• My Media Journey

    This book is the autobiographical account of a young Ghanaian man’s unplanned entry into his country’s vibrant broadcasting industry at the turn of the century, and his largely triumphant yet occasionally tumultuous journey through it.

    Although his father, Sam Clegg, had been a fixture of journalism as a formidable national newspaper editor for nearly a decade, from 1983 to 1992, Robert Nii Arday Clegg wasn’t drawn instinctively to the media. Young Clegg appeared to have fallen some distance away from the old tree that fruited him. It took a fair bit of coaxing and cajoling to bring him round to broadcasting, initially as a university campus studio cub, transitioning subsequently into the major leagues of radio talk show hosts in Ghana. The obstruction all along, he reveals, was his first love – no, not Mimi his beloved girlfriend who he was to marry later, but the Law profession.

    My Media Journey is candid, completely unencumbered by flattery or camouflage. Clegg doesn’t dress b.s. up in make-up and polite synonyms. Excuse the Trumpian expression, but spades aren’t tremendous cutlery. What he sees as corporate shenanigans and acts of meanness are laid out unlaundered in the public square for readers, but so are acts of kindness and brotherly charity warmly and generously recounted.

    From chapter to chapter, Clegg’s character emerges of a focused, self-confident and fiercely stubborn young man with an unwavering sense of political independence. He demonstrates this in his on-air and editorial encounters at Radio Gold and Starr FM, both broadcast stations based in the capital, Accra, and which have politician owners. His values-based approach to broadcasting is evident when on multiple occasions he rejects, with ease, offers of under-the-table monetary rewards from newsmakers for work done in the regular line of duty, as well as from unnamed government officials. The title of this book notwithstanding, Clegg throws in his love of sports and regales us with his own prodigious exploits at hockey and the sprints, and how that passion helps to open the doors to his media journey.

    Also, he makes no pretence of his pride in his academic achievements borne out of intelligence, hard work and self-belief which, consequently, put him top of his law faculty class and reward him with a long-held dream — a place at Harvard Law School.

    As Shimon Peres put it in his foreword to Start-Up Nation – the Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, this book should be taken as an “interim report” on the evolving life and career of Clegg. It is but a small chapter in a much fuller story that is still writing itself.

    — FOREWORD BY KWAKU SAKYI-ADDO

    My Media Journey

    150.00
  • The Pen at Risk: Spilling My Little Beans

    “The Pen at Risk is more than a memoir. It is a piece of authentic, ungarnished history by a writer and public intellectual who is too modest to accept the title of a historian, but who witnessed and chronicled the most intriguing epochs of Ghana’s national life. Laced with the innate Fante humour, this book is a piece of deep but entertaining non-fiction that is told with the demystified simplicity of one of Ghana’s greatest academics and writers. Kwesi Yankah is a gift to humanity, and this memoir is a greater gift to an unfortunate generation like mine that did not live in the era of the incisive writings of the great Kwatriot.” – Manasseh Azure Awuni, Editor-in-Chief, The Fourth Estate

    “When a citizen who has spent his whole life scrutinising society, turns the spotlight on himself, the risks include this epic engagement that spares no one, him included. In this bare-it-all memoir, the Yankah enigma is fully bared, warts and all.  As it turns out, Yankah has had more than his fair share of privileged roles, ultimately impacting the national narrative. The richness of ethnography here, is as riveting as his urban-savvy accounts of the intrigues of university and national politics. While we watch him weave his wizardry of words, we are also awed by the totality of his humanity. The Pen at Risk is a hilarious package of eruditions. It is about the exalted gossips of our Motherland. The narratives are so sweet they hurt. If this isn’t the best book you have read in years, call me illiterate.” – Kofi Akpabli, Scholar, Author, Journalist

    “In this memoir, Kwesi Yankah  delivers a sparkling tableau of key aspects of his life, tabling his charmed childhood and amazing trajectory as an academic. He then rolls out his long stint as an audacious social commentator and columnist for leading papers (which may have put his pen at risk). With a penmanship characterized by a keen eye for detail, this autobiography is an entertaining and captivating book that should be read by all interested in media and social history as well as autobiography as a literary genre.” – Professor Mansah Prah, University of Cape Coast

    “Intriguing, revealing, and brilliant. The Pen at Risk is unvarnished introspection beautifully strung together with anecdotes in a way that is vibrant and colorful. Kwesi Yankah’s work is a refreshingly modest invitation to see life through a different lens, even for a fleeting moment.” – Dr Obeng Amoako Edmonds, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

  • Some Essential Features of Nkrumaism

    This new and expanded edition is a valuable guide to the political thought of Nkrumah.

