Opinions of Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Columnist: Adofo, Rockson

The Unprecedented Exhibition of Myopic Wickedness by the Akan Chiefs

Truly, the present day Akans in conformity with their own proverb,”Wani te bebrebe a wo mma aponkye akye”, have reduced themselves to never-seen before slave status. The proverb quoted in Twi literally translates as, “In a situation of seeing yourself as overly wise and polite, you will end up saluting even the goat”. The proverb actually means, “A crafty person at a point in time becomes a victim of their own cunningness”.

I have a big problem with the current crop of Akan chiefs especially, those in the Ashanti region. I will today settle with discussing the Ashanti region chiefs, proving to them how by their greediness, short-sightedness and or mere stupidity, they have sold their people and their birthright to others for a pittance.

As the biblical Esau, the first son of Jacob, sold his birthright to Isaac, his younger brother, for food, because he was under momentary excruciating hunger, discounting his entire mother’s mischievousness to rob him of his family position in favour of Isaac, so have the current Ashanti chiefs become. They have sold their prestigious position, reputation and recognition to the current Mahama government for SUV range cars, thereby automatically indirectly enslaving themselves and their subjects.

Before proceeding any further, let me pause to introduce the following comparative instance or analogy to proving how absurd our Ashanti chiefs have proved themselves. I shall try to control my emotions in order not to castigate them disproportionally.

During the United Party (UP) and Conventional People’s Party (CPP) electioneering campaign era of the 1950s, something interesting did happen in the Ashanti region. One Krobo Adusei, later to become a Minister without portfolio in the CPP government under the late President Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana, was brought to Kumawu.

Krobo Adusei, a non-native of Kumawu, although an Ashanti, was brought over to Kumawu, introduced to the then chief of Kumawu, Barima Otuo Acheampong by the late Opanin Yaw Forson, a renowned historian in Kumawu at the time. Opanin Forson was also the Palace secretary. Opanin Yaw Forson was at a point a father-in-law to the current Asantehemaa, Nana Afua Kobi, as his son, K. Kodua, married her for a period of about seven years before they divorced for a reason.

Krobo Adusei had wanted to stand on the ticket of CPP in his hometown in the Ashanti region. However, they rejected him saying, “we are for UP and cannot tolerate you here”. When Opanin Forson met him in Kumasi, listened to his narrations of plight, aspirations and views, he could straight away see some credibility and potential in him and so decided to help him. This was why he took him to Kumawu as stated above.

Krobo Adusei assured Obarima Otuo Acheampong and his elders that if they accommodated him, allowed him to compete for elections on the ticket of CPP and won; he would not only naturalise as a citizen of Kumawu but help Kumawu immensely.

To cut a long story short, Krobo was allowed to represent the then Sekyere East Constituency backed principally by Kumawu and he won the election. Asanteman was not happy that Kumawu went CPP whereas almost the entire region was UP-inclined. I am not going to discuss the consequential traditional repercussions Kumawu suffered but the benefits brought to us by Krobo Adusei, alias “Jesus is my Lawyer”.

Krobo Adusei integrated into a family in Kumawu and ever since claimed to be from Kumawu and from that family until his death. He built his own big mansion in Kumawu. He brought a Secondary School to Kumawu and named it after their warrior King, Barima Tweneboa Koduah. He brought electricity and water works (pipe-borne water) to Kumawu and her environs.

Back to Bataan. Most of our Ashanti chiefs including Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, are claimed to be NDC stalwarts although their subjects are mostly of NPP inclination. What have they been able to achieve for their region by affiliating so strongly with the NDC since Mills’ time until today? I know for a fact that as individual chiefs or persons, some of them have taken bribes in the form of SUVs and maybe other underhand deals. What else? They have pledged their unfaltering allegiance to John Mahama, to do whatever pleases His Excellency, The President, with their subjects. Subsequently, he has chosen to indirectly enslave the Ashantis, proving to the chiefs how little-minded they have been trading their reputation for SUV range cars.

How many Akans are in the current Mahama government? Are the Ashantis, in particular, not discriminated against during recruitments into the police service, military, or other National Security outfits and the Civil Services?

If these chiefs are there only to seek their selfish interests at the suffering of their subjects, then I have a big issue with them. They should bury their heads in shame for stooping so low to a person and a government that are avidly intended to cause total deprivation of wealth and development to the region and her inhabitants.

One would rather expect them to use their influence in, and affiliations with, the NDC party, to secure something better for the region but not to let us down as they have. They should compare Kumawu aligning herself with the CPP under Barima Otuo Acheampong to their current association with John Mahama NDC-led government.

I hope Asantehene truly never had a hand in the overturning of the Supreme Court verdict on Election 2012 petition in favour of John Mahama as he has come out to bodly declare on invocation of the lesser gods, the golden stool and the spirits of the departed souls.

I am going to discuss the deplorably corruptible behaviour of the Ashanti and the Akan chiefs in the current Mahama administration in series.Therefore, I am calling it a day to arrange a meeting with DJ Sources of Sources radio FM 96.3 UK and Online.

I invite all social networks to discuss my views and write-ups to ascertain the credibility or otherwise of my expressed views.

I take this opportunity to remember my fans in France, Mr Akpotosu Jonathan, Nana Yaa Afriyie (No.1 seamstress in Paris), Dr Ntiki, Asabre and Yaw John. I need your spiritual support in this fight to extricate ourselves from the corruption ravaging Ghana at the moment. We shall take the fight to the very doorsteps of both our political and traditional leaders. Until they stop what I see in them as utter nonsense, I shall never stop castigating them day in day out.

I dedicate this publication to all sensible and suffering Ashantis but not to the “greedy bastards, monsters, babies with sharp Dracula fangs, old and young evil dwarfs and political party sycophants” – by courtesy of J. J. Rawlings.

YOU CAN HATE ME, BUT IT MUST BE FOR A GOOD REASON.

The fight rages unabated. I am on the Ashanti chiefs. They have to return to Mahama the SUVs he donated to them during Election 2012. It was bribe that they accepted, they must take note.

Rockson Adofo