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The Children of House No. D13 South Suntresu Kumasi: An Ahwoi & Adu-Gyamfi Siblings’ Collective Biography
*Available from 15 June 2022
To describe The Children of House No. D13, South Suntresu, Kumasi, as an intriguing project is an understatement. A collective biography of eight siblings was always going to be a daunting challenge, even if each person told their own story and got it together in one volume. To do it in a coordinated combination of first and third person “voices” would appear to be a bit implausible. To actually achieve the purpose and turn it from a project into an enthralling reading experience deserves all the plaudits this book is likely to gather.
This book is a collection of life stories of the eight children of Madam Maye Charlotte Hudson, also known as Esi Tutuwa but known to some people as Esi Nkwagye and to the people of South Suntresu, Kumasi as Mrs. Ahwoi. The ‘Ahwois” principally is the collective name of three brothers – Ato, Kwesi and Kwamena – who have played prominent roles in Ghana’s recent history, but the siblings also include five girls, Ama, Adoma, Efua, Naana and Sister Aggie, who also played their part in this thrilling story in their own unique ways.
For such a collective recall of personal histories to work, a principal requirement is a willingness of all the parties involved to treat the project seriously; of equal importance is the need to treat everyone’s personal history as important, which is what this book has succeeded in doing. It would be right to describe it as an exercise in literary democracy!
It is not every book project that produces a good book, but this book has done so because at the heart of the project is a good story. And at the heart of that good story is human progress against the odds capsuled in the life of these eight individuals.
These are the dramatis personae in order of appearance – from the womb – Ato Ahwoi, Kwesi Ahwoi, Mrs. Ama Twum, Kwamena Ahwoi, Mrs. Ama Adoma Bartels-Kodwo, Mrs. Efua Bram-Larbi, Theodora Naana Adu Gyamfi and Mrs. Agnes Appiagyei-Dankah. Theodora Naana Adu-Gyamfi passed away at the age of 28 and so her role ends early except in passing references. However, it is worth recalling that before she died, and in an act that exemplifies the major theme of this book, Naana secretely transferred all the money in her own bank account into that of her six year old niece, Abena Tutuwa Ahwoi, the daughter of her brother, Kwamena.
The structure of the narrative, which makes it possible to flow, is simply to follow the fortunes of these siblings sequentially in turn through the main phases of their development. The person whose presence permeates the story is the matriarch – Mrs. Ahwoi, nee Maye Charlotte Hudson.
The book achieves the purpose of showing the “remarkable togetherness and the mutual support system that enabled the children of House No. D13, South Suntresu, Kumasi, to overcome the many hurdles along their individual paths in life as being due to their mother, Madam Maye Charlotte Hudson (Mrs. Ahwoi). Indeed, the matriarch herself is effectively the ninth subject of the biography of the eight children” as Honourable Kwame Preprah states in the Foreword.
Nana Kwasi Gyan Apenteng
Consultant in Communication, Media and Culture
Former Chairman, National Media Commission (NMC)
Former President, Ghana Association of Writers (GAW)
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For Freedom or Bondage?: A Critique of African Pastoral Practices
In Ghana today, many people who suffer from a variety of human ills wander from one pastor to another in search of a spiritual cure. Because of the way cultural beliefs about the spiritual world have interwoven with their Christian faith, many Ghanaian Christians live in bondage to their fears of evil spiritual powers, seeing Jesus as a superior power to use against these malevolent spiritual forces.
In For Freedom or Bondage? Esther Acolatse argues that Christian pastoral practices in many African churches include too much influence from African traditional religions. She examines Ghana Independent Charismatic churches as a case study, offering theological and psychological analysis of current pastoral care practices through the lenses of Barth and Jung. Facilitating a three-strand conversation between African traditional religion, Barthian theology, and Jungian analytical psychology, Acolatse interrogates problematic cultural narratives and offers a more nuanced approach to pastoral care.
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Accra Aca Blɛoo: The History of the Accra Academy from James Town to Bubiashie (Hardcover)
Accra Aca Bleoo – the first comprehensive history book on the Accra Academy – captures nine decades of the school’s history, including the most epic events and pivotal moments. It takes the reader through the life journeys of the founders and those who believed in their dream to educate the underprivileged youth of the Gold Coast. It also recounts the aspirations and achievements of successive administrations of the school and how they overcame the challenges of their time and influenced the character of their students.
