Anthony Woode

Anthony Kobina Woode was born on 1 February 1923.[1] A trade unionist, he actively participated in the movement for independence in the Gold Coast, later to become Ghana.

Political activity

Woode met Kwame Nkrumah when Nkrumah arrived in the Gold Coast from Britain in December 1948 to take up the role of General Secretary of the United Gold Coast Convention. Political differences began to emerge within the convention, leading to younger members breaking away to form the Convention People's Party (CPP) in June 1949. Nkrumah became the chairman, Komla Agbeli Gbedemah the vice-chairman and Kojo Botsio secretary of the CPP.[2]Woode joined the Sekondi branch of the CPP. Woode was elected General Secretary of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in August 1949.[3] He was just 23.[4] Pobee Biney, who became a close friend and associate of Woode was elected Vice-President and together they forged the radical nationalist tendency, along with several others, in both the TUC and CPP. Woode help negotiate with miners union.[5]

In November 1949 Woode threatened to call a general strike when 60 meteorological workers were dismissed for striking illegally in October. Woode as General Secretary of the TUC threatened to get all workers to down tools and participate in a general strike.[6]

Woode, together with Kwame Nkrumah and others, played a leading role in organising a Positive Action campaign consisting of mass peaceful protest to pressurise the British colonial government to grant immediate self-government to the people of the Gold Coast colony.

At midnight on 6 January 1950 the TUC declared a general strike triggering Nkrumah to announce the start of Positive Action at a mass rally just over a day later on 8 January.[7] Woode, Nkrumah and others were eventually arrested and imprisoned with Nkrumah only being released when the CPP overwhelming won the general election held in February 1951.

Arrest and imprisonment

On 9 February 1950 a case against Woode was brought before the Magistrate's Court, Sekondi. The charges against him included inciting people to participate in an illegal strike and doing an act prejudicial to public safety.[8] On 18 February 1950 Woode was sentenced to one year.[9]

Impact of Positive Action

Fallout from the Positive Action campaign led to the demise of the Gold Coast TUC and eventual split from the CPP as Woode, who along with his colleague Pobee Biney, representing the more radical wing of the Gold Coast TUC, were ousted from their leadership positions.[10] This led to a split in the TUC in 1951 when the Ghana Federation Trade Union Congress (GFTUC) was formed. Though they did not have official leadership positions, Biney and Woode aligned themselves with the GFTUC.

Woode was elected as a CPP member of the Legislative Assembly for the Sefwi-Wiawso constituency in western region in the 1951 general election.[11] After taking his seat Woode became increasingly more critical of the CPP for side lining the interest of workers.[12]

Woode attended the Communist World Federation of Trade Unions.[13][14] This, along with his union activities put Woode on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) watchlist. A 1955 CIA file cites that Woode was making plans to organise a National Peace Movement.[15]

In October 1953, apparently under pressure from the British colonial power, Woode, along with his colleague Turkson Ocran, was suspended from the CPP for attended the World Federation of Trade Unions.[13]

In 1956, on the eve of independence, Woode was prevented from standing for the CPP in the general election. The seat he had held as a CPP Legislative Assembly member was contested by William Kwabena Aduhene who was elected as the Member of Parliament for Sefwi-Wiawso.

The leadership in the CPP felt those on the left wing would compromise attaining independence.[16][17][18]

References

1. "Remembering an unsung patriot - Anthony Kobina Woode (1923-1986)". Graphic Online. 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
2. Austin, Dennis (1964). Politics in Ghana: 1946 - 1960. Oxford University Press. p. 85.
3. "Remembering an unsung patriot - Anthony Kobina Woode (1923-1986)". Graphic Online. 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
4. Jeffries, Richard (1978). Class, power, and ideology in Ghana: the railwaymen of Sekondi. African studies series. Cambridge, [Eng.] ; New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 54. ISBN 978-0-521-21806-1.
5. Quaison-Sackey, Alex; Quaison-Sackey, Awo Aferba (2021). The makings of a diplomatist: the memoirs of Alexander Quaison-Sackey. Tema, Ghana: DigiBooks. ISBN 978-9988-9098-5-7.
6. Crisp, Jeff; Hilson, Gavin M. (2017). The story of an African working class: Ghanaian miners' struggles 1870-1980. African history archive. London: Zed Books. p. 102. ISBN 978-1-78360-976-5.
7. Awoonor, Kofi (1990). Ghana: a political history from pre-European to modern times. Accra: Sedco publ. p. 147. ISBN 978-9964-72-106-0.
8. Millner, Ralph (1941–1969). "Ralph Millner papers, Institute of Commonwealth Studies Library, University of London. GB 101 ICS165". Archives Hub. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
9. Davidson, Basil (1989). Black star: a view of the life and times of Kwame Nkrumah. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Pr. p. 78. ISBN 978-0-8133-0928-6.
10. Jeffries, Richard, ed. (1978), "The politics of TUC reorganisation under the CPP regime", Class, Power and Ideology in Ghana: The Railwaymen of Sekondi, African Studies, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 58–70, ISBN 978-0-521-10016-8, retrieved 2025-01-18
11. "List of MLAs elected in the 1951 Gold Coast general election", Wikipedia, 2024-12-24, retrieved 2025-01-13
12. Ahlman, Jeffrey S. (2017). Living with Nkrumahism: nation, state, and Pan-Africanism in Ghana. New African histories. Athens (Ohio): Ohio University Press. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-8214-2292-2.
13. "Gold Coast: Reds, Go Home". Time. 1953-11-09. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
14. "The Gold Coast: The Man on Trial". Time. 1954-01-11. Retrieved 2025-01-18.
15. "Plans of Communist Group to Organize National Peace Movement". www.cia.gov. Retrieved 2025-01-28.
16. "The politics of TUC reorganisation under the CPP regime", Class, Power and Ideology in Ghana, Cambridge University Press, pp. 58–70, 1978-11-02, retrieved 2025-01-16
17. "The Gold Coast: The Man on Trial". Time. 1954-01-11. Retrieved 2025-01-13.
18. Adi, Hakim (2018). Pan-Africanism: a History. London, UK: Bloomsbury Academic, Bloomsbury Publishing Plc. p. 138. ISBN 978-1-4742-5427-4.