The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has called for national recognition of Dr. Joseph Kwame Kyeretwie Boakye Danquah, drawing on public acknowledgments by leading figures of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of his significant contribution to Ghana’s independence and constitutional development.
Delivering a commemorative statement on the floor of Parliament to mark the 61st anniversary of the passing of Dr. J.B. Danquah, Hon. Agyemang argued that the late statesman’s national stature is best established not by partisan celebration, but by the respect accorded him across political and ideological divides.
Dr. Danquah, a philosopher, jurist and nationalist, died on February 4, 1965, while in detention under the Preventive Detention Act.
According to the Abuakwa South MP, Dr. Danquah’s legacy has been consistently affirmed by key NDC leaders over the years, demonstrating that his contribution to Ghana’s nation-building project transcends political tradition.
He cited statements from the Majority Leader, Hon. Mahama Ayariga, who told Parliament in 2025 that Ghana’s history cannot be written without recognising the role played by Dr. Danquah in the country’s struggle for independence.
He also referenced remarks by the Majority Chief Whip, Hon. Rockson-Nelson Etse Dafeamekpor, who described Dr. Danquah as a towering legal mind whose contributions and criticisms of government were significant to Ghana’s democratic evolution.
Other NDC figures mentioned included former Minority Chief Whip, Hon. Kwame Governs Agbodza, who warned Parliament to draw lessons from Dr. Danquah’s detention under the Preventive Detention Act when passing laws that affect personal liberty.
Hon. Agyemang further recalled contributions by former Minority Leader, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, who acknowledged Dr. Danquah’s role in advocating for farmers, the establishment of the Cocoa Marketing Board, and his brilliance in legislative debate, describing his contribution to Ghana’s independence as enormous and undeniable.
The Abuakwa South MP said such bipartisan testimonies, recorded in the Parliamentary Hansard over several decades, provide the most credible evidence of Dr. Danquah’s enduring national relevance.
Beyond parliamentary records, Hon. Agyemang noted that professional and academic institutions have also affirmed Dr. Danquah’s stature.
He cited the Ghana Bar Association, which in 2025 reiterated that Dr. Danquah’s role in Ghana’s struggle for independence remains unparalleled, particularly his leadership of the Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society in resisting colonial land expropriation.
He also referred to the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, which has documented Dr. Danquah’s instrumental role in constitutional development, his involvement in the Burns Constitution of 1946, and his description by the Watson Commission as the “Doyen of Gold Coast Politics.”
According to Hon. Agyemang, contemporary policy institutions such as the Africa Leadership and Policy for Humanitarian Action (ALPHA) have similarly concluded that Ghana’s history and democratic trajectory cannot be fully understood without acknowledging Dr. Danquah’s intellectual and political contributions.
The MP further cited reflections by former Clerk of Parliament, Mr. K.B. Ayensu, who observed that parliamentary proceedings declined in quality after Dr. Danquah’s exit from the legislative scene, with members privately longing for what he described as “the Danquah days.”
Hon. Agyemang argued that Dr. Danquah’s detention and death under the Preventive Detention Act remain a sobering reminder of the dangers of excessive state power and the erosion of constitutional freedoms.
He urged Parliament and the nation to honour Dr. Danquah not only through ceremonial remembrance, but by strengthening democratic governance, protecting civil liberties and upholding the rule of law.
“To recognise Dr. Danquah is not merely to celebrate history, but to affirm the values of constitutionalism, intellectual freedom and national unity upon which our Republic was founded,” he said.