The book brings to light several unknown facts about the Accra Academy and examines the educational policies that have influenced its development and growth.
It is not only informative and educative but also entertaining, as it is interspersed with interesting stories and several pictures that will undoubtedly take the minds of alumni back to the good old days and give other readers a perspective into how life in the school has evolved.
This book is the outcome of many hours of personal interviews and research, and is intended for anyone interested in the history of education in Ghana and what has made the Accra Academy what it is today.
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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.
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Ama Manson: Progress Planner (Hardcover)
This is a very simple to use personal planner for the year 2022. It is easy to follow and can be used by anyone who wants to focus and create a successful year. A great self-help journal. A simple walk through planner that helps you to set goals, work towards them and review progress regularly. It is a fun way to take control of your year in advance.
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A Roof Over One’s Head: A Beginner’s Guide to Real Estate Wealth Creation
If you’ve ever been interested in Real Estate investing, it is difficult not to notice the lack of practical information around the subject, especially in our part of the world.
Of course, there are real estate books worldwide, but most of these are not location-specific and some of the advice is simply inapplicable to relative to our reality.
I wrote this book so that Ghanaians and Africans, for that matter, will have information that speaks to our experiences with building and acquiring property to make a profit and in our collective quest towards bridging the housing gap on our continent.
This book teaches how to:
- Invest in Real Estate
- Identify Profitable Property
- Finance your Investments
- Add value to your property
- Create wealth through Smart Property Management
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Joe Biden: The Life, the Run, and What Matters Now (Hardcover)
A concise, brilliant, and trenchant examination of Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s successful lifelong quest for the presidency by National Book Award winner Evan Osnos.
President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. has been called both the luckiest man and the unluckiest—fortunate to have sustained a fifty-year political career that reached the White House, but also marked by deep personal losses and disappointments that he has suffered.
Yet even as Biden’s life has been shaped by drama, it has also been powered by a willingness, rare at the top ranks of politics, to confront his shortcomings, errors, and reversals of fortune. As he says, “Failure at some point in your life is inevitable, but giving up is unforgivable.” His trials have forged in him a deep empathy for others in hardship—an essential quality as he leads America toward recovery and renewal.
Blending up-close journalism and broader context, Evan Osnos, who won the National Book Award in 2014, draws on nearly a decade of reporting for The New Yorker to capture the characters and meaning of 2020’s extraordinary presidential election. It is based on lengthy interviews with Biden and on revealing conversations with more than a hundred others, including President Barack Obama, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and a range of activists, advisers, opponents, and Biden family members.
This portrayal illuminates Biden’s long and eventful career in the Senate, his eight years as Obama’s vice president, his sojourn in the political wilderness after being passed over for Hillary Clinton in 2016, his decision to challenge Donald Trump for the presidency, and his choice of Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate.
Osnos ponders the difficulties Biden faces as his presidency begins and weighs how a changing country, a deep well of experiences, and a rigorous approach to the issues, have altered his positions. In this nuanced portrait, Biden emerges as flawed, yet resolute, and tempered by the flame of tragedy—a man who just may be uncannily suited for his moment in history.
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Medical Law in Ghana: A Primer (Hardcover)
Transcending the traditional compartments with which lawyers are familiar, medical law is concerned with issues arising from physician or doctor-patient relationship. Medical Law in Ghana – A Primer seeks to present an exposition of health care law and medical law in Ghana as embodied in both statutory and case law. It addresses the law dealing with doctor-patient relationship; confidentiality and access to medical records; medical education, professional regulation of doctors, nurses and pharmacists; assisted reproduction, euthanasia (assisted dying), clinical trials.
After a general introduction, the book systematically describes law related to the medical profession, proceeding from training, licensing, and other aspects of access to the profession, through disciplinary and professional liability and medical ethics considerations and quality assurance, to such aspects of the physician (doctor)-patient relationship as rights and duties of physicians and patients, consent, privacy, and access to medical records. Also covered are specific issues such as organ transplants, human medical research, abortion, and euthanasia, as well as matters dealing with the physician in relation to other health care providers, health care insurance, and the health care system.
