'lerden bagimsizliga dek ulusun milliyetci duygularini olusturma konusunda aktif olarak yer almislardir...

The Position of Women in the Social and Political History of Ghana

by Füsun Çoban Döşkaya and Usman Abass

The official aim of the US Peace Corps established in 1961 was to introduce the United States to ... more The official aim of the US Peace Corps established in 1961 was to introduce the United States to other countries and to provide a workforce for underdeveloped countries. However, they were used as an unarmed force during the Cold War period against the Soviet Union. Ghana is the first country to which United States Peace Corps, volunteers were sent. Undoubtedly, it has got something to do with the fact that Ghana is the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to gain independence from colonial domination in 1957, and that its future looked promising. Ghana is one of the important countries of Africa, but it is difficult to be a woman in a place where the belief in witchcraft is widespread, and there are “witch camps.” This study examines the position of women in the social, economic and political histories of Ghana, through a period of cultural and political changes, from colonialism to date. Ghanaian women made a significant contribution to the politics of pre- and post-independent Ghana, and they were actively involved in building the nation’s nationalistic sentiments from the 1950’s through to independence. Although the Fourth Republic is witnessing an increase in women’s participation in the socio-economic development of the country, their numbers and substance remain low. The study, thus, examines how the gender dynamics of culture and political forces have shaped women’s identities, ambitions, interests, and self-determination within the Ghanaian society. Also, the study seeks the affinity between the marginalizing role of women in national affairs, and later how the transition to democratic governance in 1993, with a promise of equality and inclusiveness, has shaped the voices of women’s ambitions and identities.

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