Placing a Call out to Ghanaian "Burgers"

Dear Compatriots,

Allow yourselves a few minutes of your precious time to digest the concerns I have raised below. I am a Kumawu citizen resident in the Netherlands. Many a time have those of us living in the Diaspora shown little affection towards the plight of our fellow countrymen back home. Is that attitude intentional, or out of ignorance, or simply sheer wickedness? What is our reason behind such show of nonchalance? Whatever that is, it is absolutely out of character for modern day Africans who are aspiring to attain social and economic parity with the Whites.

There exists apathy among the citizens of Kumawu, if I care to be frank with you. This apathy that has somehow ruined our traditional area should be compelled by our positive actions to give way to empathy. We need to empathise with our less fortunate brothers and sisters still living in Kumawu, especially. They have been made to go without even the barest essential developments for several years now. Who is to blame? It is you and me.

Do you consider it expedient enough for us to behave like ostriches? Do we bury our heads in the sand like an ostrich, oblivious of our immediate surroundings which are set on fire? Do we continue to sit on the fence hoping things will naturally fall into place without our intervention? We may be joking should we entertain such false hopes. We have to be on top of issues, taking the future welfare of our area into our own hands. The place can be better or worse depending on how we relate to emerging issues.

Our traditional place of birth is artificially made to suffer the ravages of underdevelopment. It is not the moment to point accusing fingers at anyone although; some of us may allude otherwise. We need to bury our differences, all in the harmonious interest of our place of birth.

The ongoing chieftaincy factionalism in search of a successor paramount chief is a draw back on Kumawu traditional area's search for development. It has never occurred in the life of Kumawu traditional area to sit without a paramount chief for over two years after the demise of the reigning chief. It is a dent in our credibility as a brave and great partner in the Asante Union. It is our responsibility as concerned sons and daughters to prevail upon the queen and all the competing royal families to ensure compromise is reached without further delay. Kumawu traditional area cannot, and should not, go without a sitting paramount chief for years. Those who are conniving and condoning to deprive us of a chief should please reassess their stance. Their attitude is impacting negatively on the citizens of Kumawu irrespective of where they find themselves. This call to help resolve the setback issues confronting our place of birth needs our concerted efforts.

May I on this note implore each individual to join a Kumawu traditional area association wherever they find themselves and there happens to be any? This will help us discuss and find solutions to the teeming anti-development problems faced by our place of origin. The rise in social, economic and infrastructural retrogression of Kumawu is alarming. I quite remember how better Kumawu used to be when I was growing up as a little boy. Teachers and other public servants felt bitter when they were asked to proceed on post transfer to other parts of Ghana. Some would go any length to arrange to stay put in Kumawu. Why is it that nowadays nobody even wants to be posted to Kumawu? No water, no toilets and name whatever you want, it will be found non-existent. Gone are the days when Kumawu was Kumawu. We can help bring those glorious days back provided we can realise how beneficial it will be in our corporate interest for being one another's keeper. We have to be inspired by the bravery and the selflessness of our forebears to aspire to be of service to the people and the land of our birth.

Finally, we are in the moment of action time; less talk, more action. How importantly then can we apply a succinct statement made by President John F. Kennedy in his Maiden Inaugural address on 20th January, 1961 to our inspirational quest for economic emancipation for our area? He said and I quote, " Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country". Does it make any sense to you? It does to me, but what about you? Please do get in touch.

You can contact me at aduagyei63@yahoo.com

Thank you

Adu Agyei