In order to acquire an authentic traditional history which would serve as a reference material for resolving chieftaincy, family, and tribal disputes in all traditional areas in the country, while making the information available for public usage and for further research, authorities of the Ghana State Book Company has chosen the month of April to lunch the Kwahu State Book which talks about the history of the Kwahu kingdom.
In a media briefing at the Kwahu Traditional Council, the Project Coordinator of the Ghana State Book Company, Isaac Bright Botchway, revealed that his office which is undertaken this project in collaboration with the Bureau of Ghana Languages, National House of Chiefs, National Commission on Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority is established to create authentic reference State Books to help address and resolve chieftaincy and tribal disputes in the various traditional states in Ghana.
The project which has been in existence for the past decade can boast of a compiled State Books for five states in the country comprising Offinso, Techiman, Awutu, Tepa and Hwidiem Traditional Areas.
The State Book Project is tasked to provide an authentic history of royal families in the Kwahu Traditional Area, gearing towards avoidance of chieftaincy conflicts, land disputes, inheritance contestations among others, through joining all the pieces of histories together (both written an unwritten) as one cohesive and authentic history for the Kwahu State as well as ensuring proper documentation while preventing misunderstanding in order to avoid misconception.
The project Kwahu State Book which is about 80% complete according to the coordinator will provide the opportunity to reconcile histories and address the loopholes in the existing written histories given the international community easy access to comprehensive, credible and authentic information that covers all royal families within the Kwahu State, spelling out the legitimacy of a potential Chief or a royal member backed with authentic histories acceptable to all gates.
“This will bring to an end major chieftaincy disputes associated with installation of Chiefs, to reduce chieftaincy and tribal related conflicts as the government will have peaceful and conflict free atmosphere, this will help to channel the limited resources into prudent use in other effective areas as investors and agencies will operate in conducive environment. While creating a conducive atmosphere for academic and other professional researchers to have authentic information to undertake research. The public offices, institutions and individuals will also have access to credible information with regards to traditional histories, cultural practices and tourism site” Mr Bright Botchway emphasized.
He said the office is working with six main stages to ensure proper documentation of histories towards the creation of the state books for each traditional Area in Ghana.
The rest are field schedule is prepared to meet each royal family within the traditional state gaining opportunity to obtain the oral history from all the royal families in the traditional area after which professional work begins including amalgamation and verification of information towards the publication of the state books.
Source: William Dei-Gyau
