Since it does not belong to he who is leading to redirect their steps, I feel obliged after a day or two of thoughtful cogitation to come back to offer the paramount chief (Omanhene) of Mpasaaso, Nana Minta Dwansa III, some cogent advice. I shall be doing him no favours if I pointed out his disgusting behaviours presumably bordering on theft and exploitation of the so-called tenant cocoa farmers on his land without offering him advice, suggestions and solutions to redeem himself in the eyes of the public and the farmers by retracting his forceful request or to reframe his demand in a more acceptable and appealing manner.
Before his predecessors or he himself leased or sold the farmlands to the cocoa farmers otherwise called the tenant farmers, did they enter into any written or oral contractual terms with them to extract money from them on a whim? How often and on what occasions could he or his predecessors call on the farmers to make forceful, but not voluntary, financial contributions to him to part-finance his expenses, some of which may be deemed ridiculously irresponsible?
Compelling tenant farmers to part or pre-finance his funeral obligations is completely nonsensical in my view. However, he could appeal to the farmers for financial assistance to fund or finance some development projects in the area that could be of collective benefit to the inhabitants of Mpasaaso traditional area. Even such a request for financial assistance should not be an obligation with fixed sums of money demanded from the individual farmers but rather, be a voluntary request with each farmer contributing how much they feel they are capable of without putting themselves under any financial constraints or stress.
Most cocoa farmers are not among the rich people in Ghana. Most of them do have bad crop yields in some years. How can these farmers who may normally pay yearly or periodic royalties to the chief, or to the Mpasaaso traditional Council from time to time be obliged to pay towards the unexpected expenses by the chief as one person commenting on my earlier publication on this chief seemed to justify? He even went further to warn me not to bring my Kumawu negativities to the Ahafo Ano North Constituency where Mpasaaso is.
The same commentator said, “Asanteman are fed up with you, Ok?” Let it be known to him and Asanteman that until the chiefs behave themselves responsibly, cease to exploit their subjects and stop stealing from them; stop reaping from where they have not sown and stop to steal lands to sell as though the lands were their bona fide property they came from their mother’s womb with, they have not seen anything yet.
Asanteman Council will continue to be castigated by me until I see positive changes in them. The chiefs must stop their excesses and corruption. They must respect the laws of the land both constitutionally and conventionally. They should not see themselves as living in the era of total monarchy as it is the belief and view of the Asante “Overlord” Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. They should not be selling lands to the Chinese to do surface mining (galamsey) to spoil our lands and water bodies or to be more precise, to damage or deform irreparably our ecosystem to the extent of even killing some of our Ghanaian compatriots with impunity. Why should I respect chiefs of such wicked and myopic mentality or calibre? Finally, Asanteman Council should STOP meddling corruptibly in the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute. Period! I am from Kumawu and I know the history of my land and place of birth. I know the roguish ploys Asantehene and the Asanteman Council are up to to short-changing the subjects of Kumawuman but I shall resist them vehemently whether they like it or not and they can do me fuck all.
I shall advise Mpasaasohene not to demand fixed sums of money from the farmers to enable him attend funerals, especially that of Asantehemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwaah Ampem II, from 13 January 2017 to 19 January 2017. He can appeal for funds where willing farmers or tenant farmers will have to voluntarily contribute. He should not be asking money to attend funerals but for carrying out essential developments.
Does he give genuine receipts to farmers when he forces them to part-finance his expensive, self-imposed funeral obligations? I shall advise that he issues official receipts to those from whom he obtains those compulsory funeral funds, donations or whatever.
Nowadays, some educated persons are going into farming or are sponsoring cocoa farmers. These persons who are conversant with both the constitutional and conventional laws pertaining to farming may challenge the chiefs when they perceive them not only to be playing on their intelligence but also, trying to exploit or dupe them for their personal convenience. Everything must be done within and according to the law with all acts of abuse of position and corrupt practices as are being exemplified by Mpasaaso Omanhene eschewed.
Could it not be that the emissaries may demand more than the chief has requested them to take to pocket the difference for their personal use? How does the chief ensure that such malpractices do not occur?
I have not been to stay at Oseikrom in the Mpasaaso traditional area since mid 1960s. The last time I remember going there for two days was when I took one Opanin Kwasi Nyadu from Kumawu to go to show him one of my father’s cocoa farms for him to become a caretaker of it in 1977 or 1978. I can’t tell if Nana Minta Dwansa III was already the chief of Mpasaaso which I hope he wasn’t. He could either be an old man or one of these younger chiefs who have become so materialistic and corrupt hence always seeking to exploit their subjects to feed their insatiable quest for overnight riches.
I do remember some people like Opanin Kwame Tawiah, a then very old man with her beautiful daughters. Opanin Kwabena Asuo, Opanin Kwabena Quansah, Opanin Owusu Ansah, Opanin Kwadwo Fordjour, Maame Akosua Nnuro, Opanin Kwadwo Boahen etc. all of whom are dead. I knew them at Oseikrom in the mid 1960s.
In my first or previous publication about Mpasaaso Omanhene Nana Minta Dwansa III, I promised to explain the proverb, “Se nnie nantwie dua annka nnantwie to no, saa nso na nantwie bodua nnka okomfo3 nsa mu” – literally translated as, “as the tail of a cow/bull never remained permanently at the bottom or rear of the cow, so shall the dried cow-tail (swish) never remain in the hands of the fetish priest”. Why this proverb, one may ask? It is simply that since the demise of my dad in 1981, the eldest son, Kwaku Osei, of his brother, former Warrant Officer Class 1 Kwasi Siaw who inherited him, has become the-all-powerful man (“gangaria”) over the cocoa farms and lands belonging to my late father at Oseikrom.
It is alleged he has always been threatening to massacre any of my father’s relatives who would dare visit the farms or the lands. Since issuing such bold threats, none of them has ever visited Oseikrom and he does not account for anything to anyone. He has become the absolute owner of the farms and lands of my father. As my father’s wives, children and relatives could not possess the cocoa farms and lands but had to forfeit them on his death, so will this seeming macho man Kwaku Osei will be chased out of the land on the day of the death of his father by my father’s relatives. He should mark my words hence the adage as mentioned above. As we were chased out by his greedy and myopic father, so shall his fate be in future.
Again, the other proverb I decided to explain was, “Owuo a mewu nnye me ya se, ebia na mmanya nipa pa bi amma wani mmadeE, na sika kakra a mede agya me mma no, na 3de aye ne ho yie, na watwa me mma no agya, na wama me mma no aye mm3bo” – The only thing that pains me is, I may not get a responsible person to inherit me on my death. And that the little money I shall leave behind for my children, he may use it for his selfish ends, leaving my children behind for them to become very miserable” Yes, this had, and has been the situation of my father’s children since his death in 1981. His brother who inherited him has been such a knob without adding anything to all the things my father bequeathed to him but he has rather ruined everything and maltreated his children.
What goes around comes around and one day, his children will suffer the consequences of his dastardly actions. My father, Akwasi Acheampong, Yaw Sarpong, Kwasi Boateng, Yaw Opoku, Nana Yaa, Yaa Pokuaah, Nana Amma, Monica Gyamfuah, Kwabena Emmanuel, Kwadwo Duah, Afua Nkrumah, Kwasi Badu, Kwadwo Ben and our three mothers etc., may your souls rest in perfect peace.
The narration of this story is reducing me to tears so I shall call it a day.