Boycotting Funerals is Not the Answer! A Rejoinder.

I took umbrage after reading the rejoinder by Kwame Ampofo to the Editorial of the December issue of the African Spectrum monthly newspaper. Maybe my reaction is a bit overreaching but when elders abuse their positions resulting in unnecessary confusion what are we supposed to do?

The structure of the Ghanaian community in Chicago is indisputably unambiguous! The symbolic chiefs in the various Associations here are causing unnecessary tension, animosity and division in the community by forming a clique called the chieftaincy council and instituting rules without any mandate, consultation or input from members and elders of the various organizations or Associations who elected them. The symbolic chiefs must be noted are part of the opinion leadership of the community, they are not, and I emphasize again, not, constituted to make rules for the Associations they belong to, let alone for the entire community ! They are not above the organizations that elected them and therefore cannot be allowed to overrule our collective decisions through the Ghana National Council (GNC).

The Ghanaian community in Chicago is made up of various Ghanaian Associations. Eleven of these Associations, mostly regional in nature, by constitutional arrangement, delegate three members each to form the GNC. The GNC therefore serves as the medium where the Ghanaian community addresses most of its problems, plans and implements activities on behalf of the community. The city of Chicago, the State of Illinois, The Government of Ghana and all agencies and institutions therefore deal with the GNC on behalf of the Ghanaian Community in Chicago. This structure has stood the test of time and has served the Ghanaian community in Chicago tremendously. Years back when these symbolic chiefs were paid to showcase Ghanaian Kente at the Field Museum, it was the leadership of the GNC that wrote the proposal and collected the money on the symbolic chiefs’ behalf! They had a chieftaincy council then but the leadership and members of that council limited themselves to what they were, opinion leaders! They did not meddle into the affairs of the General Community by unilaterally making rules that affect the community at large without recourse to the council!

During the past Ghanafest, the symbolic chiefs ignored laid down rule where the organizations affiliated to the GNC present their requests, grievances and suggestions to the GNC through their respective delegates! The symbolic chiefs threatened to boycott Ghanafest if they did not receive extra free gate tickets from the GNC. This was after 10 free gate tickets had already been given to them amidst budgetary constraints on the GNC! Their decision nearly marred the peaceful relationship between the GNC and the so called unconstitutional chieftaincy council!

The controversial unilateral decision by the symbolic chiefs to boycott funeral s of non-members of the Ghanaian associations here was arrogation of power they do not have. The symbolic chiefs and queens attend these functions with elders and members of the associations they belong to. If there is the need to withdraw attendance to functions of non-members, we believe it would have been better and legitimate to discuss the issue with all stake holders, in this case, the general membership of all the Associations to be passed onto the Ghana National Council for further deliberations and implementation! If the chiefs want to go solo and be dictatorial on an issue as important as this, then we ask what the GNC is for?

No one begrudge the symbolic chiefs’ so called chieftaincy council with dictatorial mentality! We just wonder what their real intentions are! If they want to act as the GNC, then they should first seek recognition from the community, the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois! At present there is no legal instrument, law or rule in the city of Chicago, the state of Illinois or the USA that recognizes them or their so-called chieftaincy council. There is no rule or sentence in any of the constitutions of the Associations they belong to, which mentions or recognizes the existence of a chieftaincy council! Real Chiefs have lineage or line of succession, “stooland”, subjects and legal instruments backing the institution they serve! We humbly advise our symbolic chiefs to work through the established channels in the community and not raise themselves to levels they certainly have not attained so that we can all enjoy the relative peace we have so far achieved in our community through the various Associations and the GNC! Their participation in the community affairs like all others is voluntary and they can choose to vacate if they feel the heat is too much for them to take. The disdain, arrogance and confusion so far generated by the actions of these symbolic chiefs have been recklessness and irresponsible; enough is enough!

By Kojo Poku ( pokukojo@yahoo.com)