For just as much as the date of February 24, is remembered and etched in the annals of Ghana as one very destructive day of infamy, by now, Ghanaians should expect that our beloved country should and would have settled and healed from the pains, wounds and the intensely divisive rivalries and animosities which the date gave birth to during the overthrow of Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.
It also culminated in the public executions in its aftermath. All the pains and angst of that day were solely based on (fabrications, utter disrespect, dishonesty, and the rudely framed misleading information) that poisoned the minds of the people.
At the time, the narratives festered while unchecked leading to that infamous date of February 1966.
Most of the erroneous information is now considered as classified.
Disrespecting the icon – Dr Kwame Nkrumah
Today, is June 9th, in a generation, as well as a new millennium. Also a date of public dismay- one reverberating with inordinate fabrications, hostility, and disrespectfulness towards Dr Kwame Nkrumah- who is sadly, solemnly stilled in the sepulchre.
The national controversy had at its birth at the ancestrally venerated semi-sacred palatial residence of the royal majesty Otumfuo Nana Osei Tutu- the museum of Manhyia Palace, a place of pride, dignity, and truth-telling. Also, of proud incidence and of glorious baronial account.
The attempt by His Royal Majesty was to prepare the candidate for the officious role of vice president as much as neutralize the candidate’s rudeness deficits- to the contrary. In the most polite and culturally refined candour, as well as a revered paternalistic fervour, Otumfuo at the minimum anticipated the coming onslaught. His exact words were carefully chosen for the buffs of history, civics, political science, and speech-making. Indeed, a timeless piece of advice. In his characteristic sonorous tone, he lamented; (and I lift)
“He was under my watchful eye here at Manhyia during his adolescent years. Of late, I have received group reports that claim you as insolent, rude, and disrespectful. Lamentations of sheer, utter, and stiff arrogance. My response is; I do not know of you in this way. We have talked in private but it bears repeating- if the reports are true- then you need to control and maintain the calm for me. Do not bring any regrettable outcome for Dr Bawumia. My counsel to you is; to follow Dr Bawumia with clear and vigil humility and obeisance” (Quotations closed)
Ladies and gentlemen, Ghanaians, the rising tide of diasporans, and all who admire Dr Kwame Nkrumah, this rather polite quote should and ought to have been an extremely warm, ominous and rather affectionate paternal tide from not only an elder -let alone the foremost king of the land. It should have been enough but not for Dr Prempeh.
As clear as daylight, Dr Prempeh gave H.R. Majesty a nakedly disrespectful daring glaze. Those of us in academic training in perceptions could discern through the haze.
All this was preceded by His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who very gracefully delivered a quasi-farewell note to H.R.M Otumfuo in the presence of dignitaries, high members of Ashanti royalty, eminent guests whose appearance was to bring full-hearted public endorsement to a soiled candidate. His Excellency promised a proper visit to pay Otumfuo proper gratitude for his heart-warming support and also affability during his tenure of presidency. But, he too made another polite reference to Dr Prempeh’s royal ascendancy – I must mention, that too, should have been a zero-sum game.
(I lift)
“His Majesty, I introduce you to the man of the hour. He originates right from here. Your own -at Manhyia and under your helm. He is Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh- your kith and kin” (quotation closed)
So, Dr. Prempeh had two very (distinct) and (privileged) introductions by the first executive of the country preemptively followed by the solemnly paternalistic cautionary tale of foreboding gloom—a firmed signal for him to heed. But, no, no! No!! He paid no reciprocity to the two gainful and full-throated remarks.
Just as Dr Prempeh took the microphone, he injected the insults that brought back painful memories of February 1966,
1. “(Your) Kwame Nkrumah…” cited by Dr. Prempeh
2.….. “Since 1957 till now, not a single head of state has developed Ghana to the tune of Nana Addo Dankwa.” cited by Dr Prempeh.
Subliminal Threshold
• It was very clear that (not a single word of gratitude) to H.R.M Otumfuo for his well-crafted, well-intentioned, and well-delivered opening remarks. It was well-proven that Dr Prempeh is an ungrateful individual.
• His use of the prefix (your) for Dr Nkrumah connotes a definitive departure from (himself) from being a unifier, (not a consensus builder), but evokes the painful legacy of (mati-me ho) separate. A denigration of the spirit of the late erstwhile president.
