Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur has said it is time Ghanaian professionals put their rich experience to writing to fill the current gap in institutional memory.

He said Ghana has scored many pluses and is highly commended among the comity of nations as an important role model; hence the men and women who make things happen, need to write for others to learn from them.

He mentioned in particular the good reports on Ghana’s Foreign Service officers and noted that such good reports “can’t make all the officers bad people”.

The vice president made the call on Tuesday in Accra at the launch of a book entitled: “Personal Reflections of a Ghanaian Foreign Service Officer- Whither Ghanaian Diplomacy?” - written by Dr William George Mensah Brandful, a retired diplomat.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur observed with concern that many important events had not been penned down by those involved in them in the past, but expressed contentment with the rising interest in documentation in recent times by Ghanaian professionals.

He commended Dr Brandful, who he said was his mate at the primary, secondary and tertiary level, for writing the book and further praised the pictorial depictions that highlighted notable events experienced by the author.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the political stability, peace in Ghana and peace with her neighbours still remains an important aspect of the National Policy.

Mr James Aggrey Orleans, a Career Diplomat, read the review of the book written by Dr Ernest Moses Debrah, formerly in the Foreign Service and Consultant to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration (MFARI).

Other reviewers were Dr K.B. Asante and Ambassador Benjamin Godzi Godwyll, both retired diplomats, and by Mrs Kendai Musakim Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Ghana on behalf of Mr Stuart Harold Comberbach, Ambassador of Zimbabwe to Japan, and Mr Leslie Kojo Christian, Chief Director of the MFARI.

The foreword of the book was written by former Zambian President, Dr Kenneth Kaunda.

Dr Brandful said the ‘raison d’etre’ for writing the book of his 35 years in Foreign Service, spanning May 1977, is to make a modest contribution towards bridging the gap of institutional memory.

Dr Brandful retired last December from the Ghana Diplomatic Service as Ghana’s Ambassador to Japan.

Prior to that, he was Ghana’s High Commissioner in Lusaka, having already served in his maiden assignment to the Ghana Embassy in Benin and subsequently as a senior Counselor in Ghana’s Embassies in Germany and Mali, as well in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Accra.

Dr Joyce Aryee, former Chiefhttp://ed.grammarly.com/editor/content?page.paperReportKey=# Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, auctioned the book.