No More Tokenism Institutionalize the Legacy of Ghana’s Economic Founding Father
By Nene Kwame Larweh
Osɔfo Nii Naate Atswele Agbo Nartey, prominent GaDaŋme cultural advocate, has issued a compelling national call: Ghana must move beyond symbolic gestures and permanently institutionalize the legacy of Tetteh Quarshie.
According to Osɔfo Nartey, while Ghana continues to reap enormous economic benefits from cocoa, the visionary who introduced the crop to the Gold Coast has not been accorded platinum recognition commensurate with his historic contribution.
“No more tokenism. A nation that lives on cocoa must permanently memorialize the man who planted its economic seed.”
On His Origin:
Osɔfo Nii Naate Atswele Agbo Nartey expressed deep sorrow over the ongoing debate about the origin of Tetteh Quarshie, describing it as unnecessary and unfortunate.
According to him, it was particularly troubling when a sitting President of the Republic of Ghana publicly referred to Tetteh Quarshie as a native of Akuapem. He argued that if a President who hails from Akuapem believes Tetteh Quarshie was from his hometown, it raises serious historical concerns.
Osɔfo Nii Naate maintains that Tetteh Quarshie was Ga by birth and ancestry against
historically, documented accounts indicate that, he was born at Mampong-Akuapem in the Eastern Region. The fact is Tetteh Quarshie was born in 1842 to a farmer from Teshie, Accra known as Mlekubo. His mother was known as Ashong-Fio from Labadi, both hailing from the GaDaŋme ethnic group.
Tetteh Quarshie was not a native of Mampong nor was he an Akuapim. He was Ga-Dangme born and bred. By ancestry, he belonged to the GaDaŋme ethnic stock, even though he lived and worked in Akuapem was never born there. Just that the cocoa seeds he brought to the Gold Coast were first planted at
Mampong-Akuapim.
The debate, he insists, must be guided by historical accuracy rather than sentiment or political convenience.
He lamented that photos of Tetteh Quarshie do not look good at all. There are very few authenticated photographs of him, so many widely circulated images are artistic impressions or statues particularly the famous monument at Mampong-Akuapem, where the first cocoa seeds were planted.
From Cocoa Seed to National Transformation:
Today, cocoa revenues continue to support:
(a).National foreign exchange earnings
(B).Rural livelihoods across farming communities
(c).Educational development and infrastructure
(d).Generations of Ghanaian families.
Yet, Osɔfo Nartey argues, Ghana’s gratitude has not matched the magnitude of Quarshie’s platinum contribution.
A Monument Worthy of a Nation:
The proposal calls for bold, institutional action:
(1). A monumental national statue in Accra, at the Tetteh Quarshie Round About be built. The Accra Mall should be named after him in symbolizing enduring gratitude.
(2). A fully resourced Tetteh Quarshie Cultural and Educational Centre focused on agricultural innovation, entrepreneurship, and heritage education
(3). Integration of cocoa history into Ghana’s national tourism strategy.
Such an institution, he maintains, would not merely honor the past but ignite the future inspiring innovation, patriotism, and respect for indigenous enterprise.
More Than a Footnote
“Tetteh Quarshie built the cocoa economy of West Africa,” Osɔfo Nartey insists. “He deserves more than a paragraph in textbooks. He deserves monumental recognition as a national economic founding father.”
As national conversations intensify around heritage, monuments, and identity, this call introduces a provocative question:
Should Ghana honor its agricultural pioneers with the same vigor it accords political figures?
For Osɔfo Nartey, the answer is unequivocal:
“When a nation drinks from a well, it must never forget who dug it.
He planted a seed. He built an economy. Institutionalize his memory.”
