Pobee Biney

Alfred Pobee Biney was born in Cape Coast on 13 January 1914. Biney went to the Government school in Cape Coast. He joined Ghana Railways in April 1935 becoming a locomotive engineer driver. He joined the radical railway and harbour workers union, considered to be one of the most radical unions in the Gold Coast (present day Ghana) at the time. Biney lived next to Nana Kobina Nketsia IV, the Omanhene of Essikadu who was a supporter of Positive Action.

Biney first met Kwame Nkrumah in December 1947 when Nkrumah arrived at Takoradi on his way back from the United Kingdom to take up the role of general secretary for the United Gold Coast Convention forging a political relationship which lasted a few years.

Trade union activities Biney emerged as a natural trade unionist, someone who would speak up for the rights of workers without prompting. This led workers with grievances to seek him our for advice and support. Because of his popularity Biney was elected President of the Railway Workers Union, Esikadu-Sekondi in 1946. He was elected Vice-President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) in 1949. His close friend Anthony Woode became the TUC General Secretary. Biney developed a reputation as "a fighter for the suffering masses."

Legislative Assembly A general election was held in the Gold Coast on 8 February 1951. Biney was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly on the CPP ticket, beating a prominent pro-British chief, Nana Sir Tsibu Darku IX, to win in Sekondi-Takoradi.

However, together with Woode, Biney became increasingly critical in the shifting CPP stanch. Particularly the shift from Positive Action to Tactical Action, which Biney and Woode view more as conceding to the demands of the colonial authorities to the detriment of the common person in the Gold Coast.

Later political activity Biney was expelled from the CPP. Following his expulsion, along with Anthony Woode, Kwesi Lamptey, Abubekr, Yeboah Aukordich, and B. F. Kusi he attempted to form a political party, the National Reformation Party (NRP).

Death Biney was just 54 years old when he died on 29 January 1968.