An Associate Professor of Journalism and Communication at the University of Media, Arts and Communication-Institute of Journalism, Prof Etse Sikanku is set to launch a book that contributes to studies on a less researched institution which is the vice presidency, mainly in the Ghanaian context.

The book, which uses Ghana’s current Vice President and 2024 Presidential Candidate of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as a case study, contributes to leadership studies by unearthing the values and principles of Vice President Bawumia.

The book, titled, ‘Dr Bawumia and The Modern Vice Presidency in Ghana, will be launched on Friday, 7th June 2024 at the British Council Hall in Accra at 5.00 pm.

The book will be useful to a wide variety of fields such as African studies, political science, democratic studies and leadership studies.

The evolution of the vice presidency in Ghana

Despite the changing dynamics of the presidency in Ghana, there is limited work on the evolving role of the vice presidency in one of Africa’s most heralded democracies using an individual as a case study.

This book focuses on the values, principles, experiences, communication, outlook and leadership of Vice President Dr Bawumia.

According to the synopsis, "This book fills an important gap because it calls attention not only to an often-overlooked position but to the increasing significance, substantiveness and evolutionary status of the vice presidency using Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as a primer.”

Through his agility, dutifulness and commitment, he made the office of the Vice President more visible, practical, and impactful thereby reforming, reinvigorating, and renewing the institutional relevance of the office for years to come”the synopsis notes.

The book highlights Dr Bawumia’s efforts in transforming the vice presidency in Ghana.

“Our nation, our democracy and the institution of the vice presidency will never be the same again thanks to Dr Bawumia, and his dynamic transformation of the VPship, as an instrument for impact and advocacy on causes such as digitalization, political civility, innovation, social cohesion, development, societal progress, compassion, and unlimited opportunities.

The synopsis notes that "In both image and stature, the office has taken a modern, progressive and forward-looking turn setting the tone for future democratic leadership for a long time.

As part of ongoing conversations about leadership, this book seeks to capture the underlying ethos of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia with the hope of helping to understand and appreciate a man who has become a consequential figure in Ghana’s national and political affairs.

It is hoped that this book will be a great resource to the general public, observers and followers of politics, communication studies, international relations, political science, African affairs, and global political communication.

Hopefully, from a scholarly perspective, it should add to the literature on this important position while spurring debates about the form, structure, and role of the vice presidency in established as well as emerging democracies”the synopsis concluded.

More about the author

Prof Etse Sikanku obtained his PhD in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Iowa.

He holds a master’s degree in journalism and communication studies from Iowa State University and a BA (first class) in Political Science from the University of Ghana, Legon. He received the 2011 Outstanding Doctoral Student Award for research from the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Iowa.

Prof Sikanku’s work has appeared in top-rated globally recognized journals such as the International Journal of Communication, Howard Journal of Communication, International Communication Research Journal, Communication and the Public and the Journal of Black Studies.

He’s the co-author of an article on political crisis communication in an international crisis communication handbook by the highly recognized Routledge Press. Prof Sikanku is a scholar of political communication, media representation, political reporting, comparative communication, political framing, campaign communication and international communication. His first book “The Afrocentric Obama and Lessons on political campaigning” was the subject of a book talk at Harvard University in the fall of 2016.

He was also a guest speaker at the University of Pennsylvania and Iowa State University based on his first book.

Sikanku has written and provided extensive scholarship and in-depth analysis on the role of communication (specifically frames) in a variety of local and international media, and public and intellectual outlets/platforms.

He has also contributed extensively to public discourse and public policy nationally and internationally. He is one of few scholars who still practice in the field of journalism serving as a television host, special assignment reporter and radio talk show host on national and international issues.

He served as an international correspondent for CITI FM during the 2008 and 2012 Presidential elections in the US. He is broadly interested in the role of public communication in national and global affairs particularly in democratic and political deliberation.

His academic career includes teaching appointments at the University Of Ghana Department of Communication Studies and the University of Media, Arts and Communication Institute of Journalism (UniMAC-IJ).