"His Excellency " is not neccesary

Don't Use Unnecessary Titles - Dr Buah A renowned Ghanaian historian and educationist, Dr Francis K. Buah,has advised politicians and other public office holders to desist from the use of unnecessary titles.

He said titles in themselves did not mean anything and neither added anything to the portfolios but rather made politicians alienated from the people who elected them to office.

Dr Buah who has authored eight books, was speaking during the launch of a new addition to his collection of books entitled “Government in West Africa.”He noted that Ghanaian politicians and other public officials were always fussy about titles such as "Honourable” and “Excellency,”which did not benefit them in their portfolios.

He said Ghanaian politicians should learn from world leaders like George W. Bush of the United States and Mr Tony Blair of the United Kingdom who never prefixed their names with any titles.

The 83-year-old historian and educationist,who,despite his age,was still very articulate and cogent in his arguments, indicated that in the developed economies, titles did not mean anything, “but rather what the office holders did for the people while at post was what mattered.

“People would think you were from a different world if you should call Tony Blair, His Excellency Tony Blair, or George Bush, His Excellency George Bush.It is rather what you achieve which matters.There are people who have earned three doctorate degrees but never prefix their names with anything apart from mister and this is what our politicians should learn from,”he said.

Dr Buah who was also a minister of education in the Third Republic, said it had always been his aspiration to bring people together and he believed that his latest 254-page book was meant not only for students of government but also for politicians to soberly reflect on the way they pursued politics.

The Deputy Minister of Education and Sports in charge of Basic and Teacher Training,Mrs Angelina Baiden-Amissah, read a speech on behalf of the Minister of Education and Sports,Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo.He noted that only very few people could be writing books at the age of 83,instead of personal memoirs.

Mr Osafo-Maafo said the ministry was aware of the immense contribution of the author to Ghana's educational system and indicated that the book would serve “as a text that would sharpen the skills of students of government in the country.”

He described the book as “knowledge personified” and recommended it for use by students and other members of society who were interested in knowing about government in West Africa.

Prof Ivan Addae-Mensah, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana,who was the Chairman at the book launch,indicated that but for the military intervention in 1979,the educational reform programme that Dr F.K. Buah and others were drafting for the Limann government would have been completed and implemented.

He said that that would have reduced the current debate raging in the country on educational reforms.

Prof Addae-Mensah described the author as “a doyen in education” and said he was one of the few people who were qualified to launch a book of that nature.

Mr Kwaku Ansah-Asare, the Director of Readwide Limited, publishers of the book, noted that his company was now placing a greater focus on local publishing and that was why they were so keen to publish Dr F.K. Buah's book.

He said the book had been tailored to the current Senior Secondary School Government syllabus, “and even went beyond it to give users more information to enhance their knowledge in the subject.”

The first authographed copy of the book was bought for ¢25 million by Alhaji Asuma Banda, the Chief Executive Officer of Antrak Group of Companies.