Victor Smith's Apology is in Order, But...

By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.

One thing is certain: Whether the Easternal Regional Executive Membership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) likes it or not, the august Supreme Court of Ghana is apt to deliver its definitive verdict on the patent fraud that was the 2012 general election (See "Victor Smith Apologizes to Okyenhene" MyJoyOnline.com 2/20/13).

Indeed, as I adumbrated in a previous article, personally, I believe that the Okyenhene was in great error to have put in a personal appearance at the Flagstaff House even in his official capacity as President of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs, and even at the personal invitation of the morally and politically embattled President John Dramani Mahama.

I also don't think that the Okyenhene should have so palpably lowered his non-pareil status as to have deigned to assume the presidency of the Eastern Regional House of Chiefs. Rather, Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori-Panyin II ought to have allowed one of his original five divisional chiefs to have assumed this rotational post, while he maintained his preeminent status as King of All Akyem.

Yes, it is true that historically we have the Three Akyem States, or Akyem-Mansa; nonetheless, it has always been the Chief/King of Kyebi and Abuakwa who has ruled the proverbial roost and called the most significant shots; and also the one on whose largesse, or territorial generosity, the other two Akyem states have depended. The latter observation is in no way to claim that both Kotoku and Bosome have not worked to earn their keep, as it were.

Significantly, though, I am of the deep-seated conviction that pending a verdict from the Supreme Court (short of summary abduction and execution of the members of the Wood court) on the legitimacy of his leadership, the Okyenhene ought not to have afforded Mr. Mahama any semblance of legitimacy by reportedly congratulating the latter, at the same time that the Okyenhene also sought a firm assurance from the former Atta-Mills lieutenant that he would abide by any verdict handed down by the Supreme Court.

Then also, it makes no difference to me, whatsoever, whether Mr. Victor Smith or any other former Rawlings lickspittle gets appointed as Eastern Regional Minister. It makes not a whit of a difference because two decades-plus of gross mismanagement of the country, at all levels of endeavor, have convinced me beyond the shadow of any doubt that about the best place in Ghanaian society suitable for all the key NDC operatives is on the gray margins of our national democratic political culture.

And so whether, indeed, the Okyenhene had gone to the Flagstaff House to plead the cause of Mr. Smith's being retained as Eastern Regional Minister is absolutely without moment or substance whatsoever. For, let's get one thing straight: Ghana is not the corporate property of the so-called National Democratic Congress; and it is about time these "thuggocrats" got this message loud and clear.

___________________________________________________ *Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D. Department of English Nassau Community College of SUNY Garden City, New York Jan. 20, 2013 ###