Ocansey was born in December 1913 at Ada, Gold Coast (now Ghana).[5] He had his early education at Accra Royal School where he obtained his standard 7 certificate in 1935.[5] He proceeded to Tetteh's College of Commerce where he trained as a stenographer and typist and a draughtsman surveyor.[5]
He became a building contractor and subsequently established Yesnaco Building Company with some expatriates.[5] In 1946 he was elected chairman African Builders and Contractors Federation.[6]
That same year, Ocansey joined the Mambii Party then later joined the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC).[6] In 1948, he became a member of the Convention People's Party, he formed the first youth league of the party at Adabraka and became the chairman.[6] He was also the organiser and chairman of the motor despatch unit of CPP and purchased the first 12 motor cycles for unit at 5,760 cedis (then equivalent to £2,400) and bought the Accra Evening News press at 1,200 cedis (then £500) at a public auction and handed it back to Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.[6] In 1952 he was elected councillor for ward 15-Adabraka. In 1953 he accompanied Nkrumah to Monrovia at the invitation of the then President of the Republic of Liberia, William Tubman.[7] In 1954 he represented the Gold Coast at the African Administrative Town Growth Conference in Cambridge.[8]
He was elected as a member of parliament for the Osudoku constituency in 1956[9] and two years later, appointed Regional Commissioner for the Eastern Region, responsible for the Ga-Adangbe segment of the Region.[8] In 1962, he was appointed Deputy Minister for Justice and assigned responsibility of the entire administration and supervision of the Ga-Adangbe Region.[10] He was later transferred to the Ministry of Agriculture serving as deputy minister in charge of state farms and fisheries.[10] In 1963 he led the Government delegation to China and Korea for their independence anniversary celebrations.[10] In February 1965 he was appointed Minister of Parks and Gardens, a new ministry that had been created by Nkrumah.[11][12] Ocansey served in this capacity until 24 February 1966 when the Nkrumah government was overthrown.