The leadership of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) has expressed strong reservations about the content of the “History of Ghana” textbook for Basic 6, authored by one Mercy Gyaa-Adiyiah and published by Golden Publications Limited.
According to the party, the book carries “distasteful, offensive and incorrect information” about Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah.
Addressing the media in Accra, General Secretary of the CPP, Nana Yaa Akyimpim Jantuah said the publication puts the CPP as a political party in a bad stead.
“Once such a disinformation campaign has started, it is difficult to return to reality. It is unfortunate that in the recent past attempts have been made by some political elements in our society to distort the history of Ghana,” she said.
Distortions
Nana Jantuah also noted that sacred dates which are steeped in the country’s political history have been changed and their relevance distorted.
“For instance, it is unfortunate that a day like the Republic Day has been expunged, excluded and exiled through an obnoxious Holiday Act which seeks to rewrite the history of Ghana and limit the political achievements of the CPP.”
The CPP, she said, believes that describing Kwame Nkrumah as a dictator, is an agenda to destroy his indelible legacy, asserting that it has always been the mantra of the ruling New Patriotic Party to describe Nkrumah as such.
According to her, there is no basis to call Nkrumah a dictator.
Dissolution of NaCCA board
Nana Jantuah has therefore called on President Akufo-Addo to dissolve the board of the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) with immediate effect.
She said the said textbooks have been on the market for over six months without NaCCA doing anything about it hence their call.
“The CPP specifically expected the executive and legislative arms of government to condemn this distortion of history, but nothing has been heard in that direction and we are highly disappointed.
But the CPP commends the media which brought the issue to the fore, put it on the national agenda and discussed it for the public good,” he added.
Philip Abutiate
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