Nananom must arrest Oheneba Media for insulting Asantehene to his face

If Nananom, to be precise, Asante chiefs, were more serious to go by the prevailing Asante tradition and custom, they had better arrest the proprietor of Oheneba Media. Asante custom demands that if someone insults a chief behind his back, he who reports it to him is the one insulting him. Thus, if say, Kofi tells a group of people in secret or public that Omanhene Kwaku is stupid and a womaniser, but behind Omanhene’s back, he who goes from the group to inform Omanhene of what Kofi has said is the one cited for arrest. Traditionally, he is the one directly insulting Omanhene Kwaku but not Kofi. This is how the tradition is, and it must be applied as such.

On about three occasions that I am aware of, a certain guy residing either in Germany or Belgium, who is the proprietor of Oheneba Media, one of these mushroomed but mostly irrelevant social media operated by Ghanaians all over the world, has acted very irresponsibly and in contravention of a standing revered Akan custom relating to insults on chiefs.

He started by revealing the phone number and residential address of a certain Ghanaian woman residing in Switzerland. He said, the woman was repeatedly insulting Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, by posting voiceover clips with still pictorial stool and kente-cloth in the background.

He over-exaggerated the woman’s alleged insults so much so that it got to the hearing of Asantehene himself. I understand the woman is from Kumawu. She was peeved at Asantehene's needless and uncustomary meddling in ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy dispute contrary to Kumawu tradition and custom and by extension, agreed Asanteman custom and procedures. She was telling the truth, although emotionally.

In another instance, he conducted investigations to reveal the whereabouts of one Ohene David in Germany. Yes, Ohene David out of his seeming concern about the plight of Ghanaians come about as a result of the misdeeds of the Ghanaian leadership, has emotionally been venting his anger on both the traditional and the public leaders. Overwhelmed by the intentional desire of the Ghanaian leadership not to serve the people as their mandate require but to be served amid robbing the nation in broad daylight, his posted video clips are often overflowing with expletive language.

Although in the public domain his videos are, it could happen that they have not come to the attention of Asantehene or the chiefs or the public personalities he talks about. Therefore, for Oheneba Media to approach the chiefs mentioned with the content of Ohene David’s messages, invite them to perform traditional rituals with intent to kill Ohene David, it is Oheneba Media that is insulting the chiefs. He maliciously records his interactive interviews with the chiefs, posts them on YouTube for the whole world to see and comment on.

In another most recent occasion, he arranged for a female team member of his Oheneba Media to meet the Nifahene of Asantehene. The woman informed the chief about the insults one Twene Jonas, a Ghanaian male residing in the USA, has rained on Asantehene. The Nifahene expressed his dissatisfaction at the attitude of Twene Jonas, telling how he would personally deal with him. He went on to say, Twene Jonas should consider himself banished from Ghana for should he ever be sighted in Ghana, he would be dealt with mercilessly. At the same time, the chiefs would invoke all the river gods, spirits and fetishes in Ghana to curse Twene Jonas.

Ever since the Nifahene’s reaction was posted on social media, a lot of radio and other media houses have picked it with commentators expressing their anger and negative views about the chiefs. The whole issue has gone viral more than it would have, had Oheneba media not diabolically as usual got involved.

All the comments passed are in support of the actions of those voicing out against the negligence of duty by our chiefs and public officeholders.

Has Oheneba media not made matters worse? He is the one rather seeking to make capital gain out of the actions of the woman in Switzerland, Ohene David in Germany and Twene Jonas in the USA.

Oheneba media must by tradition be arrested for his frivolous, if not malevolent, actions. He is the one rather directly insulting Asatehene to his face by always reporting in verbatim what others have said, to the chiefs, going by the said Akan custom. He is not helping the chiefs he runs to with what others are saying about them. He is the one making money out of it, the chiefs must bear that in mind.