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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.
₵270.00 -
The Danquah-Busia Tradition in the Politics of Ghana: The Origins, Mission and Achievements of the New Patriotic Party
The book traces the nation’s political history from its status as a model British African Colony, the Gold Coast, to its attainment of political independence as the modern state of Ghana in 1957, under the leadership of Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. The author gives full recognition to the overwhelming debt that Ghana in particular and Africa in general owe to Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah’s vision as one of the giants of Pan-African Emancipation.
The book systematically documents the contribution of Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah and Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia in the freedom struggle. The courageous and impressive role of Professor Adu Boahen in the breaking of the so called “culture of silence” in 1988 at the height of the PNDC regime under Flt. Lt. J. J. Rawlings is acknowledged.
In the concluding Chapter 13 all the leaders of the tradition are assessed – Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah passes the litmus test as a doyen of Ghana politics, with impeccable democratic credentials for human rights and the rule of law. The deviation from the ideals of the Danquah-Busia Tradition by Dr. Busia during his two and half years as Head of Government is commented on. Dr. K.A. Busia challenged the rule of law in its response to the ruling of the Supreme Court in the infamous case of Sallah vs. The Republic.
Other serious deviations from the principles of the Danquah-Busia Tradition were the way in which Dr. Busia implemented the Aliens Compliance Act in 1969. Then also the throwing overboard the belief in meritocracy and the shortcomings of the “zero tolerance of corruption” by President J.A. Kuffour led administration of the Patriotic Party are discussed.
However, the important and positive achievements of the NPP Government under President Kuffour such as the successes in establishing the Ghanaian economy, upholding the rule of law, enhancing good governance, improving the education and health copulation and thus lifting the flag of Ghana high in Africa and in the international community are not ignored.
Some of the criticisms may be harsh but the author is a committed member of the Tradition and he justifies his criticism of the Kuffour government with its own commitment to “ensure that the high ideas and objectives which have guided the Tradition through good and bad times should not at any time and under any circumstance be sacrificed for narrow partisan interest or worse still for personal gain”.
The form and force of the impact of these criticisms must be left to individual assessment and experience. The author has succeeded in intellectually stimulating and provoking democrats and non-democrats of whatever affiliation to digest the contents of this book and make their own judgment. He has opened the door for a fresh appraisal of the noble ideals of the Danquah-Busia Tradition.
In the Way Forward, the author makes some reflections on the future direction of the NPP.
Politicians, opinion leaders, the media, social observers and social critics as well as students of history and political science will find this book invaluable.
₵80.00 -
Selected Speeches of Dr. K. A. Busia: Prime Minister of Ghana (1969-1972)
This is a compendium of speeches by Dr. K.A. Busia, a world-renowned politician and scholar, Africa’s first Leader of Parliamentary Opposition in an independent country south of the Sahara and Prime Minister of Ghana (1969-1972).
His commitment to multiparty democracy is demonstrated throughout the pages. For example, he objected strongly to the decision to turn Ghana into a one-party state in the First Republic, saying, “One-party rule for Ghana, in the light of our traditions, is a step backward from the accumulated wisdom we inherited from our ancestors.”
Today, one-party rule is a taboo to the Ghanaian constitution and Busia’s preferred economic and governance modules have become the bedrock for governance, demonstrating the continuing relevance of his ideas to contemporary politics.
₵50.00 -
J. A. Braimah: Biography of a Trailblazer (Hardcover)
This well researched book is not just a biography of the first-ever Member of Parliament and Cabinet Minister from Northern Ghana, but a packed chronicle of the stormy political period of the pre- and immediate post-independent Ghana, narrated through the lens of a man in whose soul the development of Ghana – and Northern Ghana in particular – burns. It highlights the slow but momentous inclusion of Northern Ghana in the affairs of the Gold Coast.
The mistrust that characterized the relationship between Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and the leaders of Northern Ghana, which culminated in the formation of the Northern Peoples Party, and Northern Ghana’s struggle for a dignified independence; makes this biography a must have for scholars, students, politicians and all who are interested in the twists and turns of this period.