    Part one, by the editors of The Spark (Accra), deals with Nkrumah’s policies to 1964.

    Part Two, by the editors of Panaf Books, concerns the period after 1964.

    Of particular significance in the new Part Two is a survey of the very important books written by Nkrumah during the Conakry period between March 1966 and August 1971.

    The themes include: forms of the independence struggle; colonialism, imperialism and neocolonialism; economic development; the role of the vanguard party; class struggle; and the unification of Africa.

  • Remnants of a Haunted Past: Forts and Castles of Ghana (Photo Book, Hardcover)

    Yaw Pare is a celebrated Ghanaian photographer. This ground-breaking book richly illustrates the history and legacies of Ghana’s forts and castles through photography. In the same way that the forts and castles themselves bear witness to the horrors of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery, so too do these photographs provide compelling material and visual testimonies, offering possibilities for understanding that words do not.

    In this book, the photographer’s camera captures a reality that many choose to remember but just as many choose to forget. Ultimately, Remnants of a Haunted Past: Forts and Castles of Ghana constitutes an attempt to document the past so that it is never forgotten in the present.

    1,250.001,450.00
  • The First Vice President: A Biography of JWS de Graft-Johnson (Hardcover)

    In the late 1970s, Joe de Graft-Johnson appeared on the national political scene as an Association of Recognized Professional Bodies executive, overlapping with his tenure as president of the Ghana Institution of Engineers. During this time, Joe actively demonstrated against the socioeconomic decline and lack of regard for professional guidance by the military regime. Joe subsequently won the People’s National Party’s nomination and became the Republic’s Vice President in 1979. Before this, he had transformed the Building and Road Research Institute into a prominent voice in using natural resources to address developmental needs, imbued as he was, with nation-building.

    Joe grew up within a family tradition of service to the country, instructed by lessons such as his grandfather’s contributions through the Aborigines’ Rights Protection Society. The Mfantsipim School and the historical significance of Cape Coast had also left their mark on him.

    Later, in exile, still focused on national development, he fought for the transition to democracy.
    The First Vice President chronicles the extraordinary life of Joe, spent in dedication to his country.

  • Kings, Priests, and Kinsmen

    This collection of E. A. Ammah’s ethnographic writing includes essays, some poetry, and other documents. Created over four decades, these pieces cover a wide range of topics including Ga culture in comparative perspective, Ga social organization, Ga political structure and history, Ga life transition ceremonies, and Ga religion. The collection provides a unique cultural insider’s twentieth century perspective on Ga society and history.

  • Beyond Fear and Power: Osahene Boakye Djan – Pioneer Journey from the Village to the City and Back

    On 2nd June, 1979, the military high command of the Ghana Armed Forces picked up intelligence of an impending coup against their regime from the 5 Battalion, the only fighting unit in Accra at the time.

    General Odartey Wellington, the then Army Commander, informed his lower commanders to take steps to order Captain Boakye Djan, the D Company Commander of the 5 Battalion of Infantry to stop it.

    On 4th June, 1979, Captain Boakye Djan emerged to become the substantive head of government and official spokesperson of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council of Ghana.

    This is the story of one of Africa’s great military masterminds and why he has survived it all.

  • Ghana Our Heritage

    Age Range: 8 years and above

    A comprehensive book that introduces both young and old to Ghana, its history, culture, traditional systems, languages, people, food and more!

    This book provides basic education about Ghanaian history, cultural practices and heritage for the Ghanaian child. Though it is useful for every Ghanaian (as well as non-Ghanaians), it was specifically designed to educate the Ghanaian child in the diaspora.

    The book gives a foundation of Ghanaian history and cultural practices to enable readers understand and appreciate Ghanaian heritage.

  • Joy: A Biography of Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu

    “At just 18 months of age, in 1959, Henrietta overcame the first of a lifetime of recurring challenges. One day she was rushed to a private hospital in Kumasi by her mother, feverish and weak. Her pulse was faint and everyone was scared. The doctor scolded Elizabeth for waiting for so long before bringing Henrietta to the hospital.

