Sarpong, Justice

The Asante/Ewe divide, whether it is a reality or mirage as some people continue to believe should be looked into, at least in this forum and an ambrosial solutions found on a heuristic approach. Is there really an Asanti/Ewe tribal schism as we have been made to believe in Ghana or this is a problem just on the internet? I tend to believe this problem has been blown out of proportion because almost every Asanti or Ewe in the forum has gone to school or lived in the same house or neighborhood with each other peacefully and in some instance has been friends without thinking of the other being of a different tribe. Why then do we behave differently in the forum?

The problem is that we are too quick to dissect and judge each other of what one meant especially when an Asanti disagrees with an Ewe and vice versa on any issue without the tribal card being played. We tend to love being pandered to especially when some people have taken it upon themselves to write copious articles sanctimoniously propagating their piousness and how they are the ones with the answers that will solve this problem if everybody behaves like them.

Now that the jactations are over and we have had at least a week or more to mull over some articles that dealt with the schism between Asantes and Ewes, lets fletcherize about how to build a bridge to abridge the animosity between the two tribes. Now that most people have got it off their chests by portraying themselves as Angels, can we brainstorm and find what we need to do to at least cut down on the tribal insults in the forum if we genuinely want a peaceful forum where intelligent discourse can take place without insults? We can all have excuses as to why we embark on the tribal insults but let's take the hogmanay offered to us by Daniel Pryce and Samuel Adjei-Sarfo recently through their articles and respect each other by having a discourse without letting our tribal and political biases to arrest our intellectual abilities.

I have few pointers that can help reduce this habit of almost everybody tripping over each other by pontificating and proclaming their innocence and annointing themselves to sainthood status.It will be convenient in an article of this nature not to name names but the truth might be told if this mission is to achieve its desired purpose. First, let me apologise to anybody whose name appears in this article who might feel offended. I have always believe in telling the truth as I believe it to be so you find your name here not in glorious terms, it was not intended to offend but the truth must be told.

FIRST, LETTING OUR CONSCIENCE BE OUR SECRET AND MORAL POLICE.

If we really want to build a brige to the Ewe/Asante divide, it is incumbent on all Ewes and Asantes in this forum(SINCE THE ISSUE IS ABOUT ASANTES AND EWES) to be watchdogs on each other. I will prefer the Ewes to be the moral police on Ewes and Asantes to be the moral police on Asantes. If you are an Asante and you see an Asante posting an insulting message against Ewes, advise him or her to stop and Ewes should also tell an Ewe if he or she sees an Ewe posting a hate comment that might elicit a response from an Asante.We should let our conscience be our secret and moral police

Why am I asking the Asantes to police Asantes and Ewes to police Ewes? Because if somebody like Daniel Pryce tells an Ewe to stop his or her hateful comment, it will be more effective than an Asante like OYOKOBA telling an Ewe to stop insulting an Asante because it would be construed as an Asante man trying to muffle the voice of an Ewe. The same thing should be done by an Asante stopping an Asante person from starting any insult against an Ewe person.

SECOND, STOP BEING 'HOUDINIS'.

We have to refrain from reading into other people posts by guessing what a comment means when it is not in the post, example, If I am criticising Rawlings for what he has done or said, one should not assume that I am criticising him because he is an Ewe man and I am Asante, and therefore my criticism is solely based on ethnocentrism, at the same token, Asantes also should refrain from accusing Ewes of ethnocentrism because they are critising Kuffour he is an Asanti unless because of what Kuffour did, the commentator takes it upon himself or herself to condemn Asantes as a whole.

