A Russian language edition of Former President and National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama’s memoir, ‘My First Coup D’etat and Other Stories from the Lost Decades of Africa’, has been launched at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. The book has also been been translated into Portuguese.
Speaking at the launch Mr. Mahama emphasized a chapter in the book he believed would captivate the Russian audience the most, recounting his experiences as a student at the Institute of Social Sciences in Moscow during Gorbachev’s era and the Perestroika—the ‘restructuring’ of Russian society and economy. He recalled his philosophy lecturer, Mr. Gudoshnik, who was initially reluctant to teach the orthodox philosophy of socialism as presented in the textbook.
Instead, Mr. Gudoshnik opted for a more interactive teaching method, saying, “We’re going to learn from each other. I’ll explain what’s in the textbook, and you tell me what you know and think about it.” Mr. Mahama thanked the Russian Academy of Sciences, Comrade Dmitriy Savelyev from the Russian State Duma, the Russia-Ghana Parliamentary Friendship Association, and his longtime friends and colleagues who assisted with translating the book and coordinating the launch event.
He also recognized his friend and book editor, Nana Ama Danquah, who encouraged him to document his experiences in a book for the broader societal benefit.The former Ghanaian president encouraged the audience to read the book to satisfy their curiosity and engage with the African story presented in an accessible and journalistic manner.
Mr. Mahama was hopeful that Russian academia would welcome the book as a valuable resource for gaining deeper understanding of Africa.