The government has tasked the newly appointed board of the Ghana Library Authority (GhLA) to establish a presidential library to document both the achievements and failures of past presidents.
This initiative is to preserve Ghana’s political history, promote transparency, and serve as an educational resource for future generations.
He further announced plans to seek Cabinet approval for a review of the Ghana Library Board Act of 1970 to support the creation of a national book fund and to legally empower the Ghana Library Authority to manage presidential libraries.
The Minister of Education, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, announced this in Accra on Wednesday during the inauguration of a 15-member governing board of the Ghana Library Authority.
The 15-member board is chaired by Dr Michael Ato Essuman with Richard Baffour Awuah, Prof. Philip K. Kankam, Dr Yaw Owusu-Agyeman, Mrs Judith Emefa Quarshie, Mr Vincent Esoah, Mr Dennis Osei-Owusu, Mr Churchill Nartey Darlington, Mr Joseph Nerboi Tetteh, Rev. Dr Cyril Gershon Kwao Fayose, Dr Mohammed Marzuq Abubakari, Rev. Fr Gabriel Kojovi, Mr Ziblim Alhassan Betintiche, Miss Salome Odoom, and Mr Daniel Affadu as members.
According to the Minister, the presidential library which would not be funded by the state, is to preserve Ghana’s political history and instilling in future generations a deeper understanding of national leadership.
“Whether you did good or bad to the republic, once upon a time you were president, and you probably got something right,” Mr Iddrisu said.
“A presidential library must honour that, keeping an archive of your contribution to public life, including your rights and wrongs, so that children will learn.”
The Minister emphasised that the libraries would be built in partnership with the private sector and the corporate world, and would serve as monuments of national memory much like the U.S. presidential libraries housing vital records and writings of Ghana’s leaders.
Challenging the new board to help “reset Ghana,” he called on them to align their work with the Mahama administration’s new education policies, which include expanding digital literacy, strengthening Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education through innovation hubs, and promoting a nationwide reading culture.
“We are very low on the culture of reading. We must revive the desire among young learners to read and explore knowledge,” the Minister added.
The chairman of GhLA, Dr Essuman, speaking on behalf of the board, expressed gratitude for the government’s confidence and pledged their full commitment to achieving the objectives set before them.
He added that, as part of GhLA’s broader mandate, the board had affirmed to enhance rural outreach through mobile libraries, connect more libraries to the internet, complete the Accra Book Haven, and ensure that every senior high school has access to a functional library.
BY RAYMOND APPIAH AMPONSAH
