GUARDING GHANA’S HISTORY FROM POLITICAL PROPAGANDISTS

In an era where media platforms multiply daily and historical commentary travels faster than ever before, Ghanaians must exercise caution.

My recently circulated piece titled “The Ghana Story: A Search for Historical Truth” presents a timely reminder that history is not merely a collection of dates and personalities, but a complex narrative shaped by interpretation, memory, and motive.

The article thoughtfully begins by acknowledging a fundamental truth: history is rarely written by eyewitnesses alone. Like the account in the Gospel of Luke, which openly states that its narrative was compiled from what was “handed down,” historical writing is a layered, filtered, and reconstructed process. Interpretation is inevitable. Bias is possible. Verification is essential.

And it is precisely here that Ghana must tread carefully.

Across radio studios, television panels, and digital platforms, a new breed of self-styled historians have emerged. Many present themselves as custodians of national memory. Yet, too often, their narratives are less about scholarship and more about partisan positioning. Moving from one media house to another, they speak with confidence, authority, and dramatic flair, but without the rigour of verifiable documentation.

When political actors dress themselves as historians, history becomes a weapon. And when history becomes a weapon, unity becomes the casualty. Ghana’s political past, especially the independence struggle and the early post-colonial years, is complex and emotionally charged. Depending on ideological leanings, the same event can be framed as patriotism or betrayal, heroism or conspiracy. That is why historical discourse demands balance, evidence, and intellectual honesty.

But there is a greater danger that must not be ignored.

When distorted narratives begin to assign collective blame to ethnic groups, or to portray sections of the country as perpetual villains or permanent victims, seeds of suspicion are planted. Those seeds, if watered by repetition and sensational media coverage, can grow into resentment. And resentment, history has shown across the continent, can easily harden into division.

Ghana has long been admired for its relative peace and stability in a region that has witnessed ethnic and tribal conflicts. We must not allow careless commentary to fracture what generations have built.

A Word to Media Houses

Media institutions carry enormous responsibility. Ratings must never override national cohesion.

Editors and producers must exercise due diligence before offering platforms to individuals who repeatedly promote unverified historical claims that inflame ethnic sentiments. Freedom of expression does not absolve media houses of their duty to protect the public interest.

Responsible journalism requires fact-checking historical claims before broadcast. Demanding credible sources, not just passionate opinions. Ensuring balanced panels that include trained historians and researchers. Interrupting narratives that promote ethnic stereotyping or division.

Media houses must desist from encouraging partisan politicians disguised as historians who propagate tribal segregation through selective storytelling. Ghana’s peace is too precious to be gambled for sensational content.

A Call to Citizens

Ghanaians, especially the youth, must develop intellectual vigilance. Ask:

Who is speaking?

What evidence supports the claim?

What might be the motive?

Whose interests are served by this version of history?

Modern technology gives us access to archives, academic publications, and international records. Let us use these tools. Let us test narratives chronologically and logically.

History should unite us through understanding, not divide us through manipulation.

The search for historical truth is noble. But truth cannot be found through propaganda, nor through partisan storytelling dressed in academic clothing.

If we are to honour our past and secure our future, we must reject tribal sensationalism, resist political myth-making, and insist that Ghana’s story be told with integrity, balance, and evidence.

Our peaceful present must never become the casualty of distorted history.

 

By Socrate Safo