Preserve Ghanaian legacies — Nana Otuo Siriboe II
Scholars and individuals must document and preserve the legacies of outstanding Ghanaians who distinguish themselves in their fields of endeavour, the Chairman of the Council of State, Nana Otuo Siriboe II, has said.
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He said to ensure that their contributions were immortalised for generations to learn from them, their experiences must be documented and celebrated.
Appreciate
"We should be proud to tell our own stories and encourage our younger generations to appreciate our own role models,” he said.
Nana Otuo Siriboe II, who is the Omanhene of the Juaben Traditional Area, was speaking last week at the launch of a book that celebrated the works and achievements of some outstanding Ghanaians.
Titled: "Series of Some Outstanding Ghanaians Volume 1," the 510-page book, which was produced by the Ghana Association of Former International Civil Servants (GAFICS), was compiled by Dr Eugenia Date-Bah, Dr Agnes Akosua Aidoo and Barbara Opong.
The book tells the stories and showcases the remarkable achievements of 19 iconic Ghanaians across various fields, from mathematicians and scientists to iconic photographers and committed public servants.
Nana Otuo Siriboe II, who was Chairman for the occasion, said it was gratifying to note that the celebrants in the book represented an impressive mix of talent, men and women who achieved prominence in science, technology, mathematics, law, visual arts, education, medicine and industry among others.
“As I see it, Volume 1 of this GAFICS Series has just opened the gates for us to showcase our heroes and heroines, indomitable pioneers, superb professionals, men and women of great stature and standing who walked tall not only on our Ghanaian soil but also in different parts of our planet," he said.
Objective
The book, according to the authors, is an output of a project to alleviate the dearth of information on some outstanding Ghanaians so that they can inspire current and future generations and also ensure that they are never forgotten.
“Unlike politicians and other celebrities, there are many Ghanaian men and women who have contributed immensely to the development of their community, country and other parts of global society but remain relatively unknown to the general public and, therefore, could be historically forgotten.”
“Occasionally, aspects of their contributions suddenly emerge in tributes after their demise.
To help to remedy this, the Ghana Association of Former International Civil Servants (GAFICS) started implementation of a project in 2022 to compile information on some of these people,” the authors noted.
Among the 19 outstanding personalities captured in the book are: Dr Robert Gardiner, Justice Annie Jiagge, Judge Thomas Mensah, Dr Letitia Obeng, Esther Ocloo, Allotey Odunton, Prof. Samuel Ofosu-Amaah, Dr Araba Sefa-Dedeh, and Prof. Florence Abena Dolphyne.
Others are Dr Frederick Wurapa, Prof. Francis Allotey, Richard Acquaah-Harrison, Dr Mary Chinery-Hesse, Dr Kwaku Aning, Nana Dr S.K.B. Asante and Lt Col Dr Samuel Brew-Graves.
Also celebrated in the book are Dr Kwablah Awadzi (renowned, world-acclaimed pioneer in the eradication of river blindness) and James Barnor (talented pioneer and iconic photographer from Gold Coast to Ghana and the world).
