Anti-Ewe Textbooks: Heads Must Roll Now! - Nana Akomea

Cheif Executive Officer (CEO) of the State Transport Corporation (STC), Nana Akomea has called for heads to roll in the offensive history textbooks brouhaha.

Publishers, Badu Nkansah and Golden Publications have recently come under intense criticisms over their publication of two textbooks titled History of Ghana and Golden English respectively.

The textbooks have offensive contents which seek to denigrate Ewes in the country.

Due to the offensive characterization of the Ewe ethnic group in the books, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has directed that all unapproved textbooks being sold on the market be withdrawn with immediate effect.

Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has also debunked claims of the sector approving the textbooks.

He says the reports circulating that the Ghana Education Service (GES) has permitted for the anti-Ewe book to be used in basic schools in the country are “untrue” and urged the public to disregard the publication.

“The book is not approved”, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum told Peacefmonline.com.

Although the publishers of the textbooks have apologized for their insensitivity and inappropriate descriptions, Nana Akomea is of a strong view that the apology is not enough.

He has called for sanctions to be meted out to the persons whose actions led to the publishing and sale of the textbooks.

"Demonizing an ethnic group, it goes some law. Even demonizing an individual without basis, it can be prosecuted; not to say a whole book. So, there must be proper investigation into the processes at Badu Nkansah, the processes at NACAA, Ghana Education Service and if there is any punishment, we mete out to those deserving," he said.

"We must take a remedial to resolve the issue. We must sanction those responsible for this act so that there won't be a repeat," he added.

Nana Akomea further sought reasons why there should be new history books in schools.

"History of Ghana, 64 years, are we now going to write a new book? If the Ghana Education Service wants to teach Ghana history to school children, are you now writing a new textbook that you have to invite people to write new textbook for Ghana history to teach school children. Today? When we were in class four/five, we did Ghana history. Were there not textbooks that have not brought about any issue?'' he asked.