₵100.00₵150.00J. A. Braimah: Biography of a Trailblazer (Hardcover)
₵100.00₵150.00 -
Neo-Colonialism: The Last Stage of Imperialism (African Writers Series, AWS49)
This is the book which, when first published in 1965, caused such an uproar in the US State Department that a sharp note of protest was sent to Kwame Nkrumah, and the $25million of American “aid” to Ghana was promptly cancelled. It exposes the working of international monopoly capitalism in Africa and shows how the stranglehold of foreign monopolies perpetuates the paradox of Africa: poverty in the midst of plenty.
₵590.00 -
The Struggle Continues
The six pamphlets in this book reflect the indomitable spirit of Kwame Nkrumah, the symbol of fighting Africa.
The first, What I Mean by Positive Action, was written in 1949 when the campaign for the independence of Ghana was at its height.
The other five pamphlets were all written between 1966 and 1968 in Conakry, Guinea, where this great Pan-Africanist carried on the socialist revolutionary struggle to which he devoted his whole life.
1 What I Mean by Positive Action
2 The Spectre of Black Power
3 The Struggle Continues
4 Ghana: The Way Out
5 The Big Lie
6 Two Myths
All except the first, which was written in 1949 at the height of the national liberation struggle, were written in Conakry between 1967 and 1968. Not only is Kwame Nkrumah’s theoretical work highly original and consistent, it is also a practical guide to revolutionary action.
₵375.00The Struggle Continues
₵375.00 -
My Life: A Historical Narrative – Autobiography of Ivan Addae-Mensah (Hardcover)
This autobiography should be a best seller. It is a lucid, engaging, fascinating account of a very complex man with an eclectic life that the author has managed to masterfully present as a mainstream Ghanaian. It is so enjoyable to read.
Dr. Ing Kwame Boakye
Former President, Ghana Institution of Engineers
Former Vice Chairman, AT&T Paradyne, Florida, USAWith this autobiography, “My Life – A Historical Narrative”- Professor Emeritus- Ivan Addae-Mensah, the highly reputable and respected scientist and academic, has established his credentials as a writer par excellence and a master storyteller by every definition. . It is a well –written, riveting book, easy to read and absolutely interesting . I highly recommend this inspirational book.
Ambassador Kabral Blay-Amihere
Author, Former Chairman of the Ghana Media Commission,
Former Ghana High Commissioner to Sierra Leone and Ambassador to Côte d’IvoireDuring our university days we conferred the accolades “Versatile” and “Walking Encyclopaedia” on Emeritus Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah. Reading his book “My Life, a Historical Narrative” has confirmed that we were right. Ivan’s experiences in life, especially in the Ghana Public Service and in the political arena confirm the notion that serving one’s nation with honesty and integrity could be hazardous, but it pays. I highly recommend the book to all and sundry.
Ambassador Sir James K. Bebaako-Mensah
Former Secretary to the Cabinet, Former Secretary to President J.E.A Mills and Former Ghana Ambassador to the Holy See (Vatican)In this absorbing autobiography, Emeritus Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah takes the reader on a journey through an extraordinary life that provides insights into his own life as well as Ghana’s social and political history from the 1940s till today; Written in an accessible and humorous style, this captivating chronicle is a must-read for anyone seeking to learn about Ghana’s contemporary history.
Professor Akosua Adomako Ampofo,Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana₵300.00 -
Thinking Allowed: A Collection of Articles on Events in Ghana, 1978-1981-Through the Eyes of One Woman
This collection of articles by Elizabeth A. Ohene takes the title of the column published in the Daily Graphic between August 1978 and December 1981. They cover momentous events, from the ousting of Gen. I.K. Acheampong, the abortive May 15 attempted coup by Fit-Lt J.J. Rawlings, the June 4 Revolution, through to the Third Republic of President Hilla Limann’s PNP government.
The articles were uncompromising then and, many years later, have a poignant ring to today’s Ghana.
