*By Akadu Ntiriwa Mensema

“President John Mahama has called on Ghanaians to go out and vote in their numbers because “the price that wise people pay for not exercising their franchise is to be governed by fools” (Ghanaweb, December 7, 2012).

“President Mahama has called for a stop to criticisms of insults and vilification in the country. He says constructive criticism is the way to go instead of just raining insults and sometimes unjustified wild allegations. ‘If you want to criticize the president, do so, but it makes it easier for the president to ingest your criticism if you don’t say the president is ‘aboa’ or ‘kwasia’ meaning animal or fool. Criticize politely and civilly’” (Ghanweb September 20, 2013).

Mahama’s Freudian slip
Of “aboa and kwasea”
Calling only Akans into question
Mahama’s Freudian slip
Like bats’ droppings at 37
Slippery as it falls in indignities
Like a SADA akomfem in flight
Full of deceit in flight
Mahama’s Freudian slip
Of demonizing Akans
His use of “aboa and kwasea”
Symptomatic of NDC’s blame-game
Mahama blames only Akans
For name-calling him
For vilifying him
For parodying him
So what words do non-Akans use
Ah! He says everyone uses Twi/Akan
Ewes say “aboa and kwasea”
Gas say “aboa and kwasea”
“Northerners” say “aboa and kwasea”
Guans say “aboa and kwasea”
Hmm! Today Twi/Akan is the norm
Let us nationalize Twi/Akan
So everyone can insult in “Twi/Akan”

Mahama’s inchoate rage
His subterranean rage
His stentorian tones
For being called “aboa” and “kwasea”
Is just for tribal politics
Is just for the headlines
Is just for NDC’s divide and rule
Putting a wedge between Akans and others
Demonizing Akans as usual
So Mahama’s people use Twi/Akan
Twi/Akan to call him “aboa and kwasea” too
Do they use Twi/Akani too
Everyone is using Twi/Akan in Ghana
Ah! Time to nationalize Twi/Akan in Ghana
If Mamprusis
If Kusasis
If Dagombas
If Gas
If Ewes
If Nzemas
If Guans
Ah! If all are using “aboa and kwasea”
This is one moment in time
Time to nationalize Twi/Akan
So Mahama can’t divide and rule us

The crafty Mahama
Sleek Mahama like a savannah snake
Is pitting Akans against others
Akans are not the only ones insulting him
Gas, Ewes, Guans
“Northerners”
All non-Akans are also insulting Mahama
For his Akomfem politics
For his tree-planting in the dry season
For their dreams deferred under NDC
Yet Mahama uses Akan words – “aboa and kwasea”
Are non-Akans too calling you “aboa and kwasea”
Gas
Ewes
“Northerners”
Guans
All non-Akans are also insulting you
Not in their local languages
All are using Twi/Akan
Mahama stop the divide and rule

John Mahama
The corrupt genius
Said if we didn’t vote for him
Fools would rule us
We “voted” for him
And truly fools are ruling Ghana
From using only Northerners and Ewes
To sidelining Akans, especially Asantes
From Akomfem that flew to Burkina Faso
To trees planted in the dry season to die
From Woyome who is enjoying his loot
To tribalist-induced scholarships to Cuba
From NHIS & School Feeding program in the drain
To pouring money in the Korle Lagoon pockets of MPs

NDC’s triumphalist narrative
Of Akan tribalism
Of Asante dominance
Of Asante-Akyem politics
Mahama has taped into tribalism
Akans call you “aboa and kwasea”
So what do “Northerners” call you
So what do Ewes call you
So what do Gas call you
So what do Guans call you
All call you” aboa and kwasea”
Do they all speak Twi/Akan
Or is it only Akans who are insulting you
Insulting you “aboa and kwasea”

**AKADU Ntiriwa Mensema, Ph. D., is a nationalist Denkyira beauty. She is a trained oral historian cum sociologist and Professor in the USA. She lives in Pennsylvania with her great mentor and teaches Africa-area studies at a college in Maryland. In her pastime, she writes what critics have called “populist hyperbolic, satirical” poetry. She can be reached at akadumensema@yahoo.com. Her poems and essays on Ghanaweb and elsewhere must not be reproduced in full or in part for any academic or scholarly work without her written permission..