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Ama Ata Aidoo walks out of event over wrong spelling of her name

The event, organised by the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA), University of Ghana, was also to meant to award winners of a short story competition in her honour.

 

The event, organised by the Centre for Gender Studies and Advocacy (CEGENSA), University of Ghana, was also meant to award winners of a short story competition in her honour.

Her daughter, Kinna Likimani, who accompanied her to the event in a Facebook post said she has been battling with the wrong spelling of her name for years.

She said it is more disheartening because CEGENSA is an academic institute.

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She said: "My mother walked out of a CEGENSA event today meant to celebrate her and the winners of a short story competition in her honor."Both the banner (hanging in the hall at the African Regent) and the programme cover had her name as 'Ama Atta Aidoo' and not 'Ama Ata Aidoo', which is the correct spelling of her name. All her books use the right spelling of her name. Wikipedia use the right spelling."This peculiar and contrived confusion over the spelling of her Ata is a uniquely Ghanaian problem. And this sloppiness is even a recent thing. "She's been battling this for a while now, culminating in her walking out of an event in her honor today. "Of course, she couldn't have stayed. I know my mum. She would have felt bad throughout the event. "The whole thing is messy. We must really pay more attention to the details of things. It's more disheartening because CEGENSA is an academic institute. They know her, her name and her work."

Last month, Ata Aidoo added her voice to the Montie 3 saga describing those signing petitions for their release from jail as people who do not care about Ghana.

"No one who is interested in Ghana as a wholesome space for all human beings, and especially for its young growing population, would want to sign this particular petition to the President of the Republic." Writes the famed author in a press release.

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