– Stay Away from Them.

What is a self-imposed curse, one may ask? A Self-imposed curse is when people use negative kinds of language or words they are not aware that they are inviting evil spirits to take them over. These words are used by their authors when either trying desperately to assert their innocence, or insisting on an irreversible line of action they intend sticking to. These self-imposed curses have always been dangerously detrimental to those invoking them. Their results are always felt however they manifest. They can either vividly be seen by outsiders as having occurred or be felt indirectly by the invoker as happening in his body, actions etc. Simply put, they are dangerous to be invoked upon oneself either consciously or unconsciously.

To buttress my contentions as to how devastating these self-imposed curses have always been, I am going to discuss three known instances or incidents where very regrettable results have occurred. In the 1970s, a lady from my town died a sudden inexplicable death on a sunny afternoon. According to her close relatives and neighbours, she had not long ago invoked a curse upon herself. Her husband who lived and worked in Kumasi used to come over at certain weekends to pass time with the wife and children. She suspected the husband to be having time with other women in Kumasi. What angered her most was the husband's ostentatious spending on the women. She did challenge and always argued needlessly with the husband over her suspicions. The husband did always deny the allegations. One day as she was arguing bitterly with him as usual, she is said to have invoked the spirits of the most dreadful Ashanti fetish shrine. She invoked "Nana Antoa Nyamaah" on the husband by saying, "Any woman that you sleep with and gives money to should be killed by Nana Antoa Nyamaah". How evil could she be? She intended to kill any woman who accepts money from her husband after having sexual intercourse with him. Look at how her baseless claim was understood and interpreted by the fetish Nana Antoa Nyamaa.

The husband came over the following week after the argument that led to the invocation of the fetish as just explained above. He slept with her and on his departure on early Monday morning, gave her money. This could be what is popularly called in Ghana as "chop money". She did gladly take the money. Little did she know that the fetish was going to administer the bitter pill she had intended for others to her? She had accepted money from the husband after sleeping with him regardless her being the wife. The evil she had planned for others heavily descended upon her. She died three days later without suffering from any sort of known or unknown ailment. If she was wise, she could have said, "Any woman who sleeps with my husband apart from me, and does accept money from him as a result, should be killed by Nana Antoa Nyamaa". But why at all did she want to kill other innocent people? Why did she not try to kill the husband who was rather chasing the women if her suspicions were correct?

There was another man who was always fighting and arguing with his siblings. He did not see eye to eye with his elder sister. They were like a cat and a mouse. During one of their arguments, the man said, "I shall never talk to you anymore. The day that I talk to you, I should be struck dead by Nana Antoa Nyamaah". They did not talk for years since that self-imposed curse. Look what happened. His niece returned home from Europe. The niece did tell both of them she would never again come to Ghana once she returned to Europe. "How can I come to Ghana to see you always fighting, at loggerheads, and on each other's throat? I feel very uncomfortable", she had said. The uncle immediately rose onto his feet and hugged his sister saying, "Yaa, I shall never fight you again because I'm touched by what my niece has said. Why should she be forced to stay in Europe onto death by our actions and inactions?" He had said this amid sharing of tears. He was consoled by both the sister and the niece. Little did he also know that he had fallen into the deadly trap of Nana Antoa Nyamaah? A month or two along the line, he fell seriously ill. His feet got swollen up. His stomach got distended. He suffered agonizing pains. Medical help was sought but became ineffective. When it was realized he had many years ago self-imposed a curse on himself, he was taken before the Antoa shrine. It was made clear that he had been struck by the fetish. Urgent traditional rites were performed to rid him of the effects of the curse but it was too late to make the needed difference. He died a painful death.

Finally, another girl has died just last two weeks. She had a problem with her boyfriend and in the process did invoke two fetishes. She said, "I will never again go out with you. The day that I sleep with you again, I should be killed by (names of fetishes mentioned)". A few days later they did settle their differences and started sleeping together. She was said to be too disrespectful towards her deceased mum's elder sister who has been taking care of her after the mum's demise. She would not listen to any useful advice. When she fell sick out of the blue with all medical assistance being valueless, she then told about the self-imposed curse. One fetish shrine was contacted but it was too late to contact the other. She died.

I have intentionally withheld the names of the victims and their families. I don't expect to cause them any aggravated pain by the revelations of their names. I pray the souls of the departed ones as mentioned, do rest in perfect peace. May others also learn lessons from these to avoid self-imposing needless curses on themselves as such curses can be lethal as in these cited instances?

Let the wise ear listen to the wise advice.

Rockson Adofo