The Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS) has hosted the 58th episode of the J.B. Danquah Memorial Lecture.
The three-day lecture series, held from February 24 to 26 at the Kwame Nkrumah Auditorium of GAAS honored the legacy of Dr. Joseph Boakye Danquah, a founding member of the Academy.
The event was graced by distinguished scholars, including the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ghana, Professor Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, and other prominent professors from the university.
The keynote speaker, Professor Samuel Gyasi Obeng, a distinguished Professor of Linguistics at Indiana University-Bloomington, USA, delivered a series of thought-provoking lectures. His presentations explored the theme “Language and Liberty” with specific focus areas for each day:
Day 1: Language and Liberty
Day 2: Language and Liberty in Selected Ghanaian Political Practices
Day 3: Language and Liberty in J.B. Danquah’s Politico-Judicial Life
Professor Obeng emphasized the crucial role of language in law, religion, medicine, and education, stating that “the death of a language is the death of a culture.”
He also underscored the importance of collective efforts in securing legal liberty, urging Ghanaians to actively participate in governance and legal matters.
“Let us come together as a team and stay involved in fighting for legal liberty, because standing on the sidelines will make the fight unwinnable.”
He further suggested that achieving political liberty requires cooperation between both the ruling and opposition parties.
At the climax of the event, a retired professor from the University of Ghana, Professor Alfred Oteng-Yeboah, encouraged students from Accra Girls Senior High School and Labone Senior High School—who were in attendance—to engage in political discourse.
He reminded them that they represent the future of Ghana and should take an active role in shaping the country’s democratic development.
The annual J.B. Danquah Memorial Lectures continue to serve as a platform for intellectual discourse on key national and global issues, reinforcing the impact of Dr. Danquah’s legacy in Ghana’s political and academic spheres.
–
Story by: Irene Fiabu | univers.ug.edu.gh