If you don’t have some raffia palm, you cannot weave a basket. It was one Ashanti King who said, “se berebere amma amanee nso amma”. It is only a weak man whose wife finds pleasure in another man. It is also true that a castrated man shudders at the sight of a woman. Who would dispute the fact that an upstart whose umbilical cord is not yet cut should not chew meat before he grows teeth? “Se wonnim owuo a hwe nna”. Translated literally, it means if you don’t know how death is like, look at sleep.
The Atiwa bye election has come and gone. The NPP candidate, Akwasi Amoako Atta is the rightful successor to the Atiwa seat previously occupied by the late Akwasi Annor Ankamah. In the first place both have AAA as their initials. They attended the same institution (Abuakwa State College, Kibi) and were in the Arts class. Both are/were lawyers and above all, they were committed party men who are/were result-oriented and wanted/want the best for the Constituency.
The People of Abomoso cannot be intimidated: The people of Atiwa are peace loving and equally extend a hand of fellowship to both strangers and visitors alike. In this write up, I am going to concentrate on events that occurred on the day of election at Abomoso. The people of Abomoso are deeply in love with the ideals and vision of the New Patriotic Party led by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. They are not cowards. They fear and respect God, but they fear no man, no matter how highly placed the person is. The people and that includes me have vowed to support the New Patriotic Party at all cost. Nobody, and I say, no earthly power is ever going to use the power of incumbency to intimidate us. Nobody is ever going to shift the goal post at any point in time. We are resolved in our commitment to defend our principles even at the risk of our lives. This much we pledge to all peace loving people who believe in the tenets of democracy. If all of us decide to go one way, so be it. Nobody can coerce us to join any political organization which is alien and anathema to our ideals and culture. Yes, we are a loving and caring people – a people destined by our Creator to lead a loving and fulfilled life.
All was well until Baba Jamal, Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, in company of some top party and government functionaries came to Abomoso for a rally. The day was Sunday 22nd August, 2010 and the venue was Abomoso Funeral Grounds. It was an occasion to re-package the Nefarious Destructive Cancer’s candidate, Emmanuel Atta Twum, current District Chief Executive for Atiwa, who had earlier on during the 2008 Parliamentary Election been ‘mauled’ by the late Akwasi Ankamah. It wasn’t an occasion to issue threats or intimidation. It must be stated that the NDC had bussed about six metro busses of supporters from different parts of the country to Abomoso. Their supporters in the town are known and can be counted on one’s finger tips. At the arrow head of the support base is former commander of the Ghana Navy in the PNDC era, Ohene Kwapong. It must be stated that Abomoso and the surrounding villages have become a beehive of activities as a result of the discovery of Gold and Baba Jamal has used his position as Deputy Regional Minister to acquire many concessions where he uses the labour of the down-trodden masses and pays them peanuts.
Baba Jamal’s Bombshell: Then the bombshell! Baba Jamal described the bye election as a do and die affair and that the Nefarious Destructive Cancer was going to match the New Patriotic Party boot for boot and bumper to bumper and that if the NPP tried any funny antics the NDC would not hesitate to use unorthodox methods to outwit them at their own game. He reminded the gathering that his government is in power and can do anything (including the unthinkable).
Yes, that was a ministerial fiat – a fatwa! It will be recalled that Baba Jamal had earlier on issued a similar threat during the Akwatia re-run in which he lost woefully to the NPP candidate, Dr Asare. At Akwatia, he promised to unleash fire and brimstone on the inhabitants and true to his word, he did just that. Dan Botwe, former General Secretary of the NPP and current MP for Okere Constituency was forcefully ejected from the polling station where he was serving as the party’s accredited representative by the security forces. Would you describe Dan’s ejection from the polling station as part of law maintenance? Absolutely no! But the police and military personnel did just that and the heavens did not fall.
And so, when Baba Jamal, the Ahab decided to annex the Atiwa seat for his ‘partner in crime’, Emmanuel Atpa Twum, using all state machinery at his disposal, the battle line was drawn and the people of Abomoso decided not to go to sleep with any of their eyes closed. A day to the bye election, the intention of the wolves in sheep’s skin within the NDC was unveiled when it sent in more than 2000 security personnel to the District/Constituency. Atiwa was thus placed under siege. Out of this number, nearly 400 were sent to Abomoso. Why the powers that be did that, I do not know and so I cannot say. I was at Abomoso when the Assembly woman for the area ‘Original’ went to the Funeral Grounds which served as the meeting place to announce that the Electricity Company of Ghana had brought in 200 electricity meters and that anyone who needed one to come and register. On the same day, an Announcement went out for people to come and collect their National Identification Cards. All these were done with the intention of swaying the voters to vote for the cancerous contraption. But who would have anything to do with a malignant cancer? Not people of Abomoso!
