Accra, July 21, GNA - A novel on the political and economic development of Ghana in the past forty years was launched in Accra on Tuesday.

The book entitled 'Unexpected Joy at Dawn', focused on the gloomy economic picture of the country during the 1980s, under a military government.

So harsh were the economic conditions that Nii, the protagonist in the book, left Ghana to seek members of his Nigerian family, who left the country after the Aliens Compliance Order.

The book traced the suffering of individuals who were separated from their families to the Order.

Mr Attukwei Okai, President of the Pan African Writers Association, who launched the book, said it painted a dim picture of the failed efforts of African leaders to integrate the continent.

He said it was a sad commentary that citizens of countries that shared the same aspirations were regarded as strangers when they found themselves in each other's territory.

Mr Okai said: "We are not doing ourselves any good clinging to the identity of areas where we were born. Let us remember that we are first Africans and that should be enough".

He said, Alex Agyei-Agyiri, author of the book, had highlighted a glowing image of countries in post-colonial Africa in which citizenship was reduced to a mastery of ethnic language.

Mr Okai appealed to Ghanaians to assist writers to enable them to make meaningful contributions towards the development of the country. He said: "Writers are great thinkers and the ideas that they bring out can help in devising ways to lift the country out of its economic woes".

Mr Agyei-Agyiri said he faced difficulties when he was publishing the novel due to poor financial backing.

"The experience is so frustrating that it can crumble any writer and take the joy and desire to reach out to others with provoking thoughts vanished."

The first few copies were auctioned for 30 million cedis.