The founder and first President of the African University College of Communications (AUCC), Mr. Kojo Yankah has officially launched his autobiography titled “Our Motherland – My Life” in Accra.
The launch, held at AUCC, is the second of three scheduled launch events associated with his book. The book was official launched in the United States of America in September.
This riveting book touches mostly on Mr. Yankah’s life in public service as a communicator and a politician, as well as his private life as an entrepreneur in the field of communication and education.
In his address, Yankah revealed that he was motivated to write about his life because Africans in most cases, read about themselves through other people’s lenses.
“Clearly, we are miseducated about ourselves and we continue to miseducate and insult ourselves, our culture and values as Africans… We don’t find anything wrong mocking or defaming our leaders and indigenous practices just because some foreigner has said so,” he remarked at the launch.
Hon. Kojo Yankah also stated that his autobiography is his way of contributing towards the creation of a body knowledge that we need as a people to inspire the youth in Africa.
“Finally,” he shared, “it is time, even if we lost our way, for Africans and peoples of African descent, to stop behaving like cursed people and think proudly African. The negative notion that nothing African will work is self-defeating.”
In her welcome address, Dr. Koryoe Anim-Wright, president of the African University College of Communications, described the writer as “someone who is unapologetically himself, driven by excellence and results, and unable to settle for second best”. She also paid glowing tribute to Hon. Kojo Yankah’s exceptional effort, which has inspired members of the University College he founded, to continue working with great citizens of Ghana to immortalize their memory through assistance with the writing of their memoirs.
The Guest of Honour, Mrs. Emma Mitchell, who served along with Hon. Kojo Yankah as minister in the same government under former President Jerry John Rawlings, described the writer as a remarkable story-teller, with infectious creativity, who also exhibited an impeccable skill in his communication.
“Kojo weaves his themes and sub-themes with dexterous humour but with serious effect. Whether in telling about his childhood or school day, … he exhibits his intellectual and scholarly capabilities in clear understandable language,” she stated, promising patrons of the book discoveries of lessons that have been glossed over and taken for granted.
The first two copies of the book, “Our Motherland – My Life”, were purchased at GHC 25,000 each by Mr. Mawuli Hedo, CEO of The FirstGroup Ghana Ltd and Chief Investment officer and Director of Fortiz Private Equity Fund; and Lawyer Agbeshie, a private legal practitioner. More than 100 books were sold at the launch.
The third and final event will be held in Kumasi, under the auspices of Asantehene, Otumfour Osei Tutu II.
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