• Women Marrying Women in Northern Ghana: Wading into the Homosexuality Debate from a Ghanaian Perspective

    When the late Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe, vehemently insisted that homosexuality is un-African, many scholars and commenters from around the world disagreed with him and went on to cite many cultural practices in certain African societies signifying the presence or traces of homosexual activities in African societies. Among many of these cultural practices often cited is the practice of women marrying women as evidence of female homosexual traits and, therefore evidence of homosexuality embedded in certain cultures in Africa.

    The Frafras of the Upper East Region of Ghana are a prominent ethnic group that practice this cultural arrangement. Delving into the the practice from the Frafra context, the books documents the practice of women to women marriage and its relationship or otherwise with homosexuality, with an explanation for the strong resistance of Ghana to homosexuality

     

  • Who am I? Exploring the Concepts of Gender and Identity from the Frafra Perspective

    In a world where many seem unsure of who they are, the concepts of gender and identity are prime for discussion. Yet through my years of study of the subject of identity, I have come to realise the definition of identity is so vague it can pass for whatever you wish it to be. If anything, it has become more difficult for people to define themselves, making it look as though the customary (re)sources for and of identity formation are no longer as direct or straightforward as before, particularly in the face of globalisation and modernisation, or identity has become self mutating. So, I ask, how can we easily describe who we are and more importantly, how can we defend that understanding?

    Perhaps a cultural perspective to the concepts could offer more insights. In this book, I adopt a culturally contextual framework of description to gender and identity as it relates to the Frafras of Northern Ghana.

     

     

  • Solma: Tales from Northern Ghana

    Suitable for JHS students and children between 12 and 15 years

    This compilation of stories is specially written for children of all ages. This collection is culled from tales told among the Gurunsi people of Northern Ghana. They make interesting reading and teach children the needed moral and social values.

    “… Mothers, go and tell your children that Kanwum lost her heart because she would not listen to her mother. Tell your children what happened to Kanwum and why it happened. Let your children’s children not forget this story. Children, go home and listen to your mothers and your fathers. Let this story be told as long as there are children.”

  • Baba Chibsah: Inspirational Story of an Illustrious Migrant

    Baba Chibsah: Inspirational Story of an Illustrious Migrant is one of those books that take the reader on a journey of illumination. At the core of the story is the life of Baba Chibsah, who was both a visionary and practical man who was driven by his own idealism and belief in God and community to achieve goals he could not have comprehended when he set out from his home in the Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso), to work in the Gold Coast (Ghana) in 1922. His immediate aim was to earn enough money to buy a bicycle. Taking every opportunity that came his way, the acclaimed founder of Tafo Zongo never went back but created a community and values worth celebrating.

    His adventures read like a story out of a thriller movie. However, the story breaks free of its boundaries and becomes the history of a whole generation. This book teaches more about life in pre-independence times, not only in Ghana but in our West African sub-region than most textbooks. Here the story of migration, impact of European colonial policy, social interaction, Islamic movements and trends, and indeed the development of the Tafo-Suame enclave in Kumasi are all laid out here in cinematic detail.

    Alhaji Seidu Kibsa Sawadogo aka Alhaji Seidu Chibsah has not only honoured his father and his generation but also produced a history masterpiece.

  • An Ethnographic Study of Northern Ghanaian Conflicts: Towards a Sustainable Peace

    Conflict in Northern Ghana appears to be increasing in amplitude and frequency and its effects are getting more devastating. It is the view of this book that The Government of Ghana and civil society organisations involved in aspects of conflict management have approached peace issues in the region with an inadequate understanding of the local issues that divide and unite the people, or using sufficient resources to preempt conflict.

    In 2003 The Mole V summit was held in Damongo to discuss strategic directions for comprehensive development and poverty reduction in Northern Ghana as a mechanism for supporting conflict management.

    It is the aim of this publication to contribute to the proposed plan by suggesting past and current conflict management resources and mechanisms which could be employed. The suggestions are informed by surveys, which are outlined in the book, of particular conflicts in the three northern Regions of Ghana between 2006 and 2008 – their histories, causes and efforts and their resolution.

  • Justice Denied

    This book was written soon after the suspects of the murder of the Ya-Na were arrested.

    The author followed the unveiling accounts of the murder of the Ya-Na,the commitment and indictment proceedings at the Magistrate Court.He also followed the trial of the accused persons at the High Court.

    The search for Justice for the Ya-Na became a judicial drama and a political football instead.Some key players in the search exhibited palpable incompetence and nonchalance while others showed unpardonable bias in the performance of their judicial and legal duties. In resistance to the search for justice all kinds of novel and spurious legal arguments were raised ,including the issue of when does a confession have effect in law even if it is freely given?

