Those who cast or throw stones at others should expect that others will throw stones at them. On October 19, 2007, Nana Amma Obenewaa?s article titled ?When Cyber-Terrorists Mistake Basic Intellectualism for Physical Pugilism? was published by Ghanaweb. In plain English, the said article was a concern about abusive or insulting words used on Ghanaweb. Nana Amma Obenewaa is concerned that some people have used abusive words in responding to her articles and comments. She wrote among others that, ?The intensity with which we snipe at characters, and opposing commentators, on grounds that, they don?t share our skewed views, takes away the little integrity we have as Ghanaians.?
She is not the first person to address this issue, and she may not be the last person to do so. Personally, I can only hope that we can have discussions on Ghanaweb without the use of abusive words. The irony of Nana Amma Obenewaa?s article is that the writer herself is a ?culprit? in that she uses abusive words when commenting on Ghanaweb. Consequently, I expected her to state in her article that she will desist from the use of such words. Unfortunately, I did not come across any statement to that effect.
In the said article, ?When Cyber-Terrorists Mistake Basic Intellectualism for Physical Pugilism,? she posed a question that I think she is the best person to answer. The question is: ?How can a self-acclaimed pontiff in cultural morality violate his [her] own teachings, and expect others to respect him [her]??
Yes, since she throws stones at others, why does she think that others will not throw stones at her?
Now, a few examples of her choice of words:
? On August 31, 2007, I posted an article titled, ?In Defense of P.V. Obeng, and the NPP Government.? In that article, I reminded Ghanaians that we are beyond that era when people were thrown into jail just because their names were mentioned in issues like corruption. Thus, irrespective of our suspicion of P.V. Obeng?s corrupt involvement with SCANCEM he could not be thrown into prison without evidence or proof. In response to this article, Nana Amma Obenewaa came up with several assumptions. For example, she assumed that P.V. Obeng did not pay any taxes, that P.V. Obeng registered his company after the fact or may not have registered any company at all. This is what she wrote, ?How was Mr. Obeng able to offer his services to Scancem, when his Consulting Company was only registered after the fact, or ever registered at all? Are there records to prove that, Mr. Obeng paid taxes on the alleged payments to the coffers of the Ghanaian treasury??
Many other assumptions or speculations followed. She speculated that P.V. Obeng did not have any employees; she speculated that P.V. Obeng is presently not in the consulting business, and even speculated that P.V. Obeng served only SCANCEM! She wrote, ?Who were, or are, Mr. Obeng?s employees? And, is Mr. Obeng still in the business of providing consulting services, and if so, to whom? Or, was his consulting service just a one time thing; exploiting our lame laws to serve Scancem, and Scancem, only? Why was Mr. Obeng interested in serving Scancem only, and not other transnational corporations who would have loved to retain his services for a buck??
There are many other speculations from this individual but this particular article is not about her speculations. Now, after regurgitating all these assumptions on us she wrote ?In my opinion, Mr. Obeng?s inculpatory admission to payments, overrides the exculpatory justification of his criminal actions, which you seem to be doing with your amateurish rebuttal without success.? Yes, my viewpoints are different from hers so she calls mine amateurish! Surprisingly, this comes from a woman who is calling for decorum on Ghanaweb!
That?s not all; she went on to write, ?I encourage Dr. Obosu-Mensah not to take the Ghanaian public for preschoolers, or intellectual automatons. His luster-deficient argument lacks the legal, and moral, clout to extricate Mr. Obeng from criminal culpability.? Yes, she writes that my argument is luster-deficient. Why? Because it is different from her point of view!
? Last year, Nana Amma Obenewaa commented on one of my articles and I eventually wrote that I will come back with a more cohesive analysis. Actually, she has asked for that in her comment. This is what she wrote to my promise of a more cohesive analysis: ?To suggest that you?ll come back with a more cohesive analysis is a demonstration of intellectual sloppiness.? Again this comes from a person calling for decorum on Ghanaweb.
