The Need for Anti-Tribal and Ethnic Discrimination Law
Kwabena Amikaketo sat in his favourite chair on his balcony viewing the dark sky covered with clouds, signifying another rain to confirm that the harmattan season was over. Still in a sorrowful mood after the demise of his beautiful wife, Kwabena had been contemplating talking about how she left for the life hereafter in what he intended to be called the “Cost of Death,” but whenever he sat down to review the sad event, he either broke down or something else came up.
This evening it was all about what had been captioned in the media as the “Textbook Brouhaha.” A certain publisher decided to publish a book which was entitled “History of Ghana-Textbook 3” for lower primary pupil. Condemnation of the book was mainly centred on comments made about the Ewe ethnic group.
Ethnicity is one thing Kwabena always abhorred, because he was part Asante, part Dangbe, part Ewe, and a little bit of Dagbon. He, therefore, regarded that all ethnic groups must be accorded love and respect.
So what’s up again on this ethnic plane with this textbook? The scanty information Kwabena had was about a statement that a certain man called Efo had agreed to make juju for some footballers, and again a song that showed the Ewes identity which, in part, sung: “I have an attitude to show love, especially to my people; If you can speak my language and you step on my toe, I am not bothered; People say I am inward-looking, but that is what they think; I am very good especially to my people.”
Then on a page headlined, The New Regional Map of Ghana, the publisher stated the following, The Ewe: The Ewe ethnic group is found in the Volta Region and the Oti Region. The Ewe ethnic group consists of tribes such as Tati, Logba, Lolobi, Likpe and Santrokofi.
Kwabena sigh and shook his head. So it was a matter of juju, inward-looking and misrepresentation of tribes that was sending his dear country to war? He could not understand what the fuss was all about, and if there is the need to correct what were supposed to be misrepresentation of facts, this could have be done on the quiet, instead of raising of an alarm and putting the whole nation into the state of confusion.
On the juju matter, Kwabena thought it was no issue, because juju forms part of traditional worship which is the backbone of all ethnic groups in the country. By definition, juju is an object that has been deliberately infused with magical power or the magical power itself; it also can refer to the belief system involving the use of juju. Juju is practiced in West African countries such as Nigeria, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. Juju is most likely from the Hausa word “djudju,” meaning evil spirit or fetish. Juju may be used for constructive purposes, as well as for nefarious deeds. To date, no traditional authority has outlawed juju in their communities. If that is the case, why should the traditional leaders from the Volta Region now come out to condemn the juju description on Ewes?
Custodians of our tradition and culture are the traditional leadership and fetish priests/priestesses. All of them engage in fetish or pagan worship in which juju places a pivotal role and the state recognises them and their activities as they are invited to state functions to commit the events to their gods in prayers.
Kwabena accepted that juju could also bring positive results. Okomfo Anokye used such powers to command the Golden Stool from the skies, and with it the Great Asante Kingdom was established. Today, the Golden Stool is revered by all Asantes irrespective of their faith and belief.
During puberty rites, girls are made to sit on some juju stone which could determine their state of virginity. Because of this, morality among the youth is highly upheld with promiscuity pushed to the background.
Some barren women do access juju to bless their wombs. And juju could be used to protect the community during adverse conditions like epidemics, drought, famine and war.
Kwabena took a bite at the decades long misunderstood word, inward-looking. This word got national prominence on Wednesday June 17, 1970 when in response to ethnocentric statements and pack of lies stated by Dr. Agama of the opposition National Alliance of Liberals (NAL) on the floor of Parliament the previous day, Mr Victor Owusu of the ruling Progress Party described the tribe Agama belonged to as inward-looking. The word means a person or community not interested in or taking account of other people or groups. This is very self-explanatory.
Incidentally what Victor Owusu said about Agama and Ewes, was the same that Dr Agama used on Tuesday June 16, 1970 to describe Prime Minister Busia and the Progress Party government. The opposition leader started by describing the Busia administration as backward-looking and stated that it only employed Akans into government services.
It is to this that Victor Owusu drew Agama and the Opposition attention to the fact that government put Ewes into top positions and when they took office, within a twinkle of an eye, the Ewes would dominate the employees of such institution or corporation. This was where he used the word inward-looking to describe the conduct of Ewes. In effect both politicians accused the other for being inward-looking, so why should only the Ewes take offence? However why the publisher decided to be mischievous here baffled Kwabena. It was completely unwarranted for, because to date the nation has not been well educated on what exactly inward-looking means and into what context Victor Owusu used it to describe Ewes. And sadly some of the Members of Parliament do not understand that word.
