, Can Ofosuhemaa's Story Hold the Answer?

An abrupt confrontation with a scary scene can get one hysterically confused. The situation becomes worse, more menacing and dangerous when caught unawares in contrast to ones anticipations. This can well be the situation with Former President Dr. Togbui Avaklasu J.J. Rawlings. His high hope of ever ruling Ghana by proxy has been scuppered by those he intended to be his poodles. In his figment of imagination, he thought his once "school boys", John Agyekum Kufuor and Fiifi John Evans Atta Mills were going to kowtow to his obligatory, dictatorial instructions. He saw himself ruling Ghana unto death through all successive Presidents especially, the just mentioned mentee school boys of his. He doesn't understand why these once dull school boys are not prostrating to him, or sitting on crossed legs bowing, with forehead incessantly going up and down, softly touching the ground in obeisance as does the Japanese to their elders.

Pardon me to expatiate on the state of shock Rawlings finds himself in, in contrast to his expectations by narrating a true analogous story. Tears well in my eyes whenever a mention of once my booming village, but now a seeming decrepit cemetery, comes into mind. Almost all the elders are dead. The youth have deserted it in droves; absolute silence once unknown to the village has descended forcibly upon it even in broad daylight. One can just imagine the state of the village at dusk. It becomes dead silent; worse than the cemetery where even brittle bones refuse to make crackling noise when stepped on. I yearn for the day that I can write the glorious history of this once adorable village of mine.

Once in this ancestral village called Asiampa, there lived one Opayin Kwame Owusu (Kwaamusu). He was a well-to-do man who had many children. Read the incident that befell one of his many daughters. The ensuing state of confusion she was thrown into at the encounter is similar to that of Rawlings at the moment.

Madam Ofosuhemaa, then about thirty five to forty years old but now eighty five upwards if she is still alive, went to the bush in search of snails early one morning at dawn. She went as far as the vicinity of Adikro, another village about six miles from Asiampa and maybe seven from Effiduase. She met nobody on her way. The bush was dead calm with only the frequent chirpings of birds. She was even wondering how, not knowing that day was one of those few days set aside by the Ashantis and called "Dabone". It is a day that no living human being should venture into the forest or their farms; a supposed rest day reserved for the departed souls and other similar bodies of the spirit world. Suddenly, there emerged from nowhere a stout or a towering human being of northern descent and accent. He asked threateningly;

QUESTION: "Hwan na se k3 nwa nne" (who authorised you to go hunting for snails today?).

ANSWER: She responded, "Ye fere me Ofosuhemaa" (I am called Ofosuhemaa).

QUESTION: "Me se hwan na se k3 nwa nne" (I am asking who authorised you to go hunting for snails today?).

ANSWER: "Opayin Kwaamusu ba ne me" (I am the daughter of Mr. Kwaamusu)

QUESTION: " Me se hwan na se k3 nwa nne" (I am asking who authorised you to go hunting for snails today?).

ANSWER: "Me firi Kyiritwe" (I am from "Kyiritwe" - the village where sex is forbidden)

The man then asked, "Enne wo ahunu obi wo nnwuramu ha, kaa wo ho k3 fie" (Have you seen any other person in the bush today, hurry up, go back home) She rushed back home, narrated her story and fainted. In the village when one collapses in that manner, cold water is poured on the fellow to get him/her back to consciousness. She underwent same process. She was no longer her normal self when she got around. She was but ashen and frail, an indication of the shock so sustained.

From the answers given in response to the questions posed, one could tell Ofosuhemaa got them all wrong all because of having to deal with an unexpected scary encounter. There exists no village as "Kyiritwe". She could have said to come from Effiduase, where she does of course, or from Asiampa or Adikro. Anyway, let's see how Rawlings may answer questions in a similar situation.

QUESTION: Why do you see yourself as the only one able to rule Ghana?

ANSWER: I am called Rawlings

QUESTION: Why do you see yourself as the only one able to rule Ghana?

ANSWER: Atta Mills promised to consult me 24/7

QUESTION: Why do you see yourself as the only one able to rule Ghana?

ANSWER: Arrest all NPP Ministers, sack everybody and give their jobs to NDC cadres

When one is suddenly confronted with a situation completely in contrast to ones anticipation, the person can be erratic in behaviour. Is it not that syndrome of shock that Rawlings is suffering concluding from his constant ranting, fuming and fumbling?

Resist the devil and he will flee. I am dead serious. It's not funny. Is it? Rawlings must be resisted as there is no more room for usurpation, a known coup plotter as he is. Lest I forget, to get the actual feel of the questions posed by the supposed non-malevolent spirit encountered by Ofusuhemaa, see yourself asking them in an accent a northerner learning Twi would ask them.

Rockson Adofo