    “This is a hopeless case,” the doctor said to the distraught mother and asked back home with her child. Even after being dismissed from the hospital, Mama Elizabeth still remained on the premises, imploring; her arms firmly around her sick baby. Evidently out of pity, the doctor said, ‘Okay, I’m going to cut you a deal. Go home with the child. If tomorrow morning comes and she is still alive, bring her for treatment.’”

    This biography vividly captures how that 18-month-old baby survived, persevered and rose to become a Justice of the Supreme Court of Ghana.

    Joy is a captivating account of three generations committed to the pursuit of excellence community and public service. It is the testimony of the nurturing powers of education. It is the testimony of a woman whose life epitomises fairness, family and faith.

    “This book offers a lot more than a record of scholarly excellence and legal brilliance. In elegant prose, the author succeeds in combining these illuminating historical essays with a perceptive sociological case study of the ‘middle class’ in Ghana. On all counts. Prof. Henrietta Mensa-Bonsu’s biography is a literary treasure.” − Nana Prof. SKB Asante, Omanhene of Asante Asokore and Past President of Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences

    200.00250.00
  • Justice Daniel Francis Annan: In the Service of Democracy

    Justice Annan’s public service in Ghana’s recent history embodies how an individual, acting in concert with compatriots, can direct the course of history using institutions which may prevail at a specific conjuncture in that history.

    The objective of producing this biography of Justice Annan is to extrapolate from his life as a public servant, especially during the critical period of 1982- 1992 when he was a key member of the PNDC, and the 1993 – 2000 when he was Speaker of the first and second Parliaments of the Fourth Republic, the lessons and insights that add value to the existing knowledge of how social and political dynamics are purposefully managed even in the most challenging times; and how key institutions like Parliament are nurtured in a nascent democracy to literally turn dust into gold. The weight of the biography therefore leans heavily on Justice Annan’s public service during the two periods indicated above.

    This biography was sponsored by the IDEG under its Senior Citizen Scholar in Residence Programme, which is non-partisan and open to all who have distinguished themselves in rendering service to our dear country Ghana. We hope that this publication will inspire institutions and individual philanthropists, both Ghanaian and foreign, to contribute generously to the funding of the programme. The programme aims at deepening our knowledge and understanding of the momentous conjunctures in our history that have shaped the content and trajectory of Ghana’s young democratic state.

  • Determined to Do More: The Mission is Possible (An Autobiography)

    Journey along with Nenyi George Andah as he weaves stories of his childhood, teens and adulthood, guided by his Can-Do attitude. His captivating and exciting life stories provide a brilliant tool for anyone to imagine their future. – Geraldine Nartey (nee Andah)

    Determined to Do More is an uplifting story of struggles, successes, personal tragedy and an unending desire not to give up. – Ras Mubarak, Former MP, Kumbungu Constituency

    My recommendation is to read how the last child of John and Theresa Andah got to where he is today. You wouldn’t struggle to go through in a few hours of light reading. – Ato Afful, MD, Graphic Communications Group Limited

    The life of Nenyi George Andah as detailed in this thriller is so captivating. Readers will be held spellbound by the roller-coaster events that define his illustrious life. – Dr Joseph K. Essibu

    The story of the young man who saw the possibilities of mobile money long before anyone believed Ghanaians could be persuaded to appreciate the merits of cashless transactions. – Elizabeth Akua Ohene, George Andah’s Special Grandma

    250.00500.00
  • Ghana: A Tortuous Walk from Colonial Rule to Self Government and After – An Observer’s View

    In Ghana: A Tortuous Walk from Colonial Rule to Self-Government and After – An Observer’s View, the author takes the stand of an engaged citizen who watched the closing transformation of tribal states into colonial Gold Coast, and its metamorphosis into independent Republic of Ghana. Through his attachment to his nation, and from the perspective of an observer of the political process, he emotively describes the procession of events, the people and passions that brought the momentous occasion of independence, the dashing of hopes as political stability was continually disrupted through coup d’etats, and the character and contributions of the various regimes that took over the leadership of Ghana. He takes us on a walk through the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and now the 4th Republic, and describes the promises that the present dispensation of democracy makes to the Ghanaian. His presentation of how present-day Ghana has evolved explains the mixed emotions of anxiety and hope that shape the national outlook and the consistent angst exuding through fractious political groupings.