Why should the Sasa and the Rasta Boys be transported all the way from Nima and Agbogbloshie to terrorize the good people of Abomoso? What sin have we committed to be subjected to such a terrifying ordeal, worse that what the orphans at Osu Children Home suffer at the hands of the NDC Managers of the place? And these NDC sadists tell us they have our interest at heart! Why were they not sent to any other place but Abomoso? They were sent to Abomoso because Baba Jamal and hh{ cabal of Patapaa and buga-buga people see in the resilient spirits of Abomoso indigenes, a frustration to his inordinate ambition of becoming the kingmaker of Atiwa. It is pertinent at this juncture to state that Baba Jamal’s threat was issued in full glare of everybody, including the Vice President, John Mahama, who had come to the town, ostensibly to support the parliamentary ambition of their candidate, but in actual fact to further his presidential ambition, as revealed by one Otopo.
Operation flush out the Sasa and the Rasta Boys: Word got round that some macho-men, who were later identified as belonging to the Sasa and Rasta boys has massed up for a fierce attack on the innocent citizens of Abomoso. In fact there were graphic and gory pictures of men whose bodies were drizzling with blood going to lodge complaints at the police station. A notable example was that of Kofi Bremang. These fierce looking men wielding dangerous weapons like knives, guns, machetes, cutlasses, clubs and charms had been given ‘protection’ by Naval Commander Ohene Kwapong. They were the people w(o were terrorizing the law-abiding citizens of Abomoso.
After taking a critical look at the situation, the youth of Abomoso decided to not to be taken unawares but to confront this bunch of brutal< barbaric and dangerous savages. The ynvading army could not withstand the courageous resistance put forth by the Abomoso youths and so had to flee for dear lives. Having flushed out the ravening invading forces from the town, the youth decided to take their destiny into their own hands by erecting barrierc at bodh ends of the town to prevent people from bringing in weapons. The question is: how did the Sasa and Rasta boys manage to bring in weapons to Abomoso with so many security personnel and check points all over the place? And what beats my understanding is the fact that at Mensco Hotel junction, policemen had stopped to search all vehicles entering the area. So you see, everything pointed to official connivance between the security personnel and the invading ‘ravening army’.
Attempts to commit Genocide by Anita De Souza against the people of Abomoso: is It was in the process of discharging this patriotic duty of preventing sadists like Anita de Souza from committing genocide against the good citizens of Abomoso that she, Anita was seen driving at terrific speed towards the wooden and temporary barrier at Abomoso. It must be pointed out that Anita was leaving Abomoso town. She was not entering the town as has been erroneously reported. The temporary barrier had been erected at a place close to Mona Spot which was not far from the Presby JSS School which was serving as a Polling Station. On reaching there, she was signaled to stop which she did. The glasses of her vehicle were tinted and so they asked her to wind down. Her driver pretended he was doing so, when all of a sudden, without any warning, he swerved the vehicle from the main road where there was the blockade onto the side where the crowd had massed and drove through the human barricade and in the process injured so many people, three of them in very critical condition.
