TAMALE LIBRARY GETS COPIES OF "A SENSE OF SAVANNAH" (PAGE 34, JUNE 7, 2011)

ADULTS and children who patronise the Northern Regional Library in Tamale now have the opportunity to read Kofi Akpabli’s “A Sense of Savannah – Tales of a friendly walk through Northern Ghana.”
The book, which has received rave reviews from various notable personalities and institutions, was presented to the library to enable library users to also have a feel of the book.
It was launched in Accra by the revered diplomat, Mr K. B. Asante and Dr Sulley Gariba, the Executive Director of the Institute for Policy Analysis (IPA), who is also a board member of the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA).
Published by TREC, the book is a traveller’s narration of his experiences during his sojourn through northern Ghana, notably the Upper East, Upper West and Northern regions.
The author, a freelance journalist, is a CNN/Multichoice African Journalist for Arts and Culture award winner whose travel articles have been published in the national newspapers, including the Daily Graphic and Graphic Showbiz.
Whiles Mr Akpabli describes his book as a “witty collection of travel tales that best express the character of Ghana’s savannah setting,” the Rover Report Monthly thinks the book “opens the window for those who have never been to the northern parts of Ghana to appreciate how rich the people are in culture and human values.”
Receiving the books, the Manager of the Northern Regional Library, Mr Aaron Kuwornu thanked the author and publishers of the book for endeavouring to present some copies of their book to the library.
He said many a time, users of the library yearned for interesting and educative books like “A Sense of Savannah,” but were mostly disappointed.
Mr Kuwornu said the book was more than a tourist guide, adding that it is “one that tells the story of the north, its people and history in a relaxed and exciting manner.”
Meanwhile, copies of the book are currently being sold in some bookshops and supermarkets in the Tamale metropolis and some people who have bought and read the book have described it as informative and hilarious.
“For me, this publication tells the real story of the north and its people. A warm friendly environment with a people whose hospitality has been well acknowledged and not just one of conflicts and sufferings,” Mr Abdullah Issah stated.
For Hajia Katumi Alhassan, a retired midwife, the author deserves commendation for endeavouring to tell the story of the north, although he does not hail from the north.
She therefore reminded northern elites of the need to promote their homeland instead of destroying it.