*By Akadu Ntiriwa Mensema, Ph. D.

Oh! Atta Mills
Uncle Atta did it
Exiled in the USA
Free in New York
Finally Atta is free
From a haunting Castle
From a sanguinary Castle
Free like Korle bubbles
Atta is in a Jubilee House
Ah! Jubilating his freedom
Jubilee that JJ loves to hate
Atta is free to breathe
Atta is free to laugh
Atta is free to speak
Atta is free to hear
Atta is free to see

Oh! Atta Mills
Uncle Atta did it
Free in New York
Uncle Atta is free
Free from tribalists
Free from Awonoor
The patron of tribalism
He who appoints a rapist
Raping Atta as an Aide
Atta is free from it
Free from tribalism

Oh! Atta Mills
Uncle Atta did it
Free in New York
Free from Adze Pa
Adze pa wo fie oye
Crafted in Fanteland
Nursed in Cape Coast
Adze that never was
Adze pa wo fie oye
Not in Fanteland
Harvested in Eweland
Harvested in the “North”
Adze pa Adze pa booty
Among Keta School Boys
Among Paga Crocodiles
Atta is free forever
Free in New York

Oh! Atta Mills
Uncle Atta did it
Free in New York
Uncle is free at last
Free from JJ Rawlings
JJ’ artistic vulgarity
JJ’s artistic lunacy
JJ’s holier-than-thou
JJ’s who born dog
Ah! JJ’s Atta the slow
Atta the mortuary man
Atta the Fante dokono
Atta the dog-lover
Atta the greedy bastard

Oh! Atta Mills
Uncle Atta did it
Free in New York
Atta is free from JJ
Free from Ridge Fire
Fire on Valentine’s Day
The fire of sermons
Fire that didn’t burn
Didn’t burn family cars
Didn’t burn family Kente
Didn’t burn family jewelry
Didn’t burn family photos
Ah! Atta is free from JJ
JJ can rebuild Ridge
Ah! Atta is free from JJ

Oh! Atta Mills
Exiled in the USA
Free in New York
Uncle Atta is free
Free from JJ’s bastards
JJ’s greedy bastards
Greedy bastards nursed
Nursed under JJ’s rule
The greedy bastards
Of the Ahwois
Of the PV Obengs
Of the ET Mensahs
JJ’s greedy bastards
Dripping with power
Dripping with corruption
Dripping with divisiveness

Oh! Atta Mills
Uncle Atta did it
Free in New York
Free from all promises
Promises to Ghanaians
Free tea for all
Free petrol for all
Free education for all
Free electricity for all
Free water/food for all
Atta Ghanaians are free
Ghanaians are free at last

*Akadu N. 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