Opinions of Tuesday, 9 May 2017

Columnist: Anthony Obeng Afrane

The ghost of the stubborn dead goat on a warpath!

Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bugri Naabu and Minister for Gender, Otiko Djaba Northern Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bugri Naabu and Minister for Gender, Otiko Djaba

Technological advancement is getting incredibly nutsy. I thought editing is mainly associated with the literary and film industries, but I’m wrong; there is now gene-editing techniques where genetic diseases can be precisely fixed before an embryo even starts to develop. Wealthy parents can pay for their children to be intelligent and diligent through these techniques.

One worryingly aspect of technology for instance is the playing of God by scientists with reproduction advancement such as cloning of human beings to replicate identical copies of humans which makes it possible for bereaved parents to clone their dead child to produce a replacement. Rich people can now clone themselves for body spare parts. It is also feared that people could clone soldiers for armies. Kai, what at all is the world coming to?

Some theologians have argued that cloned human beings would not have souls; if this is true, I don't believe they will have ghosts when they die. The mention of ghosts has set me thinking, and from the current happenings in the country, I have come to understand that the ghosts of some dead goats can be stubborn paa. They can torment their victims brutal.

Goat. Goat. Goat. It is a very useful animal oo; the Bible even confirms it in Proverbs 27:27; “And thou shalt have goats milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance of thy maidens.” Kikikikiiki, so tell me, is it wrong for Billy Bugri Naabu to have goats as food for his household?

I’m sure some of you are at a lost. Let me give you some background stuff. Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection, Hon. Otiko Afisa Djaba a few days ago accused NPP Northern Regional Chairman, Bugri Naabu for collecting goats in exchange of appointments such as DCE/MCE, Council of State Members, etc; and what transpired after this accusation is very much interesting.

Bugri Naabu has fired back by accusing Otiko for amassing so much wealth within a few months as a minister even though their party stood on corruption allegations against the NDC to win last year's elections.

His evidence is that Otiko covered every space with expensive cars at a very expensive hotel in Tamale, literary throwing money around when she hosted 20 women organizers of their party in the region. He said more: “Otiko is not serious, her husband is sick, she does not cook for him and she has locked him in the room and roaming about as if she is not married. She is an irresponsible woman and I will take her to court”

The most serious part of Naabu’s utterances is that he alleged on Radio XYZ 93.1 that Otiko Djaba is one of the architect of the murder of the late Upper East Regional chairman, Adams Mahama who was gruesomely killed in an acid bath at his residence in 2015. Bugri Naabu shockingly revealed that all those behind the murder have been given juicy appointments by President Akufo-Addo. Among the names mentioned is Hon. Rockson Bukari, the Upper East Regional Minister. Many eyebrows have been raised, and the question some people are asking is whether the President also knows something about the murder.

But all these are just piddling little problems; the real big trouble is yet to come. Otiko Djaba has promised to give trouble to anyone who wants it. And she sounds poised to give President Akufo-Addo a heavy dose of this trouble. News buzzing around suggests that Otiko has been asked to publicly apologise to Naabu or resign from the Akufo-Addo government, but Otiko says lie-lie, over her dead body.

Hear her: “I won't apologise for speaking the truth and you know it. All of you know what Chairman Bugri Naabu has been saying about me all over the place, to the extent of calling me a lesbian and alleging that I have been having lesbian relationship with our regional women organisers. Are you people saying you haven’t heard him saying these things about me?

“Then Nana would have to sack me. I won’t resign. Resigning over this matter would have the same effect of an apology; meaning that I have accepted that I have done something wrong. I have not done anything wrong. You people should be speaking to Chairman Bugri Naabu, not me.”

Otiko appears to know too much; I hope she hasn't been tongalised oo. Her leg seems to be on a stone like the proverbial blindman. Kikikikiiki, we live to see if Nana will have the balls to sack her.

But on another serious note, Nana is having a basket full of troubles of late, and I don't know where all these are coming from, but one thing is becoming clear – he accused the one who prepared the light soup with the meat of the dead goat as an incompetent cook, after which everything in the country have been incompetently turned upside down including the national flag.

Interestingly, Otiko and Naabu have been also involved in a dead goat matter in the past; and it looks like the ghost of the dead goat is taking revenge; it is obviously on a warpath! Chai, what a stubborn Dead Goat! I won't be surprised if it resurrects from death.

By: Anthony Obeng Afrane