This book is intended to serve as useful source of authoritative information and guide for lawyers, students, health care professionals and all those that have interest in the interface between law and medicine, medical law, bioethics and medical ethics. Succinct and practical, this book will prove to be of great value to professional organizations of physicians, nurses, hospitals, and relevant government agencies. Lawyers representing parties with interests in Ghana will welcome this very useful guide, and academics and researchers will appreciate its comparative value as a contribution to the study of medical law in the international context.
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Law of Landlord and Tenant in Ghana
The present work brings to completion my effort to state the complete law of property of Ghana. It was inspired by my earlier work on the customary land law of Ghana. The customary law remains the heart of the Ghanaian land law, but the story of the property law of Ghana is incomplete without a comprehensive account of the received law of property. The present work, therefore, brings to a full circle my efforts to state accurately and wholly the property law of Ghana. The field of Ghanaian property law is dominated by a combination of foreign and indigenous concepts. Arguably, the theoretical aspects of the property law of Ghana stand in need of resolution of the tensions between the two sources of law.
The development of the English law of property was deeply marked by the early activities of the King’s Court and its administration of a centralised system of law as distinguished from an earlier system of localised customary law, varying from place to place. Modified by equity, its doctrines were developed from a centralised system of records. A course in property law ought to equip the student with the entire range of concepts in the field, closely analysed. Described elsewhere as a rubbish heap that has been accumulating for centuries and understood only by the professors, the English law of property does not lend itself to easy understanding. Imposing structure upon a subject comprising essentially English law of property and applying it to Ghanaian circumstances has not been easy. To help the student grasp the interlocking nature of the concepts, and to gain rounded and more profound insights about the various rights and liabilities attached to interests in land, a persistent effort is made to connect the material to Ghanaian cases and statutes.
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Ghana Law of Wills
The succession law of Ghana has undergone enormous change since the enactment of the Wills Act, 1971. Relevant literature has hardly kept pace with changes in statutory and judge-made law. The need for a comprehensive statement of the pertinent law has made itself felt for quite a long time. In response, several eminent jurists have grappled with some of the major problems associated with succession. The present account seeks to provide a detailed assessment, analysis, evaluation and critique of the law of wills of Ghana.
Basically founded upon analysis of the Wills Act, 1971 of Ghana and relevant English principles, the discussion here also traverses a wider field. The end result is an opus that interweaves essentially English concepts of the law of wills with equivalent Ghanaian developments. The topics for discussion are broadened to include indigenous forms of testation.
The book is broken into appropriate divisions and subdivisions to facilitate fuller discussion of each topic, largely along conventional formats for the analysis of the law of wills. The underlying theme is concerned with the devolution of a person’s assets upon death. Both the substantive and procedural laws are considered in some detail and on the basis of consistent principles of law. Various types of wills and rules for the making and revocation of wills as well as laws dealing with privileged wills, incorporation of documents, revival and republication, legacies and the construction of wills are analysed extensively with a view to encapsulating the corpus of the law of wills.
₵250.00Ghana Law of Wills
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The Dreamer – Komla Dumor: The Boss Player In His Own Words (Hardcover)
This is a collection of the personal writings of Komla Dumor a young man, very intellectually vibrant, an erudite communicator, a passionate patriot and an emerging Pan Africanist. The book highlights experiences he had had during his worldwide travel pursuing his career as a Broadcast Journalist.
These essays rekindle hope and offers opportunities for his generation to build on his dream and the dream of the precursors of African Renaissance. This book raises the question about what constitutes his legacy which would lead us to celebrate him. The book shows clearly that Komla was an icon of International Broadcast Journalism working across different platforms. In his writings he exhibited the audacity of faith, from which emerges his unassailable courage to stand on an international digital platform, as an African, telling his own story and stories of old. The book also shows Komla’s stature, versatility in media practice on radio and television broadcasting, as well as the print media.
Komla was a stage performer with style and substance. His scholarly work was punctuated with extreme humor. In spite of his status, he remained amazingly humble. But the most outstanding passion in his writings was his concern for the future of his country Ghana and the African Continent.