? In response to Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe?s article of September 24, 2007 titled, ?The Presidency is a Matter of Wisdom and Emotional Maturity,? Ben Tetteh wrote the following: ?Is there anything you can write to unite us in something, other than roundly condemning you? Are you immune to reason? Do we not tell you strindently (sic) enough that we do not care for your unmitigated folly? Grow up and stop your attention seeking ways.? I do not condone what Ben Tetteh wrote but I was surprised by Nana Amma Obenewaa?s unprovoked attack on him. She wrote in response to Ben Tetteh, ???.. In my mind, you?re irrelevant, and will fade, with time, like a transitory ghost.? She continued, ?That said, I think you are not worth my time to engage you in a frontal assault. I can neutralize your trademark idiocy without breaking a sweat. Please keep your 50 IQ level, a cognitive status which does not have enough voltage to fire sufficient neural impulses to challenge trained minds.? Here, she concludes that the IQ level of Ben Tetteh is 50, and then she elevates herself to a ?trained mind.? Presumably, Ben Tetteh?s mind is not trained!
? In response to Ahoofe?s article of September 18, 2007, ?Professor Frimpong Boateng is Confused? Nana Amma Obenewaa wrote ???. Dr. Ahoofe?s hallucinatory syndrome and his elevation of Akyem-Asiakwa(s) to the heavens, and (his) thrashing of non-Akyems as political infidels are very worrying.? Yes, for her Dr. Ahoofe suffers from hallucinatory syndrome. And this is just because his viewpoint is different from her viewpoint.
? On October 5, 2007, Nana Amma Obenewaa?s article ?Deeming Hopes and Imminent Death. Obenewaa's Songs of Rage? appeared on Ghanaweb. Kumasi Abrantea commented on the article by writing, ?The comparisons raised by Obenewa as to what happened in Ivory Coast, and what Nana Ama wish to happen in Ghana is unbelievable.? To this, Nana Amma responded, ?Where in my article, or comments, did I refer to the Ivory Coast? If you have problems with critical analysis, which I think you do, I encourage you to learn how to read, at least. In your haste to cast a boulder at the innocent ?avenoxevi,? you exposed your true self?.? Here, she is emphatic that Kumasi Abrantea has problems with critical analysis
? Commenting on Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe?s article ?Free Darfur Or Forget About African Union!? of September 21, 2007, this is what Nana Amma Obenewaa wrote, ?I would also like to state herein that, your argument that Akora Mensah?s failure to destabilize Ghana, under Chairman Rawlings, was due to snitching is nonsense.? Yes, the lady who is calling for decorum on Ghanaweb labels another person?s argument as nonsense.
? In another comment to Ahoofe?s article of August 11, 2007 ?Return Ghana to Ghanaians Once More? this is what Nana Amma Obenewaa wrote, ?Sometimes, your spurious assertions make me wonder whether in your entire scholarly life, you have ever provided verifiable evidence to corroborate your statements, or public declarations.? For her, Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe?s assertions are spurious. Yes, she declares what is spurious and what is not. It is surprising that this comes from an individual who at times confidently draws her conclusions on assumptions
As individuals, we have choices to make. Some have chosen not to talk back; that?s their choice. Nana Amma Obenewaa had ?free range? until Ben Tetteh appeared on the scene. Ben Tetteh, like others, had to make a choice. However, unlike many of us he has chosen to fight insults with insults. And he has the right to choose that path. Those who throw stones at others should expect that others will do same to them.
Just as I was about to submit this article to Ghanaweb, I noticed that Nana Amma Obenewaah has written another article with an interesting title, ?Exenofeavi Kple Hadzidzi: Mina Mi le Novisi Ne Miwoe Woanyo.? In this article of Sunday October 28 2007, she called for ?the cessation of needless hostilities.? Unfortunately, she later attacked the same people she was appealing to for the cessation of hostilities. Among others she wrote, ?Rather than engage these cyber rabble-rousers, and fall knee-deep, into their maggot-filled cesspit. . .;? ?Let?s deny these unscrupulous characters the unsavory reputation they are desperately seeking to earn.? The preceding paragraph makes me wonder whether she is sincere in calling for cessation of hostilities on Ghanaweb. I guess we live to see but the fact remains that those who cast stones at others should expect others to cast stones at them
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