*By Akadu Ntiriwa Mensema, Ph. D.; Post-Grad. Dipl.
**This poem was inspired by Rawlings’ claim that President
Yar’Adua of Nigeria saved Ghanaians from the claws of the
NPP’s efforts to

ACT 4: THE MASTER OF DIVISIVENESS
The Philosopher King came to have it all
Had so many friends and willing accomplices
The poverty-driven socialists at Legon
But all have deserted him for their lost souls
Because of his penchant for divisiveness
Because of his penchant for chaos and violence
Because of his penchant for mob-politics
Because of his devotion to dogged hypocrisy
All his friends and accomplices have run away
But some stomach politicians are still with him

ACT 5: FRIENDS/ACCOMPLICES IN FLIGHT
Boakye Gyan ran away like a rain-drenched dog
Akata Pore, the savannah rat took to the bush
Kwesi Botchway rebranded his azaa socialism
Efo Kojo Tsikata left hunting for more heads
PV Obeng left hunting for more virgin thighs
Fui Tsikata left for more socialist ideas in folly
Tsatsu the clever thief left with a trophy wife
Akuoku Sarpong returned to eat his own stool
And Mills said he hated the PNDC’s policies
But stayed on for more sugar, tea and butter
Zaya Yeebo called Rawlings a “Demagogue”
Obed Asamoah’s bedroom was the NDC bank
He fled and is howling in the NDC wilderness
Mame Dokono left after the NDC ate her kenkey

ACT 6: AND DEATH DO US PART
Flt. Lt. Kojo Lee and others departed via murder
Major Twumasi and others departed via murder
Major Ocran and others departed via murder
Sgt. Issahaka and others departed via murder
Sgt. Anku and others departed via murder
Pte. Holdbrook and others departed via murder
Godwin M. Goka and others departed via murder
Kyereme Djan and others departed via murder
W.O. II Aforo and others departed via murder
Sgt. R. Kwaku and others departed via murder
Sulemana (killer) and others departed via murder
Seth Amponsah and others departed via murder
Alidu Musah and others departed via murder
Hundreds and others departed via murder

ACT 7: CACOPHONIC POLITICAL NOISES
The philosopher king has all the answers
He preaches probity and accountability daily
But has never been accountable to anyone

The philosopher king has all the answers
He understands transparency and clearness
But has never been transparent in public life
Oh he was once transparent
He said that he used to buy yoke-gari on debit
And used stolen Air Force items as his furniture

The philosopher king has all the answers
He talks about justice all the time
But would not talk about the judges
Though the keys to the murderous Jeep
Were picked up from his dining table
By his errant buga buga kinsmen

The philosopher king knows it all
He said that the NPP killed women
But would not mention any names
Unless induced by a wee-lie detector
Unless induced by Nana Antoa Nyame

The philosopher king has all the answers
He says that the NPP slaughtered Ya-Na
But would not explain why and how
He knows the murderers of Ya-Na
But knows nothing about judges’ death

The philosopher king has all the answers
He says NPP is behind armed robberies
But would never mention NPP names

The philosopher king has all the answers
He knows that the NPP rigged the elections
But the NDC is in power and he is back
And the philosopher king is back to form

The philosopher king has all the answers
He knows that ALL Ghanaians are corrupt
But his sources of riches are a mystery

The philosopher king has all the answers
He knows how to develop Ghana
But couldn’t build Keta Sea Wall in 19 years
Though it was his political World Bank

The philosopher king knows it all
He told us to go to local schools, etc.
But sent his four kids to study overseas
And his ghost friends paid their fees


ACT 8: TIME TO SHUT UP: JJ ON YAR ADUA
Now our King says Yar’Adua saved Ghana
From the claws of NPP dictatorship
During the last highly competitive elections
Our Philosopher in search of sanity
Would not give any convincing details
He is just passing air in public as usual
It is time for us to say shut up to the King
To tell him to enjoy his loot and pillage

EPILOGUE: RAWLINGS OUR HOLLOW HERO
Ghanaians have been taken for fools
By a hollow man who can’t read
Hence prefers to rant in public

By a man who came to save us
But has saved only himself

By man who preached probity
But is bent on using divisive evil
To protect his wealth and power

By a man who thinks he knows it
But whose sanity departed long ago
With the murder of the judges
With the killing of Yeye Boy
With the slaughter of Kyereme Djan
With the killing of hundreds
With the feminization of violence
With the democratization of violence

Haunted people like our King
Who knows his yoke-gari rags
Yoke-gari rags to riches history
Fear their sanguinary shadows
Sanity has divorced the King
His megalomania rules him daily
He has a hell in his shallow mind
Ghanaians are there with him

**Akadu N. Mensema is a proud Denkyira beauty.
She is a trained oral historian and sociologist, and is a
Professor in the USA. She writes what critics have called
“populist hyperbolic, satirical” poetry. She can be reached at akadumensema@yahoo.com