before the second world war, few africans rose beyond the position of chief clerk in colonial administration. while as the death rate of europeans declined in west africa, many expatriates came to the country and gained administrative positions, as the colonial officers readily accepted expatriates and helped advanced their careers, this situation further diminished the chances of west africans to take more administrative responsibilities. reasons given to limit the career advancement of africans were the suspicions british officials had about africans ethical disposition, due to an earlier embezzlement case in ghana. however, this was a single case, and some critics questioned whether there were sinister motives behind the policy.