Ghana State Book Project needs commendation

On Saturday, April 16, 2022, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo joined other dignitaries to launch the 2000-page Kwahu State Book.

The volume documents the chieftaincy lineage of the Kwahu people of the Eastern Region, divisional stools, the paramountcy and also gives a historical account of lineages.

It seeks to help identify the rightful royals to divisional stools and eventually help resolve chieftaincy disputes in the Kwahu Traditional Area.

Launching the book at a durbar at Mpraeso, President Akufo-Addo said most of the country’s security challenges were due to chieftaincy disputes and mentioned some of such challenges as the Dagbon chieftaincy dispute.

He added that the launch of the voluminous Kwahu State Book would help avert chieftaincy disputes in the Kwahu Traditional Area.

Indeed, we are aware other such volumes have been launched in other traditional areas such as the Awutu State Book for the people of Awutu Traditional Area, which was launched in September 2012; the Techiman State Book for the people of Techiman Traditional Area, launched in March 2014; the Offinso State Book for the people of Offinso Traditional Area launched in October 2016; the Hwidem State Book for the people of Hwidem Traditional Area launched in October 2017, and the Tepa State Book for the people of Tepa Traditional Area.

As the Paramount Chief of Kwahu, Daasebre Akuamoah Agyapong II, said at the launch, the volume could pass for a reference material for academics, researchers, lawyers, members of Judicial committees and the general public.

We do not have any doubts that the book will serve a very useful purpose as it is a worthy reference material for all.

Judging the work by the collaboration among experts, historians and traditional authorities, home and abroad, we recommend it to all and the Daily Graphic has already arranged to get its own copy to enhance information published in its authoritative brands.

The Daily Graphic congratulates and commends the Ghana State Book Project for such a worthy cause.

We also applaud them for collaborating so effectively in publishing the five state books so far.

It has long been held that African traditional and customary practices are predominantly oral. We, therefore, tend to lose most of these long-standing practices when the oral custodians pass away.

Thus, documenting lineages is a guarantee against the loss of such vital information about our essence.

The Kwahu State Book and others like it must also dispel the notion that people of colour do not read. The cliche that “if you want to hide something from a black person you put it in a book,” must not be the case with Ghanaians.

The book must ignite interest among us all to get to know the history of our lineages.

We encourage the Ghana State Book Project and all related stakeholders to enhance their advocacy around the books and encourage their patronage by schools, various committees of enquiries, higher educational instututions, Ghanaians home and abroad and even tertiary educational facilities abroad with faculties for African studies.

The Daily Graphic is assured that after the documentation of lineages, the Ghana Book Project will go further to document the traditions and cultural practices of traditional areas nationwide. We say kudos to the Ghana State Book Project.