E.T. Mensah launches book
A book titled:”PNDC-NDC;SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT”, authored by Enoch Teye Mensah, was launched in Accra on Friday.
The book was reviewed by Dr Benjamin Kumbuor and launched by Ambassador Dan Abodakpi both politicians from the PNDC and the NDC era.
The first copy was bought by Nii Tackie Teoko Tsuru II, the Ga Mantse for GH¢10,000.
Mr E.T. Mensah,currently a member of Council of State was a product of the revolution which ousted the Third Republican government and established the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) in 1981.
He later became a Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), an offshoot of the PNDC and served in many ministerial as well as the party’s National Executive portfolios when Ghana was ushered into multi- party democratic dispensation in 1992.
Therefore, the launch of his book attracted an array of old politicians from the PNDC to the NDC era,cadres,the clergy,traditional leaders including the Ga Mantse,Nii Tackie Teiko Tsuru II and the general public who filled the auditorium of the Accra International Conference Centre.
Addressing the invitees,E. T. Mensah said the book was a strong testimony of the adage which said that: “History has to be made and history has to be told” adding that having been a key part of a certain aspect of the history of Ghana,”I am grateful to God that I have the opportunity to also be the storyteller”.
He said the late President, Jerry John Rawlings in writing the Foreword in the book stated,”This book can only highlight our achievements as a government. The details can be found in the documents residing in the archives of the various Ministries, Agencies, Regional Coordinating Councils,the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and the wider spatial manifestations of the programmes and projects we undertook to develop the country”.
He said late President Rawlings commended him for the initiative by stating in the Foreword that,” E.T.Mensah for his bold initiative in the compilation of this book.”
He has captured to the best of his ability some of the hallmarks of my administration, including the shortcomings and how we mitigated those shortcomings “.
Mr Mensah said the late President Rawlings chose to use plural, “We”, in his Foreword in the book to indicate that the work was not done by him alone,” but it was a teamwork, that made us to achieve all that we did”.
“It was never about a single individual but it was about all of us contributing our quota to building a better Ghana”, he said.
Mr Mensah said all true and great leaders never hesitated to give credit to team members, adding that the ability of Jerry Rawlings to discover and nurture talents, was a hallmark of his astute leadership style.
“Certainly, the story of Ghana, did not begin,and shall not end with the story of J.J.Rawlings and his team; but while we live and can tell the story,we must do so in order not to allow others to tell our story for us the way we deem fit”,he said.
BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI
