Part of the Nungua Story Yet to Be told

One thing that separates leaders from the led is the ability of leaders to maintain maturity and levelheadedness to avoid washing their hands in public. Specifically, leaders do not act in ways that literally disrobe their constituents in public as that reflects the markings of a betrayal to the endth degree. Throughout the maligning of Nii Odai Ayiku, creating artificial turmoil in our Beloved Nungua, Nii Odai Ayiku has maintained his cool along with the immaculate royal dignity that separates a true Mantse from a wannabe mantse. All the while, he has refrained from divisive utterances that would fuel the turmoil. His demeanor resonates the bedrock adage in the Ga folklore" "Mantse edzwaa man", meaning "the founder of a Town does not break it." Nii Odai Ayiku’s forebears founded Nungua, and by their heritage, the throne was passed through countless generations to him. Over the years, Nungua has grown remarkably beyond where it started, bringing into its bosom people from different cultures, etc., to constitute a single homogeneous Town. Nii Odai Ayiku has never employed any divisive means to upset this homogeneity. Do the villification and collusion to subvert his efforts to keep the Town intact really serve the Town’s interest?

It is often said that a period of crisis is a period of opportunity. "Opportunity" by this maxim can be progressive or otherwise. In Nungua’s case, the regressive manifestation of the maxim are unexceptionable. Just look at Nungua, as it was before Nii Odai Ayiku‘s exile, and compare that to what it became thereafter. During his exile, the crisis engendered by the leadership vacuum created enormous regressive opportunities for mushrooming of illegitimate chiefs, some from sectors of the Town that have absolutely no affiliation to the royal family. Nungua land was sold from left and right, leaving little, if any for its future children. Upon Nii Odai Ayiku’s return, Nii Odai Ayiku, again, eschewing Town-wrecking tendencies, launched measures to correct some of the wrongs done to the land. The on-going crisis is partly attributable to the fact that people who engaged in these illegal activities are doing anything possible, including teaming up with Non-Nungua people, to forestall Nii Odai Ayiku’s efforts to hold them accountable, or at least, put a stop to the land sale spree.

The Nungua situation, in a sense, resonates the Biblical episode culminating in the adulation of King Solomon as the wisest person that ever lived. In that passage, the woman, who was not the mother of the implicated threatened living child, called for the splitting of the child into two so that the actual mother of the child would become childless like the mischievous woman. The parallel of the situation with Nungua is unexceptionable: The main architect of the turmoil is a person who has absolutely no right to the Nungua throne, let alone any affiliation to the Royal Family (Mantse We). This person, whose demeanor presents him as one with an incurable town-wrecking gene, has given himself a chiefly title and teamed up with wannabe mantsemei to propagate the turmoil. It epitomizes a classic example of the proverbial spoiler who wants to split a treasured thing just because he does not have it. A true owner of something would not succumb to mischievous acts, such as teaming up with outsiders to destroy that thing. "Hee Mantse edzwaa emaan"; "Yes, a King does not break His Town."

Indeed, it was mainly through the town wreckers’ machinations that Nii Odai Ayiku was forced into exile by the Government. Remarkably, information from reliable sources have disclosed that the regressive impact of Nii Odai Ayiku‘s exile, including the massive irresponsible sale of the land, caused the Government that forced Nii into exile to virtually apologize, stating regretfully, inter alia, that its stance against Nii Odai Ayiku was based on lies perpetrated by the wreckers. The real mother in the Solomonian context did not succumb to the mischievous propaganda just as Nii Odai Ayiku has shirked that course.

Nungua is bleeding profusely, and its traditional foundations are being crumpled by distortion, etc. Let me take this opportunity to humbly ask all citizens of Nungua to think and work positively for the common good of this Blessed Town of ours. Instead of fueling the propaganda to break the Town apart, let’s prayerfully bring all our hands and skills together to work constructively to make Nungua the remarkable Historical Town it is. Irresponsible sale of land is abominable. Specifically, sale of land has never been, it is not, and will never be an answer to poverty. Diligence and pragmatic use of skills and resources are! Land is a veritable trust for the departed forebears, those of us living, and those yet to be born. It is our firm and natural duty to preserve Nungua for posterity by handling it with respect and dignity, using its land productively; and working with our duly appointed leaders to protect it. Inhabitants of Nungua must eschew the distracting and divisive propaganda that have characterized the Town for the past several years. Instead, they should appreciate that it is only by their own positive efforts that the Town would have the peace and tranquility to create a flourishing environment for all its inhabitants.