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Opinions of Sunday, 16 October 2011

Columnist: Fosu, John

The Indomitable Fulanis Make a Mockery of Agogohene

and will Cause his Downfall



My heart goes out to the people of Agogo who are now living in permanent fear of the
indomitable Fulanis. Some Fulani settlers have taken almost the entire Agogo
citizens hostage and made them slaves through intimidation on their own land. They
have deprived them of their basic freedom to move about freely, possess property and
visit their property (farms) without fear. Oh, what a pitiable calamity brought upon
them by the visionless acts of their insatiably greedy traditional leaders.

What is the remote cause of the Fulani violence that is unsettling the Agogo
citizens? Nana Akuoko Sarpong, the paramount chief of Agogo, for reasons only best
known to him, decided to avail himself of the unfolding opportunities following the
death of Barima Asumadu Sakyi II, the paramount chief of Kumawu. Prior to the
intensification of the difficulties faced by the people of Agogo Traditional Area, I
warned against the illegal quest by both Agogohene and Kwamanghene to scramble for
Kumawuman stool lands. As I continually say, "Nothing comes free. They always come
at a price" Anyway, this is said in passing without having any bearing on my
sorrowful discussion of the way forward for the Agogos to extricate themselves from
the intimidating grips of the Fulanis.

I am a friend, and a defender of the defenceless. I have listened to the linguist
nominated by Nana Akuoko Sarpong to stand in for him when a London radio presenter
phoned to inquire about the menace posed by the Fulanis' to the people. I have also
listened to Adom FM's inquiry into the death of an Agogo citizen supposedly shot
dead by a Fulani in broad daylight on Thursday, 13th October 2010. Furthermore, I
listened to what the Chairman of the Associations of the Entire Agogo Citizens
resident both home and abroad had to say on the Fulani issue vis-à-vis the safety of
Agogo farmers. I shed tears when I heard the daughter of the deceased man weep
inconsolably on air while being interviewed by Adakabre Frimpong Manson of Adom FM
radio station. My tears that dropped will not be in vain. The tears will surely
serve as a catalyst towards the liberation of the citizens of Agogoland from the
Fulanis' menace no matter how long it takes.

The citizens of Agogo have unanimously agreed to rid their land of the menace
needlessly posed by the Fulanis. They have come to the end of their tether on the
intransigence of the daring Fulanis. Nevertheless, they seem to be a little bit
confused about the strategy to take. This is why the Sage, John Fosu, the vessel of
God and the defender of the needy has drafted himself in to offer viable
suggestions. "Some men see obstacles and cry why. Other men dream dreams and cry why
not" Based on the quoted statement, I assure the Agogos that victory is shining
through their disappointing situation and victory will be theirs.
The Agogo citizens are to strategize to direct their bitter anger first at Nana
Akuoko Sarpong, their paramount chief. He, being the cause of the menace they are
facing, but is deliberately refusing to take it away at the crack of the finger,
must be dethroned. He has failed his people and therefore not fit anymore to lead
them. Once they succeed, the Fulanis will instantaneously hurtle away with their
herds rather than to stay to face the consuming wrath of the people. Should they
choose to stay like obstinate idiots, then they will have themselves to blame in the
end.

The Sage says, "If persuasion fails, force must be applied" The government of Ghana
is aware of the situation, which calls for her urgent intervention, yet she is as
usual dragging her feet. Your people are dying so if you the Agogos will continue to
sit down impatiently awaiting manna to fall from the Higher Firmaments as the Kumawu
people are lackadaisically sitting on their lap doing, then, "Ese wo are se wo ara"
as one "Akwasi Oburoni" once said. This Whiteman (Akwasi Oburoni) had his bag (not
wallet) containing wads of pounds missing while riding a motorbike through the then
rough roads in Ghana in the 1950s. The bag he had strapped to the back of his
motorbike fell off without him noticing. He reported it to the chief of a town and
promised to reward handsomely anyone that finds it and brings it to him. The chief
assigned the town crier to inform the people of the town about the reported
incident. Concisely, the town crier said but in the local dialect very unfamiliar to
the Whiteman as following, "This Whiteman following me says he has lost his bag
containing a huge amount of money. If you are so stupid to return it to him if you
found it, then it is up to you". It is up to you ("Ese wo ara"). The Whiteman
thinking "Ese wo ara" was a nice compliment would also repeat after the town crier,
Ese wo ara, ese wo ara"

"The wise does at once what the fool does at last". I expect the Agogos to go with
the wise but not with the fools. Act decisively now to assert your freedom and
safety from the frail but corrupt hands of your Octogenarian chief, Nana Akuoko
Sarpong. I personally hate the guts of our corrupt chiefs and will never hesitate a
second to unleash my fury on them. They are obstacles to development and very
unhelpful in almost all ways. They love to play God at all times.
The Agogos should bear in mind what a wise man once said, "Even if a man falls flat
on his face, he is still moving forward" Let you first seriously threaten Nana
Akuoko Sarpong with destoolment and the Fulanis' menace will self-evaporate into the
thin air. Who are the Fulanis to come to terrorise you on your own soil? Let the
death of the man shot on Thursday be the last victim to suffer the scandalous
aggression by the Fulanis. Use his burial as a perfect occasion to move swiftly to
dethrone Nana Akuoku Sarpong. He has lost his relevance to lead you if he fails to
undo the evil that he himself has brought to bear upon you.
I will be suggesting drastic measures that will confront the menace posed by the
Fulanis head-on. I am a radical and hence believe in sensible radicalism.
John Fosu