THE GOVERNMENT MUST SUPPORT THE OKYENHENE

The Okyenhene Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin on his ascension of the Ofori Panin stool has fought relentlessly against environmental degradation in his traditional area and Ghana as whole but it appears his efforts are not yielding the much expected results though his traditional area richly endowed with mineral resources continue to wallow in illegal galamsey activities.

In my opinion the Okyenhene has set the pace for all traditional leaders whose traditional areas are bedevilled with illegal mining activities but I think the fight against illegal galamsey is one that is too big for the Okyenhene alone and it is about time the government of the day complemented his efforts to achieve this course. One would wonder why the government have not supported the efforts of the Okyeman King by arresting and prosecuting perpetrators of these activities that have led to wanton destruction of water bodies, green vegetation, and degradation of farmlands among others over the years. It therefore appears as if it is the sole responsibility of the Okyenhene to fight against this illegal mining canker inokyeman. Most of uscan recount the number of times the Okyenhene in his public engagements reiterated  the need to protect the environment and how he has established the okyeman mining task force to counter the nefarious activities of illegal miners.

Some people have sought to create the impression that the Okyenhene is entirely against mining in his traditional area which could not have been the case as he has always supported legal mining operations that is not detrimental to the environment. However in as much as the Okyenhene is not against mining and even supports the idea of mining as a source of livelihood for some of the youth in his traditional area he would not allow the activities of illegal miners in akyem abuakwa to destroy the Birim river, which is not only the very source of the gold and diamonds in okyeman but also an important source of drinking water for residents in some parts of akyem abuakwa. Other comments have also sought to create the impression that Osagyefuo has only intensified his campaign against illegal mining with the inception of President Mills led NDC government in a bid to make the government of the day unpopular which is also not true. Wewould recall that attempts by the erstwhile President Kufour led NPP government to explore and mine bauxite deposits in the Atewa range forest was highly resisted by the Okyenhene. This goes to confirm that Amoatia Ofori Panin had been against improper mining practices not only now but since his enstoolment, so people who have gone political with his calls and efforts to curb illegal mining in okyeman should rethink their stand on this issue.

In my opinion the Okyenhene deserves commendation rather than condemnation, after all there are many traditional rulers whose areas are bedevilled with wanton destruction of water bodies through mining activities whether legal or illegal, how many of them have come out to condemn let alone set up a task force to fight against this illegal mining activities that destroys the very environment which serves as a habitat for all of us. Recent attacks on the okyeman task force should be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians. I would urge the government to arrest and punish these illegal miners who through their illegal mining activities destroy the environment to deter others. We should also note that illegal galamsey activities do not only destroy the environment but also put the lives of these illegal miners and every Ghanaian at risk.

NPP ASANTE- AKYEM DIVIDE A HOAX

It is very clear that the Asante- Akyem division purported to have existed in the rank and file of the New Patriotic Party which is even claimed to have reached its climax in the run up to the selection of a flag bearer to lead the party is only hoax, as voting patterns and results from the just ended NPP presidential primaries have totally dismissed this assertion. This claim about a divide between asantes and akyems and its concomitant factionalism in the NPP was highly refuted when delegates in Ashanti region voted massively for the newly elected flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo who is an akyem.

