Features
The poisons in the pot
EI! Ei!! Ei!!! Umofians, hear this! They say when the chicken comes home to roost, it is not just about feathers, it is the whole farm that trembles! And when the drum beats, the elders have no choice but to gather. Ah! The drums have sounded and the elders have indeed gathered.
Umofians, the winds whisper tales of a certain maiden causing chaos in our land, and the people are at an unrest. Hmmmm! As the elders say, “The thief who steals in the night forgets that the sun will rise.” So, too, will the truth rise, exposing all who hide in the dark.
Ah, how can a servant of Umofia be pocketing GH¢84,000 just for clothes, when the very soil cries out under the weight of Umofians suffering? Ahhh! Even the goddesses of the fashion realm are shaking their heads in disbelief. And GH¢7,000 for entertainment? Ah, what sorcery is this?
Eii, our forefathers are rolling in their graves, scratching their heads, wondering if this is the same Umofia they fought, shed blood and tears for. Ah! Indeed, wonders shall never end.
Is it not in this very Umofia that children, with the perseverance of seasoned marathoners, are trekking barefoot to school, their classrooms nothing more than the shade of a tree?
Is it not in this same land that young lads and maidens lie in rusted beds under a decaying and leaking roof at Umuofia’s so-called “premier” hospital, suffering in silence without hope? Ahh! Yet a few privileged ones feast on the spoils meant for the whole community, while the rest of Umofians are left to endure the rust, the leaks, and the empty promises.
Is it not in the same Umofia that Nurses, Doctors, Teachers, Kayayei, Masons, and Police officers are working tirelessly to keep the community running, while barely scraping by? Ahh! Such are the tales of the indigenes of Umofia.
And yet, a certain maiden in this land negotiated a deal with no conscience, probably strutting around like a peacock, all while singing hymns in church on Sunday. How wickedly can one be to lose their own conscience? Ah, Afia Mansah, my heart bleeds ooo, and even the gods are weeping at the state of our land!
You see, our elders say, “He who dines with the king must not forget the village.” But all I see and hear of are the many who are chasing the stool of the Kingdom not to serve, but to fill their pots like greedy goats that feast on a farmer’s crops, leaving nothing for the rest. They come with mouths full of promises but leave with hands full of riches!
Ohhh! How I long to see the day when many of the King’s men would stay if they were paid as much as the village drummer who pounds the rhythm for the King’s dance.
I wonder how many would remain when their pockets are as empty as dried gourds. Even better, I long for the day when the kings’ men will be paid based on the true progress of the work they do. Umofians, you will watch how quickly their promises turn to dust and their feets move faster than a rabbit evading the hunter!
May the ancestors in their infinite wisdom deal with every one of the rotten heads of Umofia, without mercy, until their fifth generation. For they say, “When the roots of a tree begin to decay, it spreads death to its branches.”
Goodnight, Umofia, may the stars shine bright upon us, and may the dawn bring hope and change.
With Eyram, the Tale Bearer
THE typical itinerant salesman in Sikaman is a herbalist. He is normally a slim macho with the capacity to perambulate the expanse of area covering the triangle of Accra-Tema-Ashiaman. In short, he can walk a total of 60 miles a day, marketing a product that cures every disease, including poverty. 
The door-to-door herbal pharmacist advertises his product by word of mouth. He has nothing to do with the Food and Drugs Board (FDB). After all, his concoctions do not feature on FM stations.
Those herbalists who cannot walk to propagate the herbal gospel, liaise with drivers of mass transportation and their mates. They are, therefore, given the chance to sell their products on Benz buses that ply the routes.
Normally, the herbalist starts his sales message with a prayer and Bible study. He asks the passengers to bow down their heads in supplication to God the father, the son, the Holy Spirit.
When a herbalist asks the passengers to close their eyes and bow their heads, Moslems on board naturally feel offended. They feel that the herbalist has no right to assume that every passenger is a Christian. They think such an assumption is an affront to Islam.
So a Moslem on board will raise the hand for a point of order. He’ll remind the herbalist that it would be in his own interest to mind his language.
