Use writings to tell true African story ­— Prez

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has urged African writers to use their writings to tell the true African story and change the negative narrative that Africa is a failed continent.

He also advised them to stop writing false and negative stories about the continent and its people and not pander to selfish and parochial interests that did not promote the progress of the continent.

He was speaking at the celebration of the 24th International African Writers’ Day in Accra last Monday.

It was organised by the Pan-African Writers Association (PAWA) on the theme: ‘’Language, library and the book industry: The urgent agenda for Africa’s destiny’’.

Honour

The event was also used to honour President Nana Akufo-Addo with PAWA’s Noble Patron of the Arts award for his interest in and contribution to the arts.

The PAWA General Secretary, Professor Atukwei Okai, and the Deputy Chairperson of the AU Commission, Ambassador Kwesi Quartey, presented the President with a medallion and a certificate.

In line with the tradition of PAWA, the President was also made to sit on PAWA’s Stool of Royalty.

The President said it was time for African writers to inject integrity and truth in their writings and stop those seeking to discredit the continent through their books, articles and dissertations.

Writing with integrity

“When you write, it must have integrity and African writers should project Africa in a positive light through their publications,” he stressed, adding that when the integrity of the writer was compromised, the library is “well and truly burnt’’.

President Akufo-Addo said the present generation of Africans had a special duty to be responsible writers and tell true African stories without compromising themselves, since that would be the only way stories of the continent would be told positively.

Lecture

Delivering a lecture on the topic: “Which language should be used for African Literature; language of the head or language of the heart”, Professor Beban Sammy Chumbow of the University of Yaounde, Cameroon, observed that knowledge production the world over was a constant determiner of who was developed, developing and undeveloped.

In his opinion, Africa’s under-development had become so because knowledge production on the continent had mostly been carried out through the medium of foreign languages which did not resonate with majority of Africans.

Prof. Chumbow said it was instructive, as well as the duty and responsibility of Africans, to use their mother tongue in developing education on the continent.

He, however, said the multiplier effect of knowledge production would be surely enhanced when the mother tongue was used in conjunction with the foreign language.

In a welcome address, Prof. Okai called for the continued encouragement of the publication of works created by African writers through the acquisition of books approved by the Quality Validation Board for African libraries.

Writer’s email: victor.kwawukume@graphic.com.gh