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