This turn of events makes it obvious that the hullabaloos about factionalism in the NPP emanating from the much acclaimed Asante/ akyem divide is only a cheap prank being used by the opponents of the NPP to score cheap political points. Propounders of this division are quick to draw in the events of 1979 which led to the loss of power of the then Danquah- Busia-Dombo party to Dr Hila Limans’led PNP party. It should be made clear that that division was not necessarily based on ethnicity as we had prominent akyems and asantes going either ways. That is to say that there were prominent akyem adherents of the Danquah- Busia tradition who supported Victor Owusu an Asante and its vice versa. In fact quoting directly from an article written by one Eugene Antwi, an NPP national council member, the writer said “Indeed, the rivalry that led to the PFP/UNC split had very little to do with ethnicity or politics. The feud was principally on two levels – firstly, between General Afrifa and Victor Owusu in relation to General Ankrah’s resignation and the way and manner General Afrifa allegedly went about aggressively usurping the leadership of the National Liberation Council (NLC). Secondly, it was about two personalities within the legal profession, who also happened to be prominent figures in the Danquah-Dombo-Busia front. The fight was principally between Victor Owusu and N.Y.B. Adade about ‘who was who’ in the legal profession in the Northern sector comprising the Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Northern and Upper Regions, from the 1950s onwards. But the evidence corroborates Victor Owusu’s seniority both in age and at the bar, hence no basis whatsoever for the competition.”

Indeed, it is true that in history akyems and asantes have not been the best of friends due to incessant wars between them but in the middle part of the twentieth century when they both realized that they had one ancestral background as they were all part of the ancient Adansi kingdom (The Adansi kingdom is an ancient kingdom  believed to be the mother tribe of most of the Akan subgroups including akyems and asantes ) before its collapse, they subsequently  realized that there was no need to fight, akyems then became strong allies of asantes and there has not been any turning back ever since. It can even be recalled that the then Okyenhene, Nana Sir Ofori Atta I was very instrumental in the return of the captured Asantehene Nana Osei Prempeh Agyeman. Afterwards asantes and akyems realized that they could be a force to reckon with when they come together to form a political entity. In our recent times this friendship between asantes and akyems have been manifested in several ways. Some of them are as follows; The late Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware was a close friend of the late Okyenhene,  Osagyefuo Kuntunkunuku even to the extent that when Kuntunkunuku died barely three weeks after the death of Opoku Ware people jokingly said the Asantehene had invited the Okyenhene. Again when Otumfuo Osei Tutu II was celebrating his 10th anniversary of enstoolment Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin II sent a delegation not only to congratulate him but also present some assorted gifts to him, Asante-Mamponghene also graced the 10th anniversary grand durbar of the Okyenhene on behalf of the Asantehene. What is more, the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II is married to an akyem from akyem abuakwa descent. Also, in the run up to the 2008 elections both the Asantehene and the Okyenhene expressed concern about the incessant peddling of falsehood of a feud between asantes and akyems. All these among others goes to confirm the good relationship between asantes and  akyems and therefore gives room for concern when people try to create the impression that there is animosity between these two groups of people.

Besides, there are other akyems and asantes who do not belong to the NPP but NDC and other political parties maybe Ben Ephson and the NDC who are the main proponents of this theory of division should come out and tell as whether the divisions in the NDC are also backed by akyem and asantefactionalism. The NDC must note that no matter how hard and high they peddle those falsehoods Ghanaians who have come of age and therefore very discerning would not buy such cheap pranks. I would rather urge the NDC to concentrate on delivering the numerous promises they made to the Ghanaian electorates rather than throw dust into the eyes of discerning Ghanaians. Long live Okyeman and Asanteman! Long live Ghanaman!

NDC HOODLUMS SAGA, OKYENHENE SHOWS THE WAY

The Okyenhene, Osagyefuo Amoatia Ofori Panin has once again demonstrated his leadership qualities by calling to order the NDC constituency secretary of Abuakwa South, Shakespeare Ofori-Atta. Shakespeare Ofori-Atta called for the wrath of the Okyenhene by threatening on Peace FM, an Accra based local radio station that he (Shakespeare Ofori Atta) and his cohorts would burn the Kyebi municipal office of the national health insurance scheme subsequently, should the police dare to arrest him after locking up the offices of the NHIS atKyebi and bragging on radio that he Shakespeare Ofori Atta is not afraid of anybody not even the police.

