The History of Ghana textbook by Badu Nakansah Publications
The controversial textbooks for the primary pupils that sought to denigrate the Ewe ethnic group have got many talking.
On the whole, there has been a general condemnation of the content of the said books and I love Ghanaians for rallying together to denounce it.
What I am most happy about is that this hublub could be a blessing in disguise. This could be the beginning of the end of name-calling and characterization based on ethnicity that abounds in this country of ours.
For those who might not be aware of and those who pretend not to be aware of, no ethnic group in Ghana has been spared of this name-calling in the informal setting, though I must admit that putting them in books for these innocent children to read is a different ball game altogether.
No matter how humble an Ashanti person might be, once he is an Ashanti he automatically qualifies to be called 'too known', Ghanaian parlance for 'arrogance' and people express it freely as if it were a compliment.
Even those few Ashantis who, for one reason or another, are able to escape this tag, the usual refrain is; "You are an Ashanti but you are very humble". And many people don't even realize that that is even more insulting.
Sometimes you only become 'too known' when people get to know that you are an Ashanti. Otherwise, you will be seen as a cool guy or girl in your neighborhood. Isn't it absurd? Yet that is how we treat each other as a people.
Northerners, Kronos, Gas, Fantes, Ewes, Bonos, Akyems, Sehwis, and what have you have all not been spared in this name-calling thing. Members of these ethnic groups can narrate their own personal ordeals in their daily struggle to find end meet.
So with the condemnation of the content of the said books, I believe this could be the beginning of the end of this name-calling and Ghana will be the better for it.
