“When beggars die, there are no comets seen: The heavens themselves blaze forth the death of princes”
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: JULLIUS CAESAR
We had “returned to our places” (apologies to T.S. Eliot: The Journey of the Magi) after visiting Darbaa to dutifully partake of the one-year observance of our mother Mrs. Theresah Kufuor born as Theresah Mensah at Wenchi on 25th October, 1935 and died at Peduase on 1st October, 2023.
We had not only observed the beautiful natural ambiance of the Darbaa town but had also had a foretaste of the welcoming spirit of the townsfolk. Afia’s simple compound house was situated along the route to ex-President Kufuor’s Oteng-built mansion with a mausoleum where his lovable, unassuming wife had been laid to rest. Afia was ready to cook yams or plantain for James Adjei after attending the one year service. As things turned out, however, Afia’s services could be dispensed with because at the function there was enough for everyone to eat and drink not to bother about Afia’s warm gesture.
“All the kings’ men” were around: there were party supporters: you could see mostly NPP supporters, of course and the place got electrified when Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia cut short his Volta Regional campaign tour to come to Darbaa to mourn with Ex-president Kufuor. In Bawumia’s entourage were Ing. Kwabena Agyapong, Simon Osei Mensa, the Ashanti Regional Minister and a few other stalwarts.
Beside ex-President Kufuor was Arch Bishop Emeritