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Burns Constitution
Drawn up in the Gold Coast
Est. Legislative Council of 12 Br nominees + 18 elected African members
How... power still remained ultimately in the hands of the Governor-General -
Richards Constitution
Nigeria - Allowed greater African representation in form of Legislative Council but the GG + Executive Council retaining ultimate power 3 assemblies for each of the 3 major regions also established to debate local matters + to advise British governors on these regions -
Tanganyika Groundnut Scheme
Idea emerged to grow large quantities of groundnuts in Tanganyika which could be processed into oil + sold to world economy
Massive investment in tractors, equipment + railway construction
Terrain proved too difficult to cultivate + scheme abandoned in 1951 having cost £49 mill -
Convention People's Party (CPP) founded
Founded by Kwame Nkrumah + pressurised the British administration to make further concessions -- Legislative Council enlarged + renamed Legislative Assembly + electorate increased (Br governor still retained ultimate power) -
Macpherson Constitution
Nigeria - extended the right to vote + created National Council of Ministers (answerable to a 185-seat Federal House of Representatives) -- simulated growth of Nigerian political parties Each region allowed its own gov + elected assembly which the Federal House could not overrule -- exacerbated tensions between different ethnicities -
Nkrumah released + CPP incorporated into gov
Nkrumah jailed in 1950 -- CPP won 2/3 of seats in Legislative Council in 1951
Clear to Burns (GG) that CPP had to brought into gov to decrease resistance
Nkrumah became PM in 1952 + CPP members given positions as government ministers
Gov given extensive control of internal affairs + Nkrumah's popularity grew -
Gold Coast independence
1956 - plebiscite (direct vote by all members of the electorate on an important public question) in Togoland (Br mandate) in favour of the unification of the Gold Coast
Country became fully independent in Mar 1957 as Ghana -
Nigerian independence
Following federal elections in 1954 - gov consisted of 3 Br officials + 9 ministers drawn from various regional political parties -- following federal elections in 1959 moves made to full independence in Oct 1960