    The book is a must read for every person who wishes to know and understand the various events that have shaped the Ghana of the early 21st century.

  • Genuinely Ghanaian: A History of the Methodist Church Ghana, 1961-2000

    Genuinely Ghanaian is the fascinating history of the Methodist Church Ghana, from the time of its autonomy, 1961, to the year 2000.  This book shows how missiological issues of contextualization and outreach have shaped the history of the Methodist Church Ghana since the independence of Ghana from colonial rule. Ghanaians have accepted Methodism on their own terms and have reworked it to fit their needs. The Methodist Church Ghana has its roots in a Bible study group of Ghanaians, formed in 1831. Aided by British Methodist missionaries, the group developed over the next 130 years, until, in 1961, it gained autonomy from the British Methodist Conference. Central elements in the contextualization of this church include Ghanaian identity, Akan culture, and Methodist missionary theology. This book examines the evolution and consolidation of Methodism in Ghana from 1961 to 2000, highlighting in particular the contributions of the Fante people.

    “This book brings to the fore the dynamic contribution of The Methodist Church Ghana in respect of the development of the nation and people of Ghana. This volume represents a significant milestone in the study of the history of Ghana Methodism and fills a void in the scholarly literature in the area of Methodism in Ghana.  The work represents a magnificent contribution to the history of The Methodist Movement in Africa.” – The Most Rev. Prof. Emmanuel K. Asante, Presiding Bishop, The Methodist Church Ghana

    “It was a pleasure to know that at long last the task of updating The Roots of Ghana Methodism is in good hands. More important, it is in the hands of an Old Boy of Mfantsipim and the son of the Manse.” – F. L. Bartels, Former Headmaster of Mfantsipim and Author of The Roots of Ghana Methodism

    “Though African Christians make up a high proportion of the Church as a whole, comprehensive studies of African churches are far too few in number. Dr. Essamuah’s learned and readable account of a significant and in many ways representative contemporary African church is thus immensely welcome. May it be widely read and much emulated.” – Andrew F. Walls, University of Edinburgh and Liverpool Hope University 

  • Stones Tell Stories at Osu

    Stones Tell Story at Osu is a creative biographical account of the Slave Trade at Osu, one of the leading slave trading centres off the West African Coast.

    Wellington employs a metaphorical device through the voice of the narrator, Ataa Forkoye, to provoke discussion, dissolve the shame and confusion associated with the slave trade and to persuade the current generation of Africans to abandon the taboo of not speaking about it.

    Wellington, an architect by profession, does this by rummaging through the remaining physical ruins of the slave trade, picks up the stones one by one to construct a compelling narrative through the amalgam of values, conflicting colonial hegemony, layers of economic syncretism and the collision of cultures to bring to life the force of the relationship between the Europeans and their African counterparts.

    Stones Tell Story at Osu has brought together the untold “fragmented” pieces of the story of the slave trade this side of the Atlantic and serves as the missing puzzle to those who seek answers.

    Wellington’s rich narrative style still shines in this long-awaited second edition, a book that will tug at the curiosity of historians, anthropologists and students of English and Literature in high schools and universities alike and an engaging traveling companion that resists being laid down.

  • Rewards: An Autobiography

    Prof. Marian Ewurama Addy was a Professor of Biochemistry. In January 2008 she was appointed President of the Anglican University College of Technology, then a newly launched private initiative for higher technical education in Ghana. Professor Addy’s interest and extension activities were in bridging the gap between scientific and indigenous knowledge and in the popularisation of science.

    In her autobiography Ewurama Addy takes us through the various stages of her life, culminating in her rise up the academic ladder and an affirmation of her Christian faith.

    Professor Mariama Ewurama Addy, the popular host of the Science and Maths quiz died at age 72 in 2014. Prof. Addy was the first woman professor of Science from the University of Ghana. She was also a resource person for science education programs in the country.

    As the Quiz Mistress of a national weekly science and mathematics quiz program on television, she contributed immensely to science education by making the subject interesting to Ghanaians of all ages. It is believed that her quiz mistress role inspired many female students to study science.

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