After Nana Akufo-Addo’s supposed mistake regarding the origin of Ghana’s historical figure, Tetteh Quahsie, Sam George has demanded an apology from President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to the GaDangmes.
According to the Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram, the president’s actions are unacceptable, and the only way to rectify his error is by seeking forgiveness from the GaDangbes, who are already angered by the incident.
The MP has given Akufo-Addo a deadline of seven days to apologize for this grave mistake.
During his speech at the 67th Independence Day Anniversary on March 6, 2024, President Akufo-Addo acknowledged the Eastern Region’s contribution to Ghana’s cocoa industry and recognized Tetteh Quarshie’s role in introducing cocoa from Equatorial Guinea. However, he mistakenly stated that Tetteh Quarshie hailed from the Eastern Region.
Sam George tackled the president and demanded an unqualified apology from him.
“I think the president owes the GaDangme people an apology. For the unforgivable statement, he made that Tetteh Quarshie, a proud son of GaDangme land, a son whom we birth, is not ours. I mean, that’s unforgivable—completely unforgivable.
“The president owes us an apology, and it must happen within the next seven days. Absolutely, because that is an unpardonable mistake to make. He cannot seek to rewrite history. And we won’t accept that. As a proud GaDangme son, I would not accept that from the president,” Sam George said.
The MP called on Ga traditional leaders to demand President Akufo-Addo apologise for his remarks.
“And I expect the chiefs of Ga-Agangbe to rise up and right this wrong. I’ve seen that some of them have spoken, but we want to see more action. The Ga chiefs must speak. The Ga Mantse must speak. The traditional council must speak. The regional house of chiefs must speak.”
According to information from Wikipedia, Tetteh Quarshie was born around 1842 to a farmer named Mlekubo from Teshie. His mother, Ashong-Fio, was from Labadi, and both belonged to the Ga-Dangme ethnic group.
As a teenager, Tetteh Quarshie apprenticed at a Basel Mission workshop in Akropong, where his dedication led him to become a skilled blacksmith. He eventually became the first blacksmith in Akuapim-Mampong and had a passion for farming.
In 1870, Tetteh Quarshie embarked on a journey to the Spanish colony of Fernando Po (now Bioko in Equatorial Guinea). Six years later, he returned to Ghana with numerous cocoa beans.
The claim that Tetteh Quarshie was the first to introduce cocoa to Ghana was disputed during Sir Gordon Guggisberg’s administration, who was the British Governor of the Gold Coast from 1919 to 1927.
Sir William Brandford Griffith (1858–1939), a colonial judge, argued that his father, also named Sir William Brandford Griffith (Governor of the Gold Coast in 1880 and 1885), should be credited. Additionally, the Basel Missionaries documented their experiments with cocoa beans in Ghana in their diaries.