This book presents balanced images of Ghana and Africa. But implicitly, it compels everyone to ask the question “Are we satisfied with the images we see? He lays the foundation for every Journalist of African decent to insist on accountable and transparent governance. He ends the story on racism, ethnic and tribal divisions showing clearly his uncompromising, progressive rejection of these divisions which have been historically and culturally conditioned and presents a new hope and opportunity for Africans to dream again. Here we have The Dreamer – Komla Dumor: The Boss Player in His Own Words.
Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Komla Dumor Foundation.
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Komla Dumor: In His Element (Hardcover)
This story is about Komla Dumor’s meteoric rise to the enviable position of an icon in International and African Broadcast journalism. The story is largely woven on at least three fundamental principles. Namely journalism as a vocation and a calling, journalism and its practice is driven by only one ideal standard.
Journalism is defined both in theory and in practice as defined by an ethical compass and the discipline of verification. It is the adherence to these tenets of journalism that placed Komla at the top of the pile. Indeed Komla argued passionately that, to be a successful journalist within the context of the new digital enterprise, one must accept journalism as a vocation a gift of grace and must make a total commitment and be willing to put his or her hands on the spokes of the wheel of the new African History.
Secondly, Komla believed that the practice of journalism is driven by only one ideal standard that cuts across nations within the global system. This ideal standard and the pursuit of it create the contours for best practices. Those who pursue the ideal standard comprising unethical compass, the discipline of verification are the ones who reach the top of the mountain where the sheep and the goats are separated.
The book Komla Dumor: In His Elements explores Komla’s practice of journalism in Ghana and the United Kingdom against the tested values including personal moral responsibility to the public, personal integrity and the commitment to finding the truth and protecting the public interest. In essence this book is an illumination and exploration of Komla’s journey into the incomparable iconic status – the Icon of International Broadcast Journalism. It is indeed Komla Dumor in His Elements.
Proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the Komla Dumor Foundation.
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Corporate Governance: The Boardroom, The Bottom Line & Beyond (Hardcover)
Foreword by Sam Esson Jonah KBE, OSG
“This book…provides key explanations …to enlighten practising directors and corporate lawyers on modern and international trends in their…work. I personally admire how the author skillfully and seamlessly combines three broad subject areas: law, finance and history to make a strong case for modern corporate lawyers to be specialists in finance; for boards of directors to be knowledgeable in finance and law; and for students to be futuristic in their career planning…[T]his publication has all the necessary ingredients to support the central bank’s agenda to strengthen corporate governance structures and practices across all segments of the banking industry in Ghana.” — Dr. Ernest Addison, Governor of the Bank of Ghana; in-coming 2020 Chair of the Board of Governors of the Bretton Woods Institutions
“A superb, masterful and much-needed contribution to a critically important subject. Robert Nii Arday Clegg’s meticulously researched and expertly delivered work is groundbreaking in the Ghanaian context. It is a must-read for any professional who is serious about truly understanding the nuances inherent in the concept of corporate governance and the principal elements of a director’s fiduciary duties. Corporate Governance: The Boardroom, The Bottom Line & Beyond could not have been written at a more propitious time. It inspires an enlightened perspective that will produce corporate governance cognoscenti in the classrooms and boardrooms of Ghana for a very long time.” — Kwabena Osei-Boateng, Chairman, IC Asset Managers (Ghana) Limited; Member, Oxford University Alumni Board
“An absolute masterpiece…well-researched and provides deep insights into an area where many who believe they understand barely scratch the surface. Corporate governance is particularly relevant in many facets of developing economies like ours and I daresay this book will educate many beyond the borders of this country. I have read many books on the subject and this ranks right up there with the best of them. Much as I expected a great job, I must say that Clegg managed to exceed that expectation. Well done for providing living water to our thirsty land.” — Antoinette Kwofie, Executive Director, Finance, Barclays Bank Ghana (Part of the Absa Family)
“This book will give its readers a strong intellectual basis to appreciate the concepts currently shaping corporate governance practices. It is a brilliant toolkit on how to become an effective supervisor. A required reading for a person making rules on corporate policy, currently operating in a boardroom or aspiring to operate from one soon.” — Winston Nelson Jr., Member, Governing Council, Ghana Fixed Income Market; Former Director, Ghana Stock Exchange
“A very powerful and thought-provoking read on one of the biggest topics of our time. Corporate governance shapes our society to a greater extent than many of us might think and Clegg does an excellent job of introducing the topic with its attendant objectives and underpinning philosophies.” — Fridrik Arsælsson, Partner, Rettur-Adalsteinsson & Partners; Alternate Board Member, Financial Supervisory Authority of Iceland; Adjunct Professor, The Faculty of Law, University of Iceland
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The Sickle Cell Disease Patient
The work presented in this book is an attempt at a comprehensive statement of the natural history of the sickle cell disease patient and is based upon more than 1500 consecutive patients personally observed and followed up by the author for more than five years. Comments and discussions are, however, based on experience acquired from active supervision of a total of over 3,000 sickle cell disease patients in Ghana between 1965 and 1977, giving a rough experience value of close to 30,000 patient-years.
