Gonja youth petition Education Ministry over historical distortions in some textbooks

The Education Ministry and other stakeholders have received a petition from the Gonjaland youth association on what they said are “some distortions of facts about the history of the Gonja Kingdom and the Savannah Region in some text books”.

The petitioned signed by the President of the Gonjaland Youth Association Mr Mohammad Amin Osman dated 23rd March, 2021 said; “The attention of the Gonjaland Youth Association has been drawn to some distortions with presentations and unfounded historical facts contained in some textbooks in circulation about the Gonja Kingdom and the Savannah region which we wish to bring to your kind attention for the necessary rectification”.

The Association said the history of the Gonja Kingdom as an ethnic group and indigenous people of Ghana is well-established locally and internationally and that any attempt by anybody to rewrite the history of the heroic people by misrepresenting the facts particularly for teaching children who are the future of our country cannot be torelated in any way.

The Gonjaland Youth Association further stated that it is trite history that Gonjas are part of the 28 Guan ethnic groups which is located in the whole of the Savannah Region of Ghana and it is also a well known fact that the Gonja Kingdom has the largest land in Ghana and the Savannah Region is the largest region in Ghana.

“The Association is therefore extremely alarmed at this needless attempt by the publishers of the books concerned to deliberately distort the history of the heroic people of the Gonja people for their self-serving interest”; the petition said adding; “We do not see any tangible excuse for the completely avoidable and needless discussions and misrepresentations of her impeccable history, considering the good number of people with the requisite knowledge and expertise in the history of the Gonja Kingdom who are who are available and readily accessible to the publishers”.

The Association says the input of this cadre of experts could have saved us this unpardonable and appalling input to publishing the history of the aborigines of our motherland in Ghana.

On the particulars of distortions the Golden history of Ghana BS 2 said the “Main ethnic group of Savannah Region and Mole Dagbani”. The fact is the main ethnic group in the Savannah Region is Gonja.

The Golden History of Ghana B.S. 5 said; “Daboya is a village located in the Northern Region of present day Ghana”. Fact is Daboya is located in the North Gonja District of the Savannah Region. It is the capital of the district.

A sentence in the Victory series History of Ghana page 13 said; (Northern region is the largest region in terms of land size. The fact is the Savannah Region is the largest region in Ghana.

The strand 2- My Country Ghana, origin of the people of Ghana says “Gonjas originated from Mande land in Sierra Leone”. The fact is Mande is not kn present day Sierra Leone.

The same Strand 2- My Country Ghana, origin of the people of Ghana says; “The Gonja Kingdom was founded by Wahd Naba or Nabaga”. These names are strange to Gonjas.

The same Golden History of Ghana B.S. 5 said; “Salaga is a town in the Northern Region of present day Ghana”. Fact is Salaga is a town in the Savannah Region of present day Ghana.

The Gonjaland Youth Association therefore said; “We are by this petition respectfully drawing your attention to the fact that the above statements are completely inaccurate in respect of the Gonja Kingdom in the Savannah Region as the case may be.

The Association also demanded for an immediate withdrawal of the books from circulation and the publishers should be required to correct the distortions as soon as practicable. The Association wish asssure the Ministry of Education of their disposition and readiness to engage them and the publishers as may be necessary, to offer their assistance and expertise in this regard.

“In the likely event that we do not receive a favourable response from your offices, we shall be left with no option than to pursue other legitimate means of seeking redress and resisting this attempt to distort and misrepresent the history of our people” the petition concluded.