The once powerful mayor of Kumasi, Nana Akwasi Agyeman is reported to be living in the fear of his own shadow.
Reports reaching this newspaper from Kumasi say for the past six months, the usually extroverted Akwasi Agyeman has not been spotted at public gatherings for fear of reprisals from people he hurt while in office.
The Accra Mail's sources who have been monitoring Akwasi Agyeman say even though the Ashanti would normally not manhandle a royal, Akwasi Agyeman does not trust anyone and has decided to restrict his movements to the four corners of his house.
During his twelve or more years in office, Akwasi Agyeman, who vied for the Ashanti throne twice and lost, gained notoriety for assaulting all kinds of people, including market women, pregnant women and shoe shine boys.
During his tenure many thought he should have used the opportunity to initiate pragmatic development projects to turn Kumasi around. Rather Nana Okumkom administered the metropolis like his personal property and descended into gutter politics. He was so drunk with power that he was reported as saying he did not fear the late Otumfuo Opoku Ware II.
Fearing that his victims would pay him back, the extrovert, who stirred muddy waters wherever he went, has decided to go AWOL. Akwasi Agyeman also holds a record of serving in the last four governments. Perhaps he is yet to worm himself into the fold the current government. He is reported as saying, when the NPP took over the government that he would help because President Kufuor is his brother.
Is Akwasi also contemplating becoming pastor or a priest? Two former officials of the NDC government have decided to take to the pulpit. The former Ashanti Regional Minister Mr. Nuamah Donkor decided to study theology outside the country in preparation for becoming a priest. And just last week the former District Chief Executive of Effigya Sekyere East, Mr. Degraft Safo enrolled at the Christian Service College in Kumasi to study theology and eventually become a priest.
In a chat with the media Mr. Safo said his decision to become a preacher of the gospel has been a long time dream and that the surprise defeat of the NDC in the last elections paved the way for him to heed to the priestly call.
