A journalist’s candid view about Kumawu on his visit

Barely four days ago, a journalist on a fact-finding mission visited Kumawu, just as he does with other towns in Ghana. On arrival at Kumawu, he was shocked to the bone to find Kumawu in the state that he saw it.

He had expected to find a much bigger, well-developed town teeming with people. However, he was greeted by the sight of buildings with rusty roofs and a town devoid of economic vibrancy.

He said the way he had heard about Kumawu, her importance and status within the Ashanti Region, and her rich history of nearly becoming the capital of the Asante Kingdom, he never expected to find it in such a dull and smallish state deprived of major developments, unlike her rival Kumasi.

Kumawu, then Apemso, having once competed with Kumasi, then Kwamang, under the auspices of the renowned fetish priest Okomfo Anokye, for the capital of the Asante Kingdom, should, at least in her failure, have flourished in size and economic activities to a twentieth of the size of current Kumasi but not that diminutive.

The journalist surmised that something must be wrong, or else Kumawu would be much better developed and bigger than the way he came to find it.

I agree 100% with the honest view as expressed and captured on camera by the journalist.

Yes, there is apathy among Kumawuman subjects. They don’t care much about the development of the town and its people. Like many Ghanaians elsewhere, they think of themselves as individuals pursuing their personal interests.

If it were not so, how could the citizens of Kumawu have sat on their laps watching nonchalantly while the queen cunningly connived with some “powerful” Ashanti chiefs to rob the wealth of Kumawuman in broad daylight?

How could 280,000 hectares of Kumawu stool land in the Afram Plains be leased to a foreign company for fifty years for $2.50 per hectare per year? The official price as per the United Nations when a country is leasing farmland to a foreigner or a foreign company is $50.00 per hectare per year.

Who is illegally availing himself or herself of the remaining $47.50 per hectare per year on the lease of the 280,000 hectares for fifty years?

Could that amount stolen from Kumawuman not be used to develop Kumawuman and repair all the buildings whose roofing sheets have been left at the mercy of the weather only to be rusted?

When Rockson Adofo takes on those traditional leaders ruining Kumawuman, he gets some equally corrupt and shallow-minded individuals to attack him, asking him to leave for Juaben, his maternal ancestral place of birth.

Until my dying day, I shall fight for the interests of Kumawuman, God willing.

The damn sycophantic traditionalists who support the criminal activities perpetrated and perpetuated by the chiefs should gird their loins for the fight about to be unleashed.

It is neither a physical nor spiritual fight, but true revelations that will torment them psychologically.

Why should Kumawuman sitting on wealth be that poor, if not down to irresponsible traditional chiefs and queens?

Mr. Journalist, your observations and expressions of candid views about Kumawu are spot on. Thank you.

Kumawu had, and still has, her fair share of the rich men in the country. Why is the town not developed, if I may ask?

Cry, my beloved town.

Honestly, the town has misfits as her traditional leaders, if I should call a spade a spade.

Account for the proceeds from that tract of land leased to the foreign company for fifty years.

Once again, be it understood by all that stool land is not the personal property of the chief, queen, or royal family to do whatever they like with. However, it is for the entire subjects of the traditional area; hence, the trustees, who happen to be the chiefs, can be called upon to give an account of the land.