Digesting the Okyehene’s Indiscretion!

I read with utter disbelief a purported fine of

72 sheep and 36 cartons of schnapps imposed on an Akyem royal, Odehye Kwame

Agyei Boateng, by the judicial committee of the Abuakwa Traditional Council for

having the gut to accuse the Okyehene of complicity in illegal mining in the

Akyem Abuakwa Traditional Area.

According to the details of the fine, should Odehye Kwame

Boateng fail to meet the deadline and pay the fines, he will be considered a

persona non grata in the whole of Okyeman, and nobody would be expected to

either socialize with him or attend his funeral, and he cannot be buried in

Akyem.

It is surprising to know that in this day and

age, some chiefs are still caught up in the old ways of doing things. Yet

again, I was elated to read the quick rebuttal from Odehye Kwame Boateng who

said he would never pay any fine because the council had fined the wrong

person.

“The traditional council should rather fine the

Okyehene for the calamity he is bringing on the Abuakwa state, and rather give

me the 72 sheep and 36 cartons of schnapps to appease me for referring to me as

a ‘nonentity’ from Kyebi who does not matter in the Asona royal family,” he

said.

While I congratulate Odehye Kwame Boateng on his

bravery and steadfastness, I also reject the Okyehene’s 14th century “Ahinfia

Police” attitude against his accuser. We are in the 21st century, for goodness sake,

and If Okyehene feels that he has

been offended and defamed, why can’t he proceed to court and seek redress?

I

find the Okyehene’s behaviour quite absurd. The Okyehene should not shy away

from the fact that there is a lot of “galamsey” operator’s right under his

nose. At a point in time, people were even digging parts of Abuakwa State

College school field for gold. The Birim River behind the school also became a

site for such operations. As a great paramount chief with all the powers, what

has he done about it?. “Galamsey” gives employment to the youth, but it must be

done rightly and legally, taking into consideration the hazards that can come

with it.

I see the fine as a bullying tactics to silence Odehye

Kwame Boateng. As a chief, the okyehene should try to live above reproach if he

wants to be respected. Now that Odehye Kwame Boateng has made it clear that, he

will not pay the fine, what next?

The

Okyehene must know that he is just a traditional overlord, and cannot banish

anybody from any part of Akyem. He has no such mandate, and must be told in

plain language.

Being a “Chief” doesn’t give Osagyefo Amoatia

Ofori Panin the prerogative to deny others their basic rights guaranteed under

the 4th Republican constitution of Ghana.

Why can’t Ghanaians

see education as a transformative resource that offers the acquisitor the

psychological clout to challenge extraneous customs, the irrelevancy of

outmoded traditions, and instead see humankind as agents who have the ability

to do good?

If anything, our

familiarity with our cultural heritage must bolster our pride as worthy

citizens, and add to our determination to convert our nation’s colourful

experience, history, wealth of knowledge, and social capital to solidify

Ghana’s democratic credentials, and achievements.

At this point, even the most fanatical of the

believers in our traditions, are getting bewildered. There is a maze of customs

that have accrued emotional attachments over a long period of years. What is clear

is that, from Kyebi to Gambaga, none of the believers in the traditions has any

answer to the great question of how we can live without any scientific inquiry

into the mysteries of the universe.

At the same time, we have become accustomed to a

host of goods which are products of scientific enterprise. Others have deftly

chosen to charge us money for such goods, while adding their own unproductive

religions to our own unproductive cultures. Consequently, we are mired in a

double-jeopardy of inertia and irrelevance to modern advancement.

Despite all the big talk by some Kyebi opinion leaders, the Palace strife there

shows that we are stuck in time. Come to think of it, these were the people who

claimed God had made them to show us the way out of our morass.

Africa’s biggest problem

is where leaders think they are infallible. This "idiotic syndrome" exists

in every sphere of life in Africa, even between parents and wards. In this 21st

century, we still live in primitive part of the world where a child has no

right to say 'don’t be silly, dad'; even if the father is undermining the

existing alliance among the family members.

Why can't we change, or what's preventing us

from moving from static state of reasoning to dynamism? It is very disgusting

for members of Abuakwa Traditional Council not to take this criticism on the

chin but rather chose to incite the youth for violence and demanding such fine

from Odehye Kwame Boateng (a concern member of the council) for speaking his

mind.

My disappointment stems from the fact that if

a whole traditional council being led by Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin (someone

with over 20-years of experience abroad), does not see any sense in what Odehye

Kwame Boateng is putting across, then, the people of Abuakwa Traditional Area

are in serious trouble for having such a person as a chief.

The Okyehene is

recorded as having chided political leaders for failing of the people for doing

nothing during their four- year term of office. Bearing in mind that the Okyehene,

as a paramount chief, has tremendous superintending powers over his lesser

chiefs and all the lands in his domain, is hard to belief that he professes not

to know the damage that is been caused by the illegal mining activity in his

traditional area.

It is difficult to understand that, somehow, he has not acquiesced, and indeed,

benefitted from this activity. His accuser has a very good case, and I am

solidly behind Odehye Kwame for his campaign against illegal mining.

I shall be back!

Dela Coffie

Comments/contributions are welcome via; editorsblog@thetruestatesman.org