Osagyefuo, who was in sitting with some of his chiefs at his Ofori Panin Fie(Okyenhene’s palace) in Kyebi summoned the NDC constituency secretary to his Palace, rebuked him and ordered him to unlock the offices of the NHIS and subsequently handed him over to the Police. Then came the almighty order from the Inspector General Police urging the police to clamp down on all party foot soldiers who take the law into their own hands. So the big question remains had the Okyenhene not invited Shakespeare Ofori-Atta into his palace and subsequently handed him over to the police, would the police on their own accord have arrested Shakespeare? Better still would the IGP have issued a statement urging the police to clamp down on political party hooligans like Shakespeare? Probably because the Okyenhene intervened that is why such orders came from the IGP because this was not the first time NDC party hoodlums had taken over national properties with impunity. I think other traditional rulers should take a cue from this and condemn act of lawlessness in their areas and I don’t think doing this would necessarily make one political, because as chiefs (or Kings if you like) your subjects cut across all the political entities.

I think the example made out of Shakespeare Ofori Atta should go a long way to deter other hoodlums and would be hoodlums, the fact that one does and gets away with it does not mean you would also get away with it when you repeat. Shakespeare should have realised where he was when he was making those pronouncements, probably the Okyenhene said not on my land. Osagyefuo MO NE  YↃ!

GA MANTSE STOOL IN THE MUD

It is very ridiculous for a whole Ga mantse to be attacked two times in a week. Every reader cannot help but to agree with me more that such impunity attacks on the Ga chief’s palace could not have happened on both the Okyenhene and asantehene’s palaces. My uncle used to tell me that the good old Kyebi could not develop much because Kyebi the seat of the okyenhene was so dreadful and fearful that whenever he had to pass through Kyebi to Kumasi, he was very scared, and if he does he had to speed off immediately he gets to Kyebi for the fear that he might be captured and subsequently decapitated. Such was how dreadful Kyebi and continues to be and therefore cannot imagine one daring to go to the Ofori Panin fie to cause mayhem.

These unwarranted attacks on the Ga mantse confirm how the Ga people in general disregard their chief. One may say he is not the rightful heir to the Ga stool, whether this true or false, this assertion does not call for such attacks on the occupant of the stool because such attacks does not only disgrace the current Ga chief but the stool itself, the chieftaincy institution and the entire Ghanaian populace especially the Ga people. It is very true that the okyenhene and asantehene’s stools are not in dispute but who says everybody in okyeman or asanteman agrees to their occupancy. In okyeman am told some of the kingmakers disagreed to the nomination of Amoatia Ofori Panin as he is the direct brother of the late Osagyefuo Kuntunkunuku. In Asanteman am also told some kingmakers disagreed to the nomination of Osei Tutu as he is the biological son of the Asantehemaa .In  Akan traditions it is the only the ‘ohemaa’(queen mother)who can reprimand a chief so for the asantehene to be the son of the Asantehemaa some kingmakers were concerned how the asantehemaa was going to play such a role when she doubles as the mother of the occupant of the golden stool .From these findings one can say that not everybody in okyeman or asanteman agrees to the occupancy of the current okyenhene or asantehene but these opponents have held their peace or better still buried their differences after the installation of these two most prominent traditional rulers. So why can’t the opponents of the Ga mantse do same for the sake of peace and progress of the Ga state and the country as whole? 

Chieftaincy disputes only retards development as not only does the reputation of such stools in conflict dwindle but resources for development are spent in the law courts for the settlement of such disputes which involves contracting lawyers among others. Successes chalked by the Asantehene and Okyenhene in their endeavours over the years could not have been possible if they were being dragged to court over their occupancy of the golden and Ofori Panin stools respectively. Have these detractors of the Ga mantse ever wondered why the okyenhene and asantehene command such high respect that they are always being invited to chair or grace programmes? Have these opponents of the Ga chief wondered why the asantehene and okyenhene are able to secure funding internationally for their programmes? It is about time these people realised that their unwarranted deeds are only draining the Ga mantse stool in the mud. A stitch in time they say saves nine!