Working with Rawlings: Timing problematic – Gyampo

 
Professor of Political Science at the University of Ghana, Legon, Ransford Gyampo, has questioned the timing of the release of the book authored by National Democratic Congress (NDC) kingpin Professor Kwamena Ahwio.
According to him, the timing for the release of the book, “Working with Rawlings” is quite problematic  considering the fact that the country is getting ready to go to the pools in four months.
He noted that the release of the book is either a fundamental mis-judgment and a display of weak sense of timing, or a shadow of an agenda to scuttle a chance, and start afresh with a preference.
The political professor in a write-up to express his judgement of the book “Working with Rawlings”, explained that the book attempts a great summary of some core issues of politics in Ghana under Rawlings, in a manner that makes it reader-friendly.
He added that the book was released at a time the country was preparing for elections and that the author may profit a lot from sales as the book speaks about a man whose role in the lead up to the coming elections, could help or hurt the two main political parties.
Read full text of Gyampo’s analysis of “Working with Rawlings”:
Now I have perused the book. This is my judgement:
The author displayed high sense of scholarship in documenting his perspectival truths about his working with Jerry Rawlings. Most of the contents are already known, as they are actually documented already in great detail by other previous works.
This book attempts a great summary of some core issues of politics in Ghana under Rawlings, in a manner that makes it reader-friendly. Given that it was released at a time we are preparing for elections, author may profit a lot from sales, as the book speaks about a man whose role in the lead up to the coming elections, could help or hurt the two main political parties.
But to my mind, politically, the timing for the release of the book, is quite problematic. Indeed, publishing this book with many controversial contents, about four months to an election that promises to be keenly competitive,  is either a fundamental mis-judgment and a display of weak sense of timing, or a shadow of an agenda to scuttle a chance, and start afresh with a preference.
It must also be noted that, foreword writers aren’t necessarily subscribers of the views of authors. You can simply tell this by reading the content of the foreword. I have read the foreword as an academic, and I am still wondering why and how anyone who knows what forewords are, will have qualms about the author.
The author of the foreword of this book is a big deal to only those who either do not know the purpose of a foreword, or have simply not read what is contained in that section. In academia,,the fact that one writes a foreword of a book,,doesn’t make the author guilty of the content of the book, simplicita.
 
Ghana | Atinkaonline.com | Vivian Adu Boatemaa

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