THIRD,INNUENDOS AND PANDERING ARE NOT THE ANSWER

As educated people aqnd I am using educated here loosely because I presume everybody who can read and comment on articles and news in this forum has the basic knowledge of what he or she is commenting about has the temerity to take criticism not personally so when we hide behind the "ANAWOMA, WO NA WOYE" personallity and subtly insults others because we do not agree with their point of view, such cowardice is not a trait that should be admired. I grew up in New Tafo(Krofuom) Kumasi and like others who trumpet having had friends amongst the Ewes, I also have Ewe friends who I still remember with nolstagia. I know a lot of forumers who grew up in Kumasi remember Chief Kankama of Krofuom, a guy who tormented us in our youth because of his supposed strength. Guess who stopped this guy from tormenting me and my scrawny Asanti friends, our Ewe friend Coffie who used to live at the same house that now house the Krofuom Police station. What about my friend Charles Agboloso whose father owned the Fabulous hotel in Dichemso? The point I am trying to make is that, most of us have Ewe and Asanti friends and when we were growing up in our teens and and secondary school time, we did not see these people as our Asanti or Ewe friends but just as friends. My two cousins are married to Ewe women from Akatsi and I almost made it three with Jennifer Anku but it was not meant to be.

FOURTH, POLITICAL AFFILIATIONS. Again, the fact that an Asante is supporting NPP or an Ewe supporting NDC does not mean these people are tribalists. I for instance will not vote for any Asante Presidential candidate on NDC ticket regardless of how marvelous his academic or political achiements are, but will vote for an Ewe Presidential candidate on NPP ticket with less stellar credentials than the Asante man on NDC. My point is that, it is not because NDC is perceived to be an Ewe party that I don't like that party, the way that party came about, my conscience will not allow me to support it no matter what 'Angel' they put up as their Presidential candidate. With me, it's all about the Party and not the individual. You can disagree with me on this position without insults and I will accept it because it is what it is. I just don't believe in the NDC socialistic Philosophy not because the founder is an Ewe. To me, NDC is an illegal entity which came about through the blood money Rawlings seized from some hardworking Ghanaians.

FIFTH, THE HIJACKERS. Hijackers in this article is referring to those commentators who are usually the first to make comments on an article or news report and instead of commenting on the issue at hand, start their posts with tribal insults. Three commentators in this forum are notorious on this regard, NANA O, Terribly Specific and Kola, London Proper. If we really want to clean this forum of tribal insults, these three people have to be always reprimanded when they digress on the issue at hand and embark on tribal insults.

This forum is notorious of finding problems and after people have puffed and howled, nothing is done to alleviate or at least reduce the problem. Daniel Pryce's article recently was not the first time such an article has been discussed in the forum, many people have written on the same issue, even this might be the third Mr Pryce article on the same issue. Many people promised to turn a new leaf and stop their insults and tribal postings. I have been observing those who made a solemn promise to refrain from hatred posts and so far only Voodoo ziebieso seems to be holding his end of the bargain, well done, Voodoo.

There are more things we can do to clean the forum and make it friendly for others who have avoided it to participate in the discourse here and suggestions as to how to sanitize this forum is welcome. LET'S MAKE MEANINGFUL CHANGES IN THE YEAR AHEAD, FORUMERS, HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY.

Below is a discourse between two of my forum brothers regarding my friend Samuel Adjei-Sarfo's articles about the his experience with Ewes which he is serialising. We have had nine articles on this issue which Vodoo Xebieso thinks it's enough. I don't have any problem with those articles by SAS, I just wished he will caution those Ewes who take advantage in his articles to propagate their bigotry towards Asantis to put a stop to it since I don't think it is his intention to give some few Ewes a platform propagate their bigotry.

Author:Vodoo Xebieso Date:2011-08-16 07:29:41 Comment to:The Ewe Heritage Defined. Part IX

SAS, thanks for your kind thoughts about the Ewes. Just as you are very profuse in trumpeting the virtues of Ewes, I wish to state here categorically that such virtues abound in other ethnic groups in Ghana. But please don't continue your write-up lest it would continue to attract insalubrious comments.

Author:Daniel K. Pryce Date:2011-08-16 09:11:37 Comment to:THAT'S ENOUGH!! Regarding Sarfo's pieces, however, I disagree that he should not continue. Sometimes, it takes a non-Ewe to convince others that what they believe about Ewes is simply clothed in the habiliments of ethnocentrism and bigotry. Sarfo is a confident and bold man, and he is definitely not ingratiating himself with Ewes -- he is an honorable man and he is doing an honorable thing, which we must applaud.

I just wish my friend Pryce will take those Ewes on when they take advantage of Sarfo's articles to insult Asantis.

Justice Sarpong

Houston, Texas