₵100.00 -
Perseverance Conquers All: The Autobiography of Kantinka Kwame Donkor Fordwor
As a very poor boy, Kantinka sustained himself in school by selling firewood. He walked four miles every day from village, Breman, to Kumasi to attend school. He recounts how by dint of hard work, he sailed through elementary and secondary school to the Graduate School of Wharton even though fate had prevented him from doing sixth form studies. He recollects how at St. Augustine’s College, Cape Coast, he was cured of a strange disease by a traditional priest. His beloved wife had to discontinue her studies to help him complete his. Kantinka thus passed through a darkness of life which continued in his working life.
His decision to provide a house for the Executive Chairman of the Capital Investments Board, in order to save the Board huge sums of money in rent payments, was so maliciously interpreted that he was editorially castigated and lambasted. His ingenious polices that eventually helped to raise the capital of the African Development Bank from US $200 million to US $100 billion was rewarded with his dismissal as the President of the Bank.
He incurred the ire of his enemies for the appreciation he received from three Kings of Asante Kingdom.
Perseverance Conquers All portrays these midnight sides of Kantinka’s life to let his sun shine brightly. His wife gave him six children any father could wish for, whom he educated as a very responsible father. Providence made him help Ghana in its financial difficulties when he became the virtual Minister of Finance during the reign of Colonel Acheampong. His input to the progress of the Catholic Church has even been more monumental as explained beautifully in the book. Kantinka is indeed the sun at midnight.
Reliance on God, patriotism, philanthropy, hard work, good family life, good parenthood, honesty, and magnanimity is what this life story portrays. This is a book that all must have and read: the student as well as the teacher; the Christian, husband and patriot.
₵90.00 -
5 Presidents, 8 Elections, 30 Years Later: How Ghanaians See Their Democracy
Ghana’s Fourth Republic, a multiparty democracy, has seen five presidents, held eight successful elections and, as of this writing, is in its thirtieth year. This makes it unique in several ways, compared to previous attempts at multiparty democracy, in that it is the longest-lasting republic so far in the country’s post-independence history. It has outlived the first, second, and third republics combined by more than eighteen years.
What explains this unique period and change in the political trajectory of Ghana? Why has the country’s most recent attempt at multiparty democracy lasted this long?
Drawing on answers to questions in the Afrobarometer survey, administered nine times at periodic intervals between 1999 and 2022, this book describes in twenty themes and fifty-one observations, how Ghanaians see their democracy. The book covers themes such as trust in institutions, partisanship, support for democracy, governments handling of the policy priorities of Ghanaians, among many others. The book points out the key lessons of the last thirty and the challenges ahead in the country’s efforts to deepen democratic governance.₵95.00 -
The Makings of A Diplomatist: The Memoirs of Alexander Quaison-Sackey (Hardcover)
The book is a thrilling – albeit incomplete – life story, elegantly written. Starting from the author’s elementary school days at his birthplace, Winneba, where he obtained a distinction certificate at the Standard 7 school leaving Examinations, the Book takes the reader through the author’s sojourn at Mfantsipim Secondary School where he became Senior Prefect in his final year through Achimota College, where he became President of the Students’ Christian Movement (SCM), through Exeter College Oxford University where he served as President of the West African Students’ Union (WASU) through his years as a Labour officer in Ghana, his training as a pioneer career diplomat followed by a two-year stint as Head of Chancery in the Ghana High Commission in London up to his appointment as Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations where he created history by becoming the First Black African to assume the Presidency of the UN General Assembly. A discerning factor in this historical account is obviously the author’s natural leadership endowment which was manifested again later in his accession to the lay Presidency of the Methodist Church of Ghana (not recorded in the Book).
The greater part of the Book gives an exciting and insightful bird’s eye view of the author’s exertions at the UN during his tenure as Ambassador and Permanent Representative on such then burning issues as decolonisation, the Congo Crisis, Apartheid in South Africa, Cuban Missile Crisis, Arab-Israeli Conflict and the UN Financial Crisis of 1964 which nearly paralysed the Organisation. These are all issues of historical interest, particularly for research students in international affairs.