Sickle cell disease is defined and the various genotypes and phenotypes comprising the disease are clarified. More than 70 years of actively expanding literature has been reviewed, including new information on the molecular pathology and pathophysiology of these haemoglobinopathies. The epidemiology of sickle cell disease, together with a catalogue of clinical features and complications, as witnessed by the author in Accra, have, with the aid of computers, been stated in quantitative terms.
The work shows that sickle cell disease is a problem of great magnitude, deserving of national and international attention. An approach to treatment is given, with greater emphasis on patient management than is usual, paying attention to aggravating factors such as infections within poor socio-economic conditions and stressing the importance of genetic counselling and family planning for patients.
₵250.00The Sickle Cell Disease Patient
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Sam: A Life of Service to God and Country
Lawyer. Politician. Democracy and human rights activist. Prisoner of conscience. Rotarian. Father. Grandfather.
These are among the many roles Sam Okudzeto is most proud of. In his very easy-to-read memoir, SAM: A Life of Service to God and Country, he describes the journey from his village childhood, through his education in Europe, and finally to his life in the legal profession, politics and civil society of Ghana. As one who personally knew many of Ghana’s founding fathers and giants, and was active in politics during the seminal moments after independence, he offers a unique perspective of the people and events that shaped the history of Ghana and the growth of its democracy. He sheds light on the origins of many issues and shares his regrets such of the boycott by the legal profession during the drafting of the current Constitution in 1992 and the impact that boycott has had on national governance.
In this must-read memoir, he shares many lessons from a life spent on the frontlines of human endeavor. Now in his 80s, and with a life well-lived, Sam Okudzeto hopes that the current generation of Ghana will continue to build upon the foundation laid by his pioneering generation.
“Uncle Sam as some of us know him is iconic. He is larger than life in his profession, his faith and his service to humanity. His memoir deepens our respect for his intellect and joie de vivre and provide steps for us to emulate his rich and blessed life.” – Rev. Dr. Joyce Aryee, Executive Director, Salt & Light Ministries, Management and Communications Consultant“There are people you meet in life who change you. Their goodness, their kindness, their willingness to speak out for what is just and right make you look at the world in a different light. They inspire you simply by being themselves. Sam is one of those persons in my life. He is a giant in the field of law. In the fifteen years I have known him I have witnessed endless times where he has brought insight and compassion and leadership to the issues at hand. I have been in awe of Sam for these many years. Someone once said that fate chooses out relatives, we choose our friends. My friendship with Sam is cherished gift.” – Dr. Mark S. Ellis, Executive Director, International Bar Association“Sam’s reputation as a redoubtable and fearless advocate for the rule the law, truth and integrity has won him the respect and admiration of his peers, juniors and even his harshest critics. He is indeed a legal colossus, a true patriot with a strong moral character and an unswerving passion for pursuing the cause of right without fear of might. He is a very warm and wonderful, human being – a selfless, compassionate lover of people who seeks the good, happiness and progress of others. Above all else, Sam is a man of faith who loves the Lord with all his heart.” – Her Ladyship Georgina T. Wood, Former Chief Justice of Ghana₵250.00