Odike incurs wrath of Manhyia Palace; whither erred he?

The drama behind the banishment process staged by almost all the chiefs under the Otumfuo Osei-Tutu II to officially declare Kwasi Addai ‘Odike’ persona-non-grata to the Manhyia palace has been traumatizing as it gets tongues wagging as to what must or must not be said in a democratic dispensation, and in frustrating search for solution to what has become public nuisance, as debasing as illegal mining, notoriously christened ‘galamsey’.

We are since trying to find a clue for where ‘Odike’ could have gone wrong, either against free speech in a democratic dispensation like ours and or, his crime of sacrilege tantamount to desecrating the sanctity sanctimoniously clothing the huger-than-life Manhyia palace and, to an extent, the sacred golden stool – of charge of leadership responsibility and accountability to its subjects on a national bother.

Founder and Leader of United Progressive Party (UPP), Akwasi Addai ‘Odike’, seems to have incurred the wrath of the Manhyia Palace for his comments on the role of chiefs in illegal mining.

And, therefore, some chiefs of the Kumasi Traditional Council, led by the Bantamahene, Baffour Owusu Amankwatia VI, last Friday, performed rituals to banish Odike from Manhyia.

Reports The Anchor is privy to, have it that the businessman-turned-politician was a guest on Kumasi-based OyerepaFm, where he unequivocally criticised the chiefs, for failing to help end the galamsey menace.

Odike is also accused of inciting the youth to rise up and demonstrate against chiefs, if they fail to come clear on their roles in or stance against illegal mining.

Kwesi Addai’s comments have, however, been described as distasteful and unsubstantiated, meant to dent the image of Manhyia and, the chiefs consider the words of Odike as disrespectful, for which they slaughtered a ram in a traditional rites to prevail on the gods to help resist any rebellion against Asante Kingdom.

Well; when The Anchor gives NananomAyekoo for protecting their dignity against a passionate comments that might have caught them wrongly in the groin, we could only thank the almighty God, Kwesi Addai hasn’t been banned from the entire Kumasi, situation that could have sinned against natural justice on one side and, 1992 Constitution of Ghana on the other.

The paper’s critiquing of the Odike speech, however, couldn’t impugn any twist of the tongue on the part of Odike, save, the calling on “the youth to rise up and demonstrate against (inactive) chiefs, which caveat is “if they (chiefs) fail to come clear on their roles in or stance against illegal mining”. The paper will ask “where in lie Odike’s ‘greatest sin’ against his chiefs”.

The Anchor has no intention of declaring what Nananom have traditionally declared wrong, right, and, vice versa, especially so, when the paper is yet to listen to the AsanteheneOtumfuo Osei-Tutu II, hailed by his subjects as “King Solomon” for his glass-ceiling-breaking wisdom.

The paper knows, as a fact, that unlike other jurisdictions in Ghana, Asante-related lands are not sold, out-right, out to buyers, and this couldn’t be done even at blind-side of the Otumfuo, the Overlord, let alone given it away in evil-cahoots for galamsey purposes.

The Anchor further argues that if the land on which the galamsey was being done belongs to the Otumfuo, with his paramount chiefs as supervisors and accountable to Nana Kotokohene Osei-Tutu Ababio, Nananom, after hearing the Odike allegation could have simply looked within, first and foremost, as to whodunit; because, nowadays all thing criminality are possible even without God.

We, as leaders must never choose to remain unconcerned while evil (like galamsey) continues knocking at our doors and if someone raises an alarm or blow whistle depending on the diction, then we run fast to crucify them. It was time we accept the truth of living in new age of different viewpoints.

The Anchor also believes that the Nananom of today are just holding those lands in trust for the youth being called upon by Odike to rise and ‘demonstrate’ against the desecration of their god-given birthright Land.

Okay; was it not said in our language and same believed that “Se Openin wo-fie nankoraewiananka’a, ye-kaenanaka-wi-fuo’aOpeninkahu-bi”: To wit, “when the leader sits unconcerned for the children to eat snake’s meat, the elder is also counted on roll-call of snake-eaters”?

See; it was a renownedtheoretical physicist widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time,Albert Einstein, who believed and we affirm that “Not those that commit the evil deeds are the cause or world’s woes, but those that look on unconcerned”.

The paper, therefore, feels sorry for the unfortunate ram that was slaughtered by Nananom in the harmless but educative and informative verbose of the Kwesi Addai – the Odike.

However, we still await the over-towering wise verdict on this issue by Nana Otumfuo; was galamsey menace that is polluting our water bodies, air and lands – going on, on the Asante-land? If yes, on which paramount chief’s jurisdiction? And if the political system has failed the people and for that matter the youth, how is the traditional system – custodians of these lands solving the vexed issue? Thereafter, we would be at safer distance and up the moral high-ground, to throw the first stone at any body that sins the Odike-sin.

But the Anchor, would urge Otumfuo to bid his royal servants peace and patience, in the midst of the confusion, as by press time yesterday, the paper picked information of persons vouching support for the Kumasi traditional council attacking ransacking the office of Odike amidst gun-fires. We are saying, no matter how debilitating gory this Odike’s sin is against the sacrosanct piety of the Nananom, killing Kwesi Addai over mere speech could be the most cowardice action, so lowunder the stature of the Manhyia palace, and, we’ll only conclude with the humanist advice that “Eye for an eye would end up blinding the entire community”. Let peace reign!,

Source: Anchorghana