Opinions of Saturday, 2 May 2015

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

Many are Asking, “Is the Kumawu Member of Parliament Up to the Task?”

The question of Kumawu Member of Parliament, Honourable Phillip Basoah, being, or not, up to his parliamentary task is floating around within some quarters of Kumawuman, and among Kumawuman communities both at home and abroad. I am myself beginning to subject that question to critical analysis before drawing conclusions.

Many a Kumawuman citizen, especially those resident abroad, wonder what the MP is up to, remaining aloof in the face of all the ongoing meaningless police intimidations illegally being meted out to the peace-loving and law-abiding citizens of Kumawuman, especially those living in Kumawu and Bodomase.

One would normally ask, is it part of the MP's job to investigate and take action on the recent incessant police incursions into Kumawu; in the complete absence of conflict or looming crisis? No-one is fighting in Kumawuman. There are no signs of imminent danger to the inhabitants of Kumawuman as it is contrarily the fictitious presumption by some dodgy persons in Kumawu.

Members of Parliament are not there only to participate in enacting laws for the country, ensuring their constituencies get their fair share of the national cake, but also, to protect the welfare and safety of the constituents as possibly as they can. Why then are the police lawlessly threatening and intimidating the people of Kumawu without the MP bothering to find out why, let alone, saying a word?

Whatever the plans of the MP are, on the ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy dispute, it is his duty to find out and report to the constituents why DCOP Kofi Boakye has been flouting the laws and the police ethics to send his armed police personnel to intimidate the people of Kumawu when there is no conflict.

It seems the DCE, Honourable Asiamah, an alumnus of Kumawu Tweneboah Koduah Secondary School (T.K.S.S) is supportive of the frequent police incursions into Kumawu for reasons best known to him. What about you, Honourable Basoah?

I know there are currently two allegedly installed chiefs in Kumawu. Is that the reason why the police are there to intimidate the supporters of one at the behest of the other? Are there not two chiefs in Tuobodom in the Brong-Ahafo region or Suhyen in the Eastern region? Were there once not two Ga Mantses in the Greater Accra region? Do, or did, we, hear the police molesting or threatening the supporters of any of them? If the answer is no, why then are they doing differently in Kumawu?

I should expect the MP to find out why. Assuming he never knew about the prevailing situation, I have today, Friday 1 May 2015, notified him about it. He will therefore not have any excuse to continue to bury his head in the sand like an ostrich.

The MP will certainly be judged on what he does to protect his constituents against these reported acts of unlawful police intimidations against his constituents.

Rockson Adofo