A UNITARY STATE IS NOT A SOLITARY STATE
I am repeating this explanation here because some confusionists are still campaigning with the expression ” Ghana is a unitary state. Ghana voted to cancel the union”.
A unitary state does not mean a solitary state. Ghana as a unitary state comprises of the Gold Coast Colony, the Ashanti Kingdom and the Northern Protectorate. They decided in the referendum of 12th July, 1956 to form a unitary state.
This does not cancel the U.N. decision on Togoland under British Administration. A decision arrived at through a process of investigations, consultations, plebiscite, and General Assembly Resolutions.
The Togoland Plebiscite of 9th May 1956 and the Gold Coast Referendum of 12th July, 1956 were two different thing all together. The plebiscite was part of an international process while the referendum was part of an internal constitution writing process.
Even if they have decided to form a Federal state, it still does not include Western Togoland.
That is why the U.N. continued to instruct the Administering Authority to take the necessary steps to establish the UNION and inform her of it.
The Gold Coast Referendum of 12th July 1956 has nothing to do with the U.N. Resolution 1044(XI) of 13th December, 1956 and Britain’s letter of 6th March 1957 to the U.N. Secretary General on the formation of the union.
