Nzemas angry over new history textbooks

The chiefs and people of Nzema have called on the government to withdraw and destroy a basic school textbook titled The Golden History of Ghana, which contains “obnoxious content”.

Content in the basic six textbook titled, “The Golden History of Ghana,” by Mercy Gyaa-Adiyiah has sparked controversies in the country and has provoked the Nzema’s to stop at nothing but to see the textbooks withdrawn and destroyed.

They say the content of the textbook denigrate Dr Kwame Nkrumah and brings his life-long unmatched sacrifices and patriotism into disrepute.

Addressing the media on Monday (5 April 2021) at Nkroful in the Ellembelle District of the Western Region, Nana Mireku Tumi I, convener of the Nzema Maanle group said, they are convinced that the author of the history book is on a carefully calculated mission to falsify world history, mislead the future generation and lead Ghana into a disunited country.

“Page 34 of The Golden History textbook under the sub-topic – Limitations of the CPP indicates that CPP under the leadership of Dr Nkrumah wasted resources of Ghana to support African countries like Guinea, he did not respect traditional institutions and was also a dictator,” the group said.

Infuriated by the contents of the textbook, the Nzema Maanle group has called on all peace-loving Ghanaians, relevant institutions including the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service (GES) and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) and the Office of the President, to prevail on the author and the publishers of the textbook to immediately withdraw and destroy such obnoxious content.

The group said the government must liaise with all relevant stakeholder institutions, to criminalize and ban the sale, ownership and possession of such publications including “The Golden History of Ghana textbooks” meant for basic six pupils.

The group is however enjoining the author and publisher of such “defaming and destructive information” to render unqualified apologies to the family of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, all chiefs and people of Nzema, Ghana as a country, and the whole of Africa, for soiling the reputation of Nkrumah; not only the first prime minister, first president of Ghana but also “Africa’s Man of the Millennium.”

“For the records, this movement calling for the withdrawal of the falsehoods calculated at smearing the image and personality of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and sowing seeds of Adiyiah and her publishing house, do the needful to ensure we continue to have the United Ghana we came to meet, and live to improve.”

SOURCE: Patrick Ennimil Arthur/AsaaseRadio