Ho, April 14, GNA - The acting Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Mr Mawutor Goh, on Wednesday launched the "Triple Heritage of Contemporary Africa" a book co-authored by the Very Reverend Professor Noah Komla Dzobo, former Moderator of the E .P. Church Ghana, and Mr Simon Amegashie-Viglo, a lecturer and Vice-Principal of the Ho Polytechnic. The 163-page book focused on the cultural heritage of pre-colonial, colonial and post colonial Africa.
Mr Goh described the partnership between the 90 year-old Professor Dzobo and 47 year-old Mr Amegashie-Viglo as "passing of the baton" and a legacy from Professor Dzobo to the future generation. He said the book was an attestation of the stature of the Ho Polytechnic in contributing to the intellectual development of the country.
Until Last year, Professor Dzobo was a lecturer in the Liberal Arts Department of the Polytechnic, to which Mr Amegashie-Viglo also belonged.
Mr Goh said at a time when there was an aggressive marketing of foreign cultures in the country with the youth as the target, there was need for an equally robust crusade to project the richness and relevance of the Ghanaian culture as an anchor against any negative influences from those foreign cultures.
Commenting on the book, Professor Dzobo said any opportunity for him to talk about African traditions and cultures is "like your mother asking your girlfriend to be her maid", "It is a thing I love to do". "Our forebears say, going back to retrieve what you have forgotten is no shame".
"Living in Europe is not easy otherwise the white people won't cross the ocean to come to Africa looking for gold, diamond and cocoa". "Nobody tests the depth of a river with two legs". "When it is said, a cat has defecated on itself it is not for the mouse to go and see it".
Professor Dzobo said African symbols and proverbs, which portray African wisdom and values, must be understood and made to "enrich our thoughts and actions".
"Our book has a lot to say; we have achieved our independence in some cases 40 years but we are still behaving as subject people, we have produced this book to remind us about what should be the real role for us to play", Professor Dzobo said.
In his comment, Mr Amegashie-Viglo said having to co-author the book with Professor Dzobo was like being opportunistic given the contrast in stature between him and the Professor.
"It was a privilege I did not deserve because, it was like a housefly partnering an elephant. He encouraged me", he said.
"The Triple Heritage of Contemporary Africa", "is an imperative reading material for every student of Africa and the general public", Dr George Mawusi Afeti, Principal of the Ho Polytechnic recommended. The first three copies were auctioned for three million, two million and 500,000 cedis respectively.