• His rudely framed, misleading, dishonest, and disrespectfully fabricated narrative of “no president has done more for Ghana than President Nana Addo”—that is a fabrication.
1. First, Dr. Prempeh is a graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University in Kumasi.
2. Second, the Chancellor is His Royal Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu of Kumasi.
3. Third, the former Nkrumah Market, now Central Market, is in Kumasi.
4. Fourth, the famed Okomfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is in Kumasi.
5. Fifth, the jute factory for the bagging of cocoa was in Kumasi.
6. Sixth, almost all of the above-received hydroelectricity from Akosombo.
7. Seventh, an impressive list of secondary schools were built in Kumasi.
8. Eight to twenty illustrious infrastructural developments—all in Kumasi – wow!
• Thus far, none of the above was built in the eight years of President Akufo-Addo.
Prempeh— A Threat to Dr Bawumia
Dr Prempeh’s soiled remarks since he made them, have ignited a refrain of acrimonious claims that is now threatening,
1st, the very candidacy of Dr Bawumia.
2nd, his presence on the ticket is threatening the very foundation of the party’s faithful devotees. It is causing a swift departure of the humanitarians, the affluent individuals in particular with loyal followers.
3rd, the academics among them are questioning his true heritage and legitimacy for leadership should a sudden accidental death occur. The beholding question is, (given his tacit ungratefulness, non-consensus builder, misleading, dishonest, and obviously disrespectful and arrogant figure towards an iconic member of global society, and the highest member of Ghana’s royalty—who incidentally is the Chancellor of the famed university he holds letters from, and this royal figure mentored him), in a diplomatic appointment that filtered through screening/vetting, the United Kingdom’s paper Nobel laureate Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill made these remarks in Parliament/White Paper:
“Alas, to fortune’s favoured ones… Honourable.
My letters of expiation are at your swollen shores.
I am deeply, deeply sorry.” (Quotation closed)
Dr Prempeh should resign from the Dr Bawumia ticket. For he has brought the entire Ghanaian media landscape to an unquestionable stalemate.
• The entire country, with sweeping majority support for Dr Nkrumah—even more than when he was alive, is (privately and publicly) tearing Prempeh, dissecting his heritage and his true origins, the little legacy that he has incubated and diminishing his brief professional repute. He is (please pardon my picturesque language) arrogant, impolite, blasphemous, insulting, disdainful, disrespectful, frivolous, and flippant. The question is asked of you and me—are these the character qualifiers you would want in your leader?
Whatever happened to the two noblemen—the short list of vetted NPP history makers? Those men are far better alternatives.
• Thus far, Dr Prempeh is not a unifier or a helper. He is a divider and is taking votes away from the Dr Bawumia ticket. The world’s famous television mogul is quoted to have said, “When people show you who they are, believe them.” – Oprah Winfrey
The divisive outcome
The divisive outcomes of the Prempeh speech have the Council of Elders of the Divisional Chiefs preparing what to do. They are:
– Nzema -Aowin – Sahwi
– Assin – Wassa – Ahanta
– Fante – Efutu
Of the North, we should recall that they are CPP loyalists. That included the fathers of Dr Bawumia and President Mahama. They were senior executive staff of Dr Nkrumah as Minister of the North and Agricultural Minister, respectively.
-Mamprusi. -Kusasi
-Gonja. -Sisala
-Dagomba. -Konkomba
Conclusion
Dr Prempeh must resign. His supposed letter of apology is a written-down clarification – a definiteness of his views, which is what he said. He is a scary individual on a mission.
The elder clansmen have said: “If you wash your hands very well, you are invited to the supper table with the elders.”
I will close with a quotation from my friend Oprah Winfrey: “When a person shows you who they are – believe them.”
Dr Prempeh has revealed that he is rude, disdainful, arrogant, disrespectful, and a fabricator. He must with (pride or prejudice) find the courage and enthusiasm to pen a letter of withdrawal lest he destroy Dr Bawumia and collapse the foundations of the NPP.
The author, Prof. Samuel Akainyah, who resides in the United States, is the Development Chief (Nkosohene) of Tikobo 2 in the Jomoro Municipality (Nzema land) of the Western Region, with the stool name, Nana Belemgbunli Anyunluh)l3 Nwia Ekuzoa II.