Book on J.A. Braimah launched in Accra

A 365-PAGE book which eulogises and celebrates the life of the late Joseph Adam Braimah (J. A. Braimah), a former Yagbonwura, Paramount Chief of the Gonja Traditional Area, and founder member of the Northern People’s Party, has been launched in Accra.

The book is titled “J A Braimah, Biography of a Trailblazer”, with a sub title: “A life defined by perpetual struggle and sheer tenacity of overlooking it”.

The book has 17 chapters, and according to the author, Mr Alhassan Ahmed, it is a must-read for people interested in the political history of the country.

Motivation

Mr Ahmed said he conceived the idea to write the book in 2017, when he undertook his research assignment and chanced upon a journal article which contained an extract from a book co-authored by the late Yagbonwura.

He said J. A. Braimah, did so much for northern Ghana, but his good works, like many northerners then, were regrettably not properly documented.

Mr Ahmed expressed disappointment that historians had sidelined leaders from northern Ghana, many of whom played major roles in the fight for self-determination when the northern territories of the country was neglected by colonial governments.

The author said he felt a sense of obligation as a native of Salaga in the Savannah Region to put together a biography of the life of a man who had brought honour not only to Salaga and Kpembe, but Gonjaland and northern Ghana.

He said the book was as a result of months of painstaking research and archival sources, interviews and several printed materials focussing not only on J.A. Braimah’s political career, but also his personal life.

Northern People’s Party

J. A. Braimah was a founder member of the Northern People’s Party which merged with other political parties in the 1950s to form the United Party (UP), now the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

This was when Chief S. D. Dombo from Duori in the Upper West Region ,who was the leader of the party at the time, formed an alliance with Dr K. A. Busia’s Ghana Congress Party which later became known as the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition.

J. A. Braimah became the national Vice-Chairman of the UP.

The General-Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr John Boadu, paid tribute to the late J. A. Braimah and other founding fathers of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia political tradition, saying the role of J. A. Brimah in the formation of the Northern People’s Party and later the UP, exemplified selflessness, courage and incorrigibility.

Commendation

The Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who launched the book, commended the author for documenting the life of what he described as a great personality.

He described the late Braimah as a humble person and one whose presence made people feel comfortable, a man of varied talents and one who wore integrity like a badge, adding that he was an embodiment of public service who did not compromise his position.

“Despite his selfless public service, he was a man far ahead of his time and he represented the most excellent specimen of the tradition. He respected the rule of law, human rights and the doctrines of democratic governance,” the Vice-President said.

According to him, J.A. Braimah’s quest to see the development gap between the north and south bridged was what had kept his name alive till today.

Dr Bawumia further described him as a person who “represented the most excellent specimen of the enviable Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition, and this has never been lost on the NPP”.

For his part, the Senior Advisor to the President, Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo, who chaired the function, urged politicians to get copies of the book to “help us understand the unity of purpose.”

The first 10 copies of the book were bought by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for GH¢50,000, while Dr Bawumia bought six copies at GH¢30, 000.

The NPP also bought four copies for GH¢20, 000.