Degrading textbooks unworthy of Akufo-Addo’s govt – Catholic Bishops

The Head of the Catholic Bishop Conference, The Most Rev Phillip Naameh has said the publication of the controversial textbooks that seek to denigrate Ewes in Ghana is unbefitting of the Akufo-Addo administration.

He said it should be the priority of government to unite all the ethnic groups in the country rather than disunite them hence the publication of the textbooks is bad.

Speaking in an interview with TV3 on the matter, he said “We should be talking about social cohesion among Ghanaians as one family so if a textbook is drawn up in a way that denigrates the dignity of a particular ethnic group, this is something not even worthy of the pre-independence situation of Ghana.

“We have come such a long way that no matter what ethnic group is we are growing together into one people. And that should be this strategy of every government to wield the about 52 different ethnic groups into one people.

“So to draw up a textbook which seeks to denigrate the dignity of one ethnic group is not worthy of the government at this time.”

Many Ghanaians were not happy with the content of the textbooks, which have since been recalled from the market.

North Tongu lawmaker Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had however raised the issue with parliament.

He wrote on Monday, March 15: “To ask the Honourable Minister responsible for Education whether the publications titled: History of Ghana, Text Book 3 by Badu Nkansah Publications authored by Badu Nkansah and Nelly Martinson Anim and Golden English Basic 4 authored by Okyere Baafi Alexander both of which contain bigoted content targeted at the Ewe ethnic group have come to his Ministry’s attention; were they approved by any of his Ministry’s agencies and what steps Government is taking to purge our schools and book shops from offensive, divisive and incendiary publications of this nature?”