Kwabena wondered whether the publisher knew about ethnic groups in Ghana. How could they say Guans are Ewes? In all this, even though Kwabena agreed that some of the inputs in the book were basically not necessary he still felt the issue could have been treated amicably and without the sensationalism and war cries.
Then he heard of the call by some people for the book to be withdrawn. He also read somewhere that the NDC MP, Okudzeto-Ablakwa, has called for unity against ethnic discrimination. Of course the book must be withdrawn and corrections made before marketing it. And of course all Ghanaians must unite against ethnic discrimination.
However before History of Ghana – Textbook 3, there was the Ghana Revolution by Prof Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor. On Page 57 of his infamous book, this tribal warlord he stated: “Ewes in the Armed Forces achieved the reputation of being notorious coup makers’ and plotters against successive governments because Ewes see themselves in opposition to all governments in Ghana which inevitably became Akan (Ashanti) dominated… The contest for power is reduced in simple terms to a fierce contest between the Akan (Ashantis) and the Ewes”. Kofi Awoonor saw “Ewes as effective check on Ashanti effort at hegemony.” And went on to state that the purpose of the 31st December Revolution “is to take away the political and economic hegemony perpetrated by Akans, particularly Ashantis; adding that Dr Nkrumah’s CPP Government fell because of the presence of corrupt Ashanti elements in the Party. If there is no institutionalized discrimination against Asantes, Kwabena lamented, why is it that this book is allowed to stay on the shelves? And not even that, Prof Kofi Awoonor was elevated by Atta Mills’ NDC’s government to the post of Chairman of Council of State?
Emmanuel Dela Coffie of the National Democratic Congress in write up onMay 19, 2010 stated that “The Hypocrisy of Asantehene stinks”! “He (The Asantehene) aligned himself with corrupt politicians in the past and therefore he has no moral authority to question the sincerity of politicians. There are so many chieftaincy problems all over his jurisdiction. Some problems are as a result of his indulgence. What has he done about it?” A direct insult and attack on the King of Asanteman and yet there was no public outcry against this.
When Togbe Afedi made a comment implying that NPP’s Freddy Blay was corrupt and the politician responded by saying maybe Togbe sells palm wine to make money, all hell broke loose in Eweland and Blay was banned from setting foot there. Yet non-Akans could insult the Asantehene and get away with it.
The NDC’s ethnocentric attacks on Asantes is very legendary with this example from Kobby Acheampong’s unjustified attacks on NPP’s Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie (Sir John). He said: “Sir John was behaving like a typical koooase kuraseni. He stayed in Kumasi too long. He is in Accra now. He should broaden his horizon. Clearly the way he talks is very typical of someone who is sometimes very ignorant. The Kumasi thing is too much in him” It is obvious what he meant by the Kumasi thing.
The ethnic discrimination against Akans, especially Asantes, is clear to show. Any ethnocentric attacks on this group are treated just too lightly. However that was never the case if an Akan is the offender.
Kwabena lamented that it was okay for the NDC to send thugs to Atiwa to beat up the natives in their homes and even have NDC’s Anita de Sosoo drive her SUV into the youth, maiming some. However when those youth got up and with bare hands drove away their armed attackers and they were commended for that by Nana Akufo-Addo, the current president to this day is branded a terrorist because he said “All Die Be Die.”
The nation looked the other way when during the registration of voters in 2012, NDC’s Nii Lante Vanderpuye organized and led thugs to beat out all Akans ordinarily residing in the Odododiodoo Constituency. The police looked the other way when in a related development Hon Ursula Owusu was beaten up in this same constituency for encouraging Akan women to go and register. Not a single thug was arrested. Yet Hon Kennedy Agyapong to this day is classified a villain when he stated that Ewes and Gas must be killed in Akan lands. He ended up in Police custody.
To Kwabena Amikaketo, there is the need to have very stiff laws against ethnocentrism or else one day this country will catch fire. The Akans especially Asantes are humans, they are also Ghanaians and demand fairness. They should not be pushed to the wall by any political party or ethnic group.
Kwabena rose and went indoors, still thinking of his beautiful late wife. Alone in his room he wept and mourned. He sorely missed her. One day he must tell his story about the “Cost of Death.”
Hon Daniel Dugan
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect The Chronicle’s stance.
The post Memoires and Lamentations of Kwabena Amikaketo (31) appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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