“Be careful the way you address people in a public place. Not every person here is a Christian,” he’d state assertively.
Of course, the herbalist will promptly ignore him, but would all the same “watch” his tongue. Who knows whether or not the Moslem brother is inspired by Quoranic zeal to defend the tenets of Islam to the hilt?
When he starts saying, “Wallahi!” and “Inshallah!” it could be the beginning of proclaiming Islam as supreme, a point which must be driven home with talibanic precision.
So the herbalist must tread carefully lest he steps on fire.
The herbalist could even add a measure of mirth to it all, by announcing that Christians on board today have very interesting company on the journey, but that should not detract from the business of the day.
The Moslem brother will weigh the words carefully and offer a wry smile.
He must be careful the occasion does not degenerate into the use of semantics and proverbial oration to deride his conviction that public utterances must be mindful of religious sensibilities. He has made his point very clear and expects that it is taken in good faith in the interest of a peaceful journey.
The herbalist will now open the New Testament and preach salvation, stating clearly that salvation can come only through Jesus Christ and NOBODY else.
The Moslem brother will now start twitching his moustache. The visible and almost revolutionary reflexes of his upper lip can be an indication that sentiments have begun superseding reason, and the outcome could well be tragic now shift uneasily in his seat.
The time has come for him to also express his right to the religion of his fore-bears. He’ll put his hand into his pocket and rise to his feet. The time has indeed come!
This article was first published on Saturday, September 9, 2006
When the cause of a particular problem like sickness, disease, sudden illness, a social issue etc. are not known, it stands to reason that resolving it becomes a huge challenge.
Citizens would understand the government when public announcements are made to the effect that government is trying to find a solution to the issue, even though it is taking a while for it to be resolved because citizens are rational beings.
On the other hand, if the solution to a particular issue is known to everybody but the government for whatever reason, is dragging its feet in resolving it, citizens become frustrated and begin to lose trust in their leaders.
One such issue is the heavy traffic along a section of the Kasoa – Odokor road. A short stretch of bad road between the traffic light at the Weija Government Hospital and the entrance to the entrance of the overhead that leads to the N1, is the cause of the problem but nothing is being done about it, day after day, week after week, month after month. Thus is clearly unacceptable.
Another issue that requires urgent attention is the lack of pavements along a lot of streets in parts of the various Municipal Assemblies. Exercise is a prerequisite for long life and healthy living and for those of us who it has become a way of life, this issue of people putting up structures right to the edge of the drains beside the roads, are making life difficult for us.
We are compelled to walk along the roads, putting our lives at serious risk. Pedestrians should never be compelled to compete with vehicles on our streets and roads. Roads and streets are made for vehicles and pavements are made for pedestrians. That is the norm. Any attempt to normalise a situation where pedestrians are mingling with vehicles is insanity.
It is the road regulations that makes it so and therefore district or municipal assemblies are to take responsibility and ensure that spaces for pavements are not encroached upon. Citizens have rights that must be protected by their leaders and making pavements available to pedestrians, is one of them.
When we hear of teachers having sex with students, it appears it is something recent. It is not a new phenomenon. It has been there since Adam. Perhaps this issue is getting much attention due to the proliferation of social media. It was an open secret in times past when Teachers were in relationships with female students and some married them immediately after completion of school.
Some teachers were also known to be having unholy interactions with female pupils but due to the times that these acts occurred, human rights issues and the awareness around it, allowed such unscrupulous teachers to get away with their crimes.
Now we are in a different era and so a Headmaster is now in hot waters. He is alleged to have raped about 19 female students and as usual, some officials tried to cover it up and are also in hot waters and their actions or inactions in the matter are under investigation.
Why the man has been allowed to roam freely without being arrested is simply mind boggling. It appears that the law applies differently, depending on who you are. This issue came to public attention sometime in August this year, yet the police had not arrested or invited this man for question regarding the rape allegation.
It has come out that he is a Constituency Secretary of the ruling party and the question in the public domain is that, is it because he is a political figure that is why he is still walking around without questioning? I believe in the rule of law so let us hold our breadth and let the proper thing be done.
The police must however be seen to be active in this matter. God bless.
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