Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, has criticised content in the Aki-Ola Series Social Studies textbook for Junior High Schools, describing it as “false and dehumanising” for reportedly outlining “benefits Ghana has derived from colonization.”
In a statement issued on February 17, 2026, the lawmaker, who also serves on Parliament’s Select Committee on Education, announced his intention to formally petition the Ghana Education Service (GES) for an immediate review and recall of the affected textbooks.
Agbana said he had sighted images and sections from the book that attempt to present colonisation in a positive light by highlighting supposed advantages, a narrative he condemned as an effort to sanitise and glorify a painful historical period.
“Colonisation was inhuman. It was a systematic violation of human rights, dignity, and identity. Its effects have left troubling scars on the identities of Africans and Ghanaians,” he stated.
The MP argued that such content is particularly troubling at a time when President John Dramani Mahama is leading continental efforts toward reparations for the impacts of colonialism.
“At a time when President John Dramani Mahama is championing continental efforts toward reparations, it is deeply irresponsible to sanitize or glorify a painful chapter of our history,” Agbana added.
He warned that allowing distorted narratives to influence young minds could undermine historical truth and the dignity of Ghanaian children.
“Our education system must reflect truth, justice, and historical integrity. Not only that, our education must also sustain a perspective of history that does not deny the past of the Ghanaian, misstate the present, and undermine the hopeful future of the Ghanaian child,” he emphasised.
