To start with, I am glad to announce to the entire nation and the whole world that the citizens of Kumawuman by their overwhelming majority, have elected their chief. He goes by the stool name Barimah Tweneboah Koduah V. He is not that fictitious one (Barimah Sarfo Tweneboah Koduah) so collusively imposed on the people and Kumawuman by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and his most disgraceful Asanteman Council of Chiefs.
I would also like to convey to the attention of the whole world how the Ashanti regional Police Commander Kofi Boakye, alias Commander I, somehow mischievously, ordered about 100 police personnel in police armoured vehicles to proceed to Kumawu. These police officers went to Kumawu on Sunday 18 January 2015 under the guise of ensuring the safety of the people, thus, protecting lives, protecting property and preventing crimes. They had a different agenda altogether.
Sunday 18 January 2015 was when the chiefs in Asanteman were celebrating their "Akwasidee". Akwasidee is one of the days (Kwabena, Fofie, and Dapaah etc.) deemed by the Ashantis or Akans as the resting day for them to spiritually interact with the departed souls. They pay homage to the ancestors by pouring libation, slaughtering sheep etc., with the chiefs sitting in State to receive their subjects.
The mentioned Sunday had been earmarked for the newly elected chief by the popular support of the people, to officially interact with his subjects, in line with Akan tradition and custom. However, the Kofi Boakye's boys and girls had a different spiteful agenda. They had come with the motive of disrupting the ceremony, arrest certain listed people, and to shatter the dreams of the people.
The sheer number of those lined up to pay homage to the new chief, was more than enough to send them a strong warning that any unduly action taken, or intended, by them, to scupper the people's wish and plans will vehemently be resisted. They still desired to do their masters' (Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Kumawuhemaa Abenaa Serwaah Amponsah's) bidding however.
The police started firing tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd for no apparent reason. Since morning, everything had been going on peacefully so one does not comprehend why in the end, they put up that incomprehensible and totally irresponsible, unprofessional and quite malevolent attitude. As I write, I can confirm to you that they are still holding the nine people they arrested on that day in their police remand cells.
They have accused the arrested persons of possessing weapons in the form of knives, screw drivers etc. This is a false charge they have preferred against them. The arrested men are all innocent. One of them was even arrested from his home. He had not even shown up at the celebration ground the whole day. Additionally, the police never found any such weapons on them when a thorough search was conducted on their body and person.
My reliable source of information indicates that the police had a list of names passed to them by Kumawuhemaa and Asantehene to get those people arrested. They included the new chief, Barimah Tweneboah Koduah V, a true royal of matrilineal lineage to Barimah Tweneboah Koduah I, the originator of the Kumawu Koduah Stool, the Kumawu Akwamuhene, Kumawu Aduanahene, Opanin Yaw Donkor and another man from the late Kumawu Kontrihene's family and the son of Kumawu Akyempemhene.
In order to execute their diabolical agenda after failing to lay hands on the mentioned persons, they started their typical nonsensical Ghanaian-mindedness of achieving their aim by hook or by crook. This was when they fired tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowd, resulting in utter commotion with people diving for cover. They then arrested ten innocent people, falsely accused them of throwing stones, took them to Effiduase police station same evening.
Police Commander Kofi Boakye should please go back and read the open letter I published on ghanaweb.com (29 November 2014), modernghana.com (27 November 20140 and spyghana.com for his attention. It was titled, "An Open Letter to Police Commander Kofi Boakye". There was also another one in which a letter sent to him by the Kumawu Traditional Council on request by the dubious Kumawuhene Barimah Sarfo Tweneboah Koduah (Dr Yaw Sarfo) was published. That one was titled, "Kumawuhene Sends a Manipulative Letter to Police Commander Kofi Boakye - Read It", published on ghanaweb on 2 January 2015 and on modernghana on 2 January 2015.
The mentioned publications are enough to explain the actions of the police on Sunday 18 January 2015. They went to Kumawu with a pre-conceived idea to create havoc, discredit and arrest the newly popularly installed Kumawuhene, Barimah Tweneboah Koduah V. With that in mind, they caused that unprovoked turmoil following which they arrested the people who are still remanded to police cell.
I want Police Commander Kofi Boakye to understand that even though he is yearning to become the future Inspector General of Police (IGP), through solicitation, there is no point licking the arse of Asantehene to attain his objective. He is there to serve the entire people but not Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II and Kumawuhemaa Abenaa Serwaah Amponsah only. If he disregards my advice and observations, he will fail in his ambitious pursuit.
Many people know the background of Kofi Boakye, whether it is credible or not. We are not interested in that but if he conducts himself in any biased manner, he must be ready for the consequences. The pen is mightier than the sword, which is all that I can assure him.
Everybody who wants to know exactly what happened in Kumawu on Sunday 18 January 2015 should please read the Ghanaian Graphic newspaper publication on it. It told nothing, but the entire truth.
This publication will quickly be followed up by the Ghana Peace Council's initiative to resolve the Kumawu chieftaincy wrangling to ensure Kumawuman has only one credible Omanhene. Wait for my views on this issue.
I dedicate this publication to those Kumawuman innocent citizens arrested by the eccentric police officers.
Rockson Adofo
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