The book ends with the author’s post-UN appointment as Foreign Minister of Ghana, his later incarceration, and subsequent release which enabled him to proceed to London to complete his law studies. Altogether a very interesting and instructive personal history that makes compelling and absorbing reading.
₵250.00 -
Challenge of the Congo: A Case Study of Foreign Pressures in an Independent State
With Author’s Note written in Conakry. An account of a crucial period in the history of the Republic of Congo by one of the heads of state most closely involved. New light is thrown on Katanga’s secession, the failure of the UN operation, the murder of Lumumba, foreign military intervention at Stanleyville (Kisangani) and the seizure of power by Mobutu. A most valuable and unusual feature is the publication of contemporary diplomatic records on which future historical analysis will be based.
₵590.00 -
K. A. Busia: A Symbol of Democracy – Exploration of His Life and Words
This book is an indispensable resource! It is an account of the life and works of Kofi Abrefa Busia, a world-renowned scholar and politician whose story is inextricably merged with that of Ghana.
“No one can doubt that the life and thoughts of Dr Busia will always feature prominently in the history of Africa, the Commonwealth and the wider world. We can be confident that, in the years that lie ahead, his importance will become increasingly evident. As thinker, teacher and statesman, he was an outstanding leader.” — St Antony’s College, Oxford University, UK
“The life of Kofi Abrefa Busia occupies a fascinating spot in the history of Ghana as a result of the intellectual and good governance legacy he left behind, having served as Ghana’s Prime Minister of the 2nd Republic. It is this legacy, and the vision that preceded it, which has motivated the publication of this book. The book gives us much to think about, and things to still consider in Ghana’s development.” — John Agyekum Kufuor, President of the Republic of Ghana (2001-2008)
₵150.00 -
Ghana’s 2012 Presidential Election Petition
The story of the presidential election petition as it unfolded outside and inside the courtroom is graphically retold by the author of this book in a straightforward and memorable manner. If you were not among the audience in the courtroom or if you were not a constant watcher of the TV during the hearing of the petition, or if your understanding of the legal process is limited, this book is your best story teller of all that happened.
The author, although a lawyer of many years standing, and a very well-known politician, has not written book on law or politics. His several books deal with history, chieftaincy, culture and conflict in Dagbon. This is his first time of venturing into the politico-legal field. And he has done it well.
Even though the book is intended to tell the story of Ghana’s 2012 presidential election petition, it equally deals with the politics of Ghana and the country’s electoral laws. The book is therefore recommended not only for people who want to know the story of the election petition, but also to politicians and first year law students as well as people interested in law. The book will inspire them.
₵65.00 -
Politics in Ghana (1982-1992): Rawlings, Revolution and Populist Democracy
This work was embarked upon as part of my study of military intervention in politics which had become the bane of politics in my country and Africa as a whole. My previous study had encompassed the period 1972-1979 (vide Politics In Ghana 1972 — 1979). The publication was well received and it won several awards. The book decried military rule in the hope that it would discourage military incursions in Ghanaian politics. As the 31 December Revolution unfolded, several friends impressed upon me, and I felt a deep obligation in the same direction, to capture and analyse the events of the time for posterity and for the guidance of my beloved country.
With the advent of the PNDC on 31 December 1981, revolutionary politics was launched, which was geared towards participatory democracy. The PNDC military government claimed that it was not just another military junta but that under the auspices of the military and civilian revolutionary leaders and cadres, the people were taking their destinies into their own hands towards the establishment of grassroots democracy. In the process, as the revolutionaries claimed, all injustices would be redressed, corruption would be eradicated and a new era of prosperity would dawn as “true democracy” was manifested.
My task in this work was to examine critically, the true nature of the PNDC, its composition, declared aims and objectives and whether the politics of revolution which dawned on 31 December 1981, could be justified. It was worthy to study and document whether the Defence Committees, District Assemblies, political and legal institutions of the PNDC, the regime’s human rights record, economic and social policies, responsibility and accountability to the populace, responsiveness in government and its electoral record did lead to a true democracy. The work is seen as a contribution towards answering the question: did the PNDC bring democracy to Ghana?
₵140.00