Opinions of Monday, 27 February 2012

Columnist: Sarpong, Justice

Stop Playing The Tribal Card

This article is more like a comment directed to one person but in reality, shows how some Ewes perceive national issues as a tribal issue. When did it become a taboo to condemn a bad behaviour if the one at the center of the news is an Ewe? Saying anything against Rawlings is a NO NO or you will be tagged as an Ewe hater. Now Woyome has become an "Illustrious" son of Volta that should be insulated against condemnation especially if you are an Akan and a taboo if you are an Asante, how did we get here, FOLKS?

A Columnist at the Ghanaweb forum wrote an article disagreeing with the Ewe Chiefs who called Woyome an illustrious son and demanded President Mills to free him and the Ewe mob squad descended on him like bees on honey.

"Author:Kojo T Date:2012-02-25 11:15:31 Comment to:Re: ANDY-K & PRYCE WILL TAG U WITH TRIBALISM

It is the writer that tribalizes the issue. How many Asantes wrote to condemn Mpiani on Ghana@50 or the slaughtering of the Ya Na ? We have a justice system that is tasked with seeing that Justice is DONE and seen to have been done. In short there must be FAIRNESS . Woyome was arrested Rambo style and ever since the tribalists have been at it and tarring the whole Ewer tribe. Woyome has NOT HAD HIS DAY in court . We should wait for that instead of all this subjective and tribalization of issues. Then should the Chiefs wash their hands off Woyome or should they demand a fair trial? I believe we should all demand a fair trial so that justice is done and seen to be done. sarpong sould be ashamed of himself But then that is NPP for you

Author:Vodoo Xebieso Date:2012-02-25 12:35:11 Comment to:Sarpong tribalizes the issue

Just allow the stupid Ewe-bashers to continue showing their crass hatred for the Ewes."

So anybody who condemns Woyome or the way these Ewe chiefs behaved are called Ewe-bashers and bigots, huh? I sometimes wonder how some Ewes just jump and assume defensive postures when people voice their disagreement with anybody of Ewe extraction. Is this how Ghana is coming to? If you are not an Ewe you should not comment on an Ewe issue or if you chose to do so, you should always agree with Ewes or the Ewe hating playing card is going to be used against you?

Concerning Mpiani, if you are not having a bigotry attack, your question should be 'How many Ashanti Chiefs demonstrated against his being at the CID Headquaters. How many Ashanti Youth organizations demanded his release. How many Ashantis bussed themselves from Kumasi to NDC headquaters demanding that he should not be investigated as the Ewes descended on the NDC headquaters having chartered buses from Ho to Accra?

Nobody is asking the majority of Ewes to condemn Woyome because that is like asking somebody to maintain an igloo in Arizona in mid-september, IT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

How many Asantes condemned the slaughter of Ya Na is as a lame question that should come from a two year old and not somebody who is over 60 as this Tamakloe guy is. Why don't you ask yourself how many Ewes condemnend Rawlings when he used helicopters to bomb civilians during the Kokomba and Nanumba war when more than 5000 people were killed and more than 100 villages incinerated? How many Ewes condemned Rawlings when during his administration the Chief of Offuman was killed and his head cut like what happened to Ya Na How many Ewes condemned Rawlings when he made the Chief of Aburi, also known in private life as B.B Birsmack, a former GFA chairman vanished into the thin air?

Does Kojo Tamakloe know how the Sodom and Gommorrah shanty town enclave in the center of Accra came about? It was started as a settlement for those who fled the Northern region during the Nanumba and Kokomba war and I don't see any Ewe condemning Rawlings for creating that eyesore in the middle of Accra where most of the armed robbers creating problems in Accra have taken residence

Kojo Tamakloe, that is not what anybody is asking any Ewe to do but rather what the writer said was for the Ewe chiefs to stop inserting themselves in a judicial matter and stop intimidating politicians to use Executive powers to let a thief they see as "illustrious" son go free. This is becoming the playing card of some Ewes. Anytime any Ewe politicians gets himself in trouble, we see the Ewes using their world bank votes to intimidate the NDC politicians.

It happened during Tsikata trial

It happened during Abodakpi trial when Ewe women demonstrated in Keta dragging their bottom from one end of town to another.

It happened during Selormey trial.

Did you all see any Asante protesting when Pepra went on trial?

Did you all see any Asante group demonstrating when Gbevlo Lartey forced President Kuffour to give up the office allocated to him by organizing the so called Adangbe Youth?

Tell me any other tribe apart from Ewe whose people have demonstrated against the trial of one of their own, TELL ME NOW.

This behaviour by some Ewes is getting ridiculous and people have been cowed to keep quiet because if they say the truth, Ewes will brand you as a bigot. Why can't Ewes behave like anybody else? DO WE HAVE TO CREATE SPECIAL LAWS FOR EWES AND THE REST OF GHANAIANS HAVE TO ABIDE BY THE LAWS WE HAVE NOW NOW?

"Woyome was arrested Rambo style and ever since the tribalists have been at it and tarring the whole Ewer tribe" Tamakloe,do yourself a favor and find when Woyome was arrested that way, who also condemned it, Ewe hater SARPONG condemned that high handedness and argued against it forcefully. I don't know if that would have happened if it was the other way round.

We all have to do the right thing to see that democratic principles are abided by eveybody in society without any tribal favor, IS THAT TOO MUCH TO ASK FROM EWES?

Justice Sarpong

Houston, Texas