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Opinions of Saturday, 3 March 2012

Columnist: Fosu, John

The Omnipotent Asantehene Callously Snubs Kumawuman

The Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent Asante Overlord, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has unfeelingly denied Kumawuman a paramount chief. He is happily playing God, beating his chest and probably saying, "I have the authority to decide who becomes the Kumawu paramount chief; when, and how, without anyone able to force my hands" Yes, and he is right. There are currently no men nor powerful women living in Kumawu but cowards, who are without interest in the welfare of Kumawuman. The cowardice of the citizens has brought about the shameless boastfulness and the underestimation of the intelligence of the law-abiding citizens of Kumawuman by Asantehene.

Gone are those glorious days when the "Great Ya te Asem" folks, the pride of the audacious Kumawuman citizens, were able to stand up tall to be counted. They would easily have overridden the maliciously dillydallying by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II to the applause, and the admiration of the suffering citizens of Kumawuman.

Asantehene can continue to deceive himself by purporting to wield absolute power. I remind him of the calamity that befell King Herod the Great. "On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. The people were shouting, “The voice of a god, and not of a man! Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died" Acts 12:21-23. Asantehene loves to behave as Kwame Nkrumah "Show boy" to prove his point that there is no one in the Asante Kingdom who is more powerful than he is.

Anyway, his authority ends or reduces where the demarcated traditional land or stool lands of a fellow founding member of the Asante Kingdom begins. Am I lying, my audience? Otumfuo Osei Tutu II by extension of his sexual relationship with Kumawuhemaa thinks he possesses authority over Kumawuman. He should go back to learn his history very well.

He is sitting on a ticking time bomb the explosion of which will put asunder to the Asanteman. All his actions point to that direction. How should he think his pompous arrogation of powers to himself, which are though detrimental to the suffering masses, would not incur the wrath of the people and God?

Do not I have the right to question the integrity of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II with regard to the ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy affair or dispute? The case was pending in court. He appealed to the complainants, thus, the Odumases and the Ananangyas, to withdraw it from the court and brought before him for arbitration. In line with tradition, and a sign of respect for our elders, they did as requested by Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, the Asantehene. Little did the complainants know that Asantehene had colluded with Kumawuhemaa, his girlfriend to fool not only the complainants but also the entire inhabitants of Kumawuman both at home and abroad? For nearly over four years that the complainants brought the case before him, he has assumed that stubborn stance of looking down on Kumawuman by intentionally delaying the arbitration of the case. Instead, he sees that as a perfect opportunity to plunder the wealth of Kumawuman if any.

Discerning Kumawuman citizens, if any, should not sit on their lap whilst Asantehene, Kumawuhemaa and Kumawu Kontrihene continue to take them for gargantuan nincompoops? Asantehene must note that no one can command respect but rather earn it. The patience of the citizens of Kumawuman, Adansi Fomena, Esummeja and others are wearing thin, a recipe for disaster. Should he continue being wicked towards the majority of the youths in the affected areas while favouring a few in which case it is his girlfriends or colluding partners, then he should have himself to blame when the youths go on rampage.

In the case of Kumawuman, the Ananangyas twice invoked the Asantehene's Great Oath on his squinted-eyed succulent damsel, the Kumawuhemaa. He is not bothering himself about following tradition that would otherwise have obliged the Kumawuhemaa to either counteract the oath or yield in to its demands. I have written extensively on the invocation of the oath, its significance and repercussions but Asantehene for the sake of friendship, has overlooked its importance.

I am highly disgusted at his crafty ways to suppress the wish of the Kumawuman people. A day is coming that both Asantehene and his Kumawuhemaa will regret their wicked actions against the suffering Kumawuman citizens.

The "abusua mo nkye ni" are selling the once reported 450,000 hectares of Kumawuman Afram Plains farmlands. Nana Akouko Sarpong (Agogohene) and Kwamanghene have joined Asantehene, Kumawuhemaa and Kumawu Krontihene to carry out that nefarious activity. Is it not Asantehene who claims to be far richer than anyone in the Ashanti region? Why then is he engaging in further acts of "Woyomism?" Blame the ills of Kumawuman on Kumawuhemaa, that greedy woman without foresight. By her obnoxious actions, she has empowered Kumawu Kontrihene, Asantehene, Agogohene and Kwamanghene to amass wealth at the expense of Kumawuman.

John Fosu