    “Another spurious legal issue raised was the fact of the Ya-Na’s death .In recognition of his service to his nation and traumatic murder, the Republic of Ghana gave Naa Yakubu II a state burial on 10th April,2016. Yet in order to deny him justice and to make the law seem to be an ass,the fact of his death and identity of his body became issues in the trail of persons accused of murdering him.This kept the ordinary Ghanaian wondering where the implementers of the law were taking the country.In the end the Ya-Na was denied Justice”.

    Justice Denied

    100.00
  • History and Traditions of Dagbon

    This book may be described as a panorama of life in Dagbon and as a panoply of the Dagomba. It is the first of its kind in Dagomba. It deals with the Dagomba man and woman from birth to death. The book offers an authoritative and exhaustive information on the Dagomba. It focuses on the history of the Dagomba State known as Dagbon. The indigenous system of government exemplified in the institution of chieftaincy is set out in clear and simple English. The customs and customary laws of the Dagomba relating to courtship, marriage and inheritance are exhaustively dealt with. Funeral ceremonies, festivals and markets are given adequate consideration in the text. Traditional worship, soothsaying and witchcraft, which are prevalent in African societies, are given due consideration.

    A typical Dagomba man or woman is endowed with proverbs and wise sayings. The book has not overlooked this aspect of the Dagomba people. A myriad of proverbs are set out in the book. The education of Dagomba children and the position of women in Dagomba society make interesting reading. And the history of the Dagomba common man and the rulers of foreign origin, united by social blending and history, give this book a unique character.

    Apart from writing from his personal knowledge of the history, customs, traditions and way of life of the people, the author has done a great deal of research into the subjects of this book. The Dagomba reader and a non-Dagomba reader alike will find this book a very useful companion his his or her desire to know the land and people of Dagbon.

    Primary school teachers as well as lecturers in tertiary institutions cannot do without this book when it comes to learning and teaching about the Dagomba. And foreign tourists will appreciate Dagbon and its people better when they read this book before they set foot in Dagbon. Finally, several chapters of this book may be read for pleasure. It is a book for knowledge and a book for pleasure.

  • The Destiny of A Horse Boy

    The Destiny of a Horse Boy, an autobiography, tells Mahama’s story of growing up as a member of the nobility in an Africa of bygone days. Raised by his grandparents, Mahama, an exceptional boy, starts life in the parched and inhospitable landscape of Northern Ghana, a far flung place that is thoughtfully, even lovingly, brought to life through the words of this prolific author.

    His hunger to go to school, to be educated, to rise above his time and place, is so powerful that he runs away from home, travelling in cars that can sometimes go no faster than eight miles an hour, in decrepit trucks, on unreliable ferries and pontoons, past menacing wild animals, ultimately to present himself at a school and beg for admission. Once accepted, he studies through school holidays, excels at nearly every undertaking, and proves himself to be a remarkable young man. At a time when the literary rates were in the single digits, Mahama goes on to become a lawyer and a politician of influence and note, thanks to his integrity and his desire to better his country and the lives of his fellow countrymen in Ghana.

    The Destiny of a Horse Boy delineates the steps from colonial rule to self-rule in Mahama’s beloved Ghana. He tells of violent, warring royal clans, the worst kinds of political jockeying and bloodshed at the hands of government lackeys, politicians and leaders who quite literally risk theirs lives in their quests for power.

    This resourceful and accomplished man has left an indelible mark on Ghana and global politics.

  • Murder of an African King: Ya-Na Yakubu II

    On March 27, 2002, Ya-Na, the Dagomba King of the Republic of Ghana, was murdered. More than five years after the guresome killing, the government has yet to arrest the murderers.

    Author Ibrahim Mahama, himself a member of the royal family and a practising attorney, escaped into exile and now delivers a searing examination of the mysterious death of Ya-Naa as well as taking a closer look at the inner workings of his own country.

    In Murder of an African King: Ya-Na Yakubu II, Mr. Mahama focuses on the two branches of the royal family — the Abudu Family and the Andani Family — and how Dagbon was ruled within the confines of a rotational succession system. Then, several years ago, the Abudu Family set in motion a series of actions designed to eliminate the rotational system in favour of one that would have a member of their family rule for an indeterminate time. Naturally, this was not acceptable to the members of the Andani Family.

    Murder of an African King carefully traces the events leading up to the horrific violence of March 27, 2002 and its aftermath. It is deemed a landmark event in the history of Ghana. Mr. Mahama’s narrative is a compelling, detailed and passionate account of a major historical event that remains unsolved.

  • Solma: Tales from Northern Ghana

    This compilation of stories is specially written for children of all ages. This collection is culled from tales told among the Gurunsi people of Northern Ghana. They make interesting reading and teach children the needed moral and social values.

    “… Mothers, go and tell your children that Kanwum lost her heart because she would not listen to her mother. Tell your children what happened to Kanwum and why it happened. Let your children’s children not forget this story. Children, go home and listen to your mothers and your fathers. Let this story be told as long as there are children.”

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