Akans, Endangered Species? Let’s Be Sincere!

Power is one thing I have always not understood. It is a life’s

mystery, may be this amounts to the notion that every human being is a political

animal. Hence once one is born, he is bound by a social contract to participate

in politics be it active or passive. Although for some people, politics is a

tool for ascending to various heights, however, it must be remembered that like

a ladder it’s also a tool for pulling down and grounding highly respected

personalities.

Are Akans endangered species? I put this question because it’s

something I feel must it be answered and once this is settled then the comment

of Nana Addo will either gain or lose weight. Are Akans endangered species? The

key word in this question “endangered” is derivative of the noun Danger, meaning

exposure or vulnerability to harm or risk. Permit me to build on, what harm or

risk are they exposed or vulnerable to? But before I make any inference let’s

look at a translation of the statement Nana Addo made, “they have intentions to

intimidate us in 2012 because they believe that we the Akans are soft and

cowards. If that is the thinking, then we shall see. At least during the Atiwa

bye-election, we showed a little of our colours there” He continued “You must

understand that this party was formed by courageous people. Our leaders who

formed this party that has now become the biggest political movement in Ghana

were not cowards. So in 2012 we need to be courageous because all die be die.

All die be die” Since Nana Addo made it clear that the issue is about election

and for that matter politics, I can now reframe my question to make it specific.

Are Akans exposed to political risk or vulnerability? Or are Akans

politically endangered? Or are Akans politically intimidatable? Well, any person

who knows the structure of Ghanaian governance, the population distribution and

how many Akans have occupied and continue to occupy sensitive positions in the

country since independence will only shake his head and scream rubbish!

For something practical, its obvious that when one talks about

sensitive offices in the country inevitably he is referring to at least these

seven offices namely the presidency, the vice president, the speaker, the Chief

Justice, Ministry of Defense, Chief of Defense Staff and the I.G.P., during the

first term of Kufour’s government of which Nana Addo was a key member, only two

of these offices were occupied by none Akans namely the speaker and the vice

presidency. Then in the second term of Pres. Kufour only one of these offices

were occupied by none Akan and that is the office of the vice president. The

most demeaning one was while Nana Addo was the attorney general in the first

term of Kufour nobody from Upper West was competent enough to be even the

regional minister of that region, can any government try this in the Eastern or

Ashanti region?

Now, lets turn to the government of Prof. Atta Mills, even in Mills

government the equation is the same as that of the first and second term of

Kufour, until the recent reshuffle, only one of these offices were occupied by

non-Akan and now two of these offices are occupied by non-Akans namely the

office of the vice president and the attorney general. Note that these offices

are key to the security and the well being of every Ghanaians and if this is the

statistics, does it tell us something?

In addition, it will be strange find out that out of the ten heads of

state and presidents we have had since independence, only three were non-Akans.

And even the last election only one non-Akan contested as a presidential

candidate out of eight but will it surprise you to know that Akans make of only

44% of Ghanaians and therefore if the offices and other things are distributed

evenly, they should be pocketing equivalently 44% and not the current 72%.

However, Nana Addo still maintains that “they have intentions to intimidate us

in 2012 because they believe that we the Akans are soft and cowards”.

Mind you, currently the president, the chief justice, speaker, the

I.G.P, the chief of defense staff and the minister of defense are all Akans. And

with all these positions in the hands of Akans are they “intimidatable”? This

must be a joke or from another perspective, a casting of aspersion on the other

tribes who form in total 56% of the population yet occupy 28% of these sensitive

areas. Are they not the ones who are endangered? Yet Nana believes otherwise,

clearly that is a mark of insincerity. Doesn’t Nana Addo know all these? Surely

Nana Addo is an intelligent man and therefore is aware of all these facts.

Therefore his intention for making such pronouncement could not be any other

thing but vicious; insincere manipulation of the peoples psychic for power.

Although power is what we seek but let’s not forget the truth whenever we are

before the crowd.

Joe Tony (bezanku@yahoo.com)

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