KOBBY ACHEAMPONG has admitted that he rubs away people from Kumasi. He has shown
that his mind and character can be weighed like butter and sugar. Whatever
happened to influence him to make such incorrigible comments was a test of which
he has failed. The heyday of disintegrating the nation is over. He has now
confessed his faults in the plural, and denied them in singular.

It is quite absurd for a section to describe such callous utterances as amoral.
Speaking with Shamima Ishmael, the host of the programme at City FM, on Tuesday,
October 19, 2010, he ascribed to the people from Kumasi as “Kookooase
Nkurasefoo”. He vehemently stressed and repeatedly said so. Which literally
means the people from this geographical area are uncivilized and
unsophisticated? His conscience warned him before it reproached him. He is full
of ill qualities. He should grow up and know that words mean a lot. He had the
platform to show his prejudice against the people of Kumasi. He naively claimed
that if one lives in Kumasi for a long time, that individual eventually becomes
“Kookooase Kuraseni.” He was quite emotional and angry. It was an ultimate
platform to show that he’s the NDC’s blowhard as he appears to be – he blew it.
It was oddball behaviour. Let’s wade in slowly. When Shamima asked him to
comment on Mr. Owusu Afriyie’s (Sir John), the NPP general secretary,
contribution, he quickly took a swipe to castigate Kumasi and the people who
hail from that geographical area. That was an opportunity for him to play his
high card. He was doggedly pursuing his party’s nod, and he truly demonstrated
his rude and arrogance. It was an unthinkable shot. He actually kept his bargain
– ill tempered – bargain of the programme. He did so by investing every fiber of
his being into his derogatory comments. He was really on a roll, ranting like
there was no tomorrow. He spoke as if he was speaking over a beer. His comments
left listeners and even the programme host stunned, absolutely stunned and
worried. He cursed audibly on Kumasi. This is a man from a giant propaganda
factory. His outrageous comments speak volumes about his mediocrity. He is a
pointy headed figure who is so drunk with power. It is obviously evident that he
is a ‘matured’ politician and leader who is easily be tricked or influenced to
behave like a kid. He has proved to Ghanaians that he is the type of a ‘man’
that if one is looking for something within him, he can easily find. But as a
Deputy Minister of a nation, you need to think before you think! It was even an
insult on the soul of Tetteh Quarshie of blessed memory. He has extremely
demoralized the country’s hardworking cocoa farmers and the entire farmers.
There can be no doubt that the tribal paternalism displayed by Kobby and its
intended consequences can be as poisonous and pernicious as any other form of
discrimination. A mean person could interpret the change of heart to reflect an
“I’ve got mine” attitude. I will leave that to a mean NDC person.
He revealed a weak command of facts and arguments that no amount of hand-waving
by the host, Shamima, could calm him. All effort to restrain him proved futile
because he was on a mission. His aim was to degrade the people of Kumasi. This
is purely an example of man’s inhumanity against man. He premeditated his vermin
to spew on the listening public and his target group. The hard-charged Kobby,
cursed audibly on Kumasi. People from Kumasi don’t deserve such a flippant
comment. Such erratic and imperious behaviour could have had a price in flesh
and blood. He has clearly demonstrated the darker side of his political
perfection. For how long will our nation be screwed up, without bringing to
order way-ward government officials? After all it is the taxpayer’s money that
keeps him there.
On the programme, he declared his position clearly as an anti-Kumasi. An attempt
to wage an incalculable damage to the people of Kumasi has failed.
He has no moral right to be in the nation’s public office. This is one of the
characters advising our president; so one could imagine. His comment meant that
if he gets the chance, he will MOW down all the people of Kumasi. One more
obnoxious thing about Kobby that I nearly forgot to cover is he’s a famous hog.
In fact he is the absolute worst. He’s unpolished and unrefined for public ears.
How could he make such an earth shaking comment? One wonders what actually came
into his mind to hurriedly paint Kumasi with such a lurid picture without a
second thought.
This kind of outrageous comment is being amply covered by President Mills’
administration. He should tell the country that he is not a dumb leader and dead
on the cross between his officials and the people of Ghana. No comprehensible
statement can be made in the face of a stupefying behaviour. The president needs
not to seem blink whiles the people took the streets, Kobby needs to be FIRED
for inciting hatred. Power ought to serve as a check to power. It is quite a
poisonous stab to the people from that geographical area. As a peace-loving
nation, we need not to avert our eyes on those kind of stinking remarks. This
can easily jeopardize the peace of our country. Kumasi is quite a populous city
in the country with high diversity of different ethnic groups. Currently its
region, Ashanti Region, accounts for 19.1% of the national total population.
Kumasi is a city with its suburbs named after the respective ethnic groups, who
live there, i.e. Anloga by the Ewes, Fanti-New Town by the Fantis, Moshie
Zongo, Aboabo and Asawase for the Muslims/ the Northerners etc. It is the most
highly cosmopolitan city in Ghana. It’s the only city in Ghana that contains the
oldest mosque. The Kokooase area contains respectable and fine people and
institutions as well. The Kokooase area has given birth to industrious doctors,
engineers, lawyers and professors etc. Even the comatose of Africa, Nigeria, are
proud of the quality education delivered there – Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology (KNUST). According to Kobby, whoever comes out or passes
through the Kumasi system, in his books, is a Kokooase Kuraseni. It is such that
whoever hails from there irrespective of ethnic background that person is from
Kumasi.

The raw materials (gold, bauxite, timber and COCOA etc) from that geographical
area account for high share of the Ghana’s foreign trade revenue. And all these
are found in the forest and are worked on by people. And he earns his salary on
the sweat and toil of these hardworking but voiceless people. He is the deputy
Minister of Tourism yet not cognoscente of the true value of Kumasi.
Kobby’s conduct should serve as a check to his colleagues – with kindred spirit
– to take a second look at their public utterances. Private passions grow tired
and wear themselves out; political passions, never.
As the country is doing its possible best to change from tribalism to
nationalism, he does not see it in that light. Much is expected of our state
officials to move us as people towards the fraternity of a nation. Irrespective
of the circumstance, we did not expect the deputy minister to descend too low
into an ugly gutter politics. This utterly describes him as complete retard. The
NDC party has a very annoying habit of proving political points by telling
horror stories that are not even true to begin with.
A well meaning and modern peace laden society need not to entertain such a crass
comment!
The Asantehene has initiated the Otumfuo Educational Fund to aid the people
propel into the “Accra Horizon,” and also former President Kufour’s led
government initiated a 4 year-SHS educational reform to at least elevate the
Kumasi people from the “Kokooase Nkurasesem,” but ironically, your current
government is doing his best to kill the move to help us. So ‘Country Man’
Kobby, on behalf of the ‘vulnerable’ but potentially able people of “Kokooase
Akurase,” as you have been smart enough have to identified and delivered a
public hint, you are in POWER now, we humbly urge you to use your high office to
elevate them to the “Accra Horizon.” After all it is your RESPONSIBILITY!

Communications Group,
NPP, New York.