I could conjecture what was going through the mind of Aniôa de Souza, who prior to the coming to power of the Nefarious Destructive Cancer, was one of their numerous serial callers but is now cruising around with some of the best cars in the country, notable amongst them was the one she was riding which was registered just this year. No wonder, ex President Rawlings referred to most of them as eemm … eerr…. Perhaps sensing the enormous power she wielded as Women’s Organizer of the ruling party, she might have ordered her driver to drive on. “What the hell do these inferior beasts think they are by ordering me, Anita de Souza, (the she who must be obeùed) to wind down my windows for a routine check? These ‘toys’ are playing with their lives. Drive through the human barricade, for I don’t care if anyone is killed. That will teach |hem a bitter lesson not to toy witx the great Anita, the iron lady of Ghana politics. Oya, I say, drive on!” She might have told her driver just that and true to type, the zombie of a driver did just that. The Nefarious Destructive Cancer has no regard for Human Life and Value: Anita de Souza is wicked, sadistic, insensitive, cruel, uncharitable, uncouth and caustic with her arsenic tongue. She and all those justifying her unpardonable act have revealed the darkest parts of their hearts. I overheard one Eyonam Tamakloe trying desperately to defend Anita’s indefensible action. They have shown how human lives mean nothing to them. Assuming Anita was even right, which she wasn’t and couldn’t have been, does that call for such arrogant defiance? Human life was involved in her seemingly senseless and erratic action of running through a group of unarmed and ordinary people of Abomoso. Instead of showing remorse, the Jezebel of a woman, supported by her friends have been moving from one Television and F.M. Radio station to the other to tell their side of the story in order to hoodwink the vulnerable elements in our society into believing that Anita is the most honest, charming, caring and harmless creature in the whole universe. What any reasonable person would have done under such a circumstance would be first of all to exhibit signs that he/she was genuinely sorry for the unfortunate incident and render unqualified apologies to the victims and their families. It would be followed by personal visits to the victims at the various hospitals and payment of hospital bills. This is what is expected of any genuine Christian or Muslim. Attempts aimed at justifying her action, no matter the circumstances have revealed how crude, cruel and dangerous species they have mutated to. Esinam Tamakloe went to the extent of questioning the source of the pictures which appeared in the papers, claiming that those pictures could have come from some NPP archives. Yes, this is arrogance at its peak. She, like her Jezebel of a friend, Anita, has by such reckless and uncharitable comments have exhibited the utter disdain they have for the less fortunate members of the society. Anita initially claimed that she was afraid for her life and that was why she did not stop after the incident, but drove to Osino before returning to Anyinam where she made a report to the Police. But such a statement is not tenable at the people’s court. Why did she not make a report at the Osino Police Station but had to make a u-turn to Anyinam? By the way, there is a Police Station at Kwabeng, the District capital. From Abomoso, one has to pass through Kwabeng Township before getting to Anyinam and the logical thing to do would have been to lodge a report at Kwabeng Police Station. Do you know why she did not make the report at Kwábeng? Wait and I will tell you why. She could not trust the efficient Kwabeng Police officers. She might have heard of the arrest of Alhaji Halidu Haruna who works at the office of the President under the Deputy Chief of Staff for allegedly being in possession of illegal arms in his vehicle with registration number ER166 09 by the Kwabeng Police. Even though orders came from above for Halidu Haruna to be released, our friend, Anita thought discretion was the better part of valour and so headed for Anyinam, perhaps with the belief that the Head of the Police Command there would be sympathetic to her cause. I hope the Head of the Police Unit at Kwabeng will not be victimized by the NDC Government for embarrassing it when they arrested a top member at the Castle. What is Anita saying? Is the de Souza of a woman whose gangsters held Abomoso Township captive for hours and subjected the people to undignified and barbaric ordeal like what the Takyimanhene did to the Tuobodomhene now te|ling us that she feáred for her life after she had recklessly and deliberately run`her vehicle into a crowd of defenceless citizens at Abomoso? What of the over 400 security personnel who turned their eyes the other way whilst the orgy of violence was unleashed on the dufenceless people of Abomoso? The Police even worsened the plight of the injured when they fired tear gas on the people after the incident? Anita de Souza is confused: On Asempa FM Ekosii Sen programme, Anita had said that when she got to Mona spot near Anyinam after returning from Abomoso, the youth initially opened up the road block ostensibly to allow her to go through. She was subsequently proceeding through the road block when she was asked to roll down her windows. She said she complied with the demand. However one of the0road blockers screamed an order for the road to be blocked again because the occupanôs were amongst the group being sought for. She said realizing that her life could be in danger, she sped off while the youth were attempting to block the road again and reported the matter to the Anyinam Police who instructåd her to report"the!case at another post. I wïuld like to use tjis medium!to debunk most of the assertions in her statement. In the first place, Mona Spot is not anywhere near Anyinam. It is at Abomoso and the distance between Anyinam and Abomoso is!nearly 18miles. The spot as I have already(stated is very close to the Presby JSS where voters had queued up to cast their votes. Her assertion that the youth initially opened up the road bloãk to allow hår to go cannot be the truth. Logically, it is not tenable. How long was the road block? Had Ábomoso all of a sudden metcmorphosed into Seme Border? She should credit citizens of Abomoso with some intelligence. The people are not ‘mumus’ as she would like to portray them to the whole world. What was the essence of the road block? And if you set up a road block do you allow a vehicle to go through halfway before you ask the occupants to identify themselves. The logical thing to do is first to ascertain the identities of the occupants before flagging the vehicle on. And, another thing. The road block was not long. The fact of the matter is that Anita de Souza exhibited her wicked, callous, sadistic and inhuman nature when she instructed her driver to swerve from the main road onto the side of the road and drove through the human barricade massed there. And that was how her windscreen was not damaged. This is the simple truth. The Spinning has started: Then just yesterday morning Saturday, 4th September, 2010, a different angle was added to the story. Yesterday, I heard on one Radio station attempts by the Nefarious Destructive Cancer to rewrite the events that happened at Abomoso. The brother of one of the victims’ recuperating at the Hospital at Enyiresi said a reporter who gave his name as Wanzam came to interview the patients. But before the alleged interview took place, they were all driven away from the ward where the patients were on admission. At the end of the whole ‘show’ the reporter came up with the story that the victims had said emphatically that it was a pick up that knocked them down. On the Maakye Programme yesterday morning being hosted by Adakabre on TV Africa, Anita was at her best elements doing what she knows best – spinning stories and telling lies. Anita de Souza has insulted the people of Abomoso: She said it wasn’t her vehicle which ran through the human barricade and nearly killed some people. She said it was a pick up vehicle which had had committed the abominable act and the setting up of the road block was the result of the earlier incident. It was to fish out these wicked people. This is Anita’s story. And we the people of Abomoso are saying that it is not so. What Anita and her evil collaborators are saying is an insult to the intelligence of the people of Abomoso. Is Anita de Souza inferring that we, the people of Abomoso are so daft that we cannot differentiate a pick up from the Toyota Prado with registration Number GE5440 10 that she was driving? This is an insult of the highest order and the people of Abomoso will not take that from anybody, Anita inclusive. She can be whatever she calls herself in tle Nefarious Destructive Cancer, but obviously not better than the people of Abomoso. We are a rural people but we are proud of our ancestral heritage. The shifting of the Goal post: Why is Anita now coming up with this new pickup story? If it is true that it was a pick up which had knocked down the people why should we say it was Anita’s vehicle which delivered the coup de grace? And why did she not say that until now. And if it was the pick up which did the nasty job resulting in the setting up of the barrier, why should she claim she realized her life was in danger? Her vehicle was not the only one which passed through the check point mounted by the youth of the town. Why should accusing fingers be pointed at her? Was hers the last of the numerous state vehicles being used by the Nefarious Destructive Cancer to leave Abomoso? The mother of all lies: Anita is telling us that she went back to Abomoso. That, of course will be the ninth wonder of the Ancient World. If she claims it wasn’t her vehicle which ran through the human barricade, why should she go back to the town? The fact of the matter is that Anita de Souza is a great liar"and was not anywhere near Abomoso Township. What did she go to do at Abomoso? Sight seeing or to see the devastating effects of her destructive action so that she could once more have the opport}nity of giving us another dose of her devilish plan? If she wanted to do penance for her unforgivable act, she should go to the Hospital at Enyiresi and see for herself the pain she has callously inflicted on innocent creatures of God. Judgement Day will surely come: Yes, Anita and her evil collaborators wiìl not go ujpunished for this heinous crime they have committed against God, humanity and the peace-loving people of Abomoso. She should not think her ordeal is over. She should remember what happened to Agag, Ahab and Jezebel. She can heave a sigh of relief today because her government is in power. A Daniel will surely come to judgement and it will be sooner than she expects. The day of reckoning will surely come. The good people of Abomoso will at the appropriate time catalogue all the acts of aggression per`etrated against them aîd submit them to the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Commission of West African States. If Anita de Souza did not commit the sin of driving through the human barricade to injure some innocent citizens of Abomoso, may she be blessed by the Almighty God and her enemies put to shame. But if indeed, she did recklessly, callously, wickedly and ‘capriciously’ run through the human barricade, thereby maiming some people at Abomoso, I pray to the Almighty God who rewards every individual for his or her deed to rain down fire and brimstone upon her head and make her life miserable by unleashing the plagues that befell the Egyptians on her. The people of Abomoso will also continue to pray in the churches and the mosques for perpetrators of this heinous crime against them not to escape God’s judgement. We are a determined people and are resolved not to let this evil act committed against us go unpunished. We have suffered for far too long under this visionless and cruel regime. We no go sit down make them cheat us everyday! Daniel Danquah Damptey (danieldanquah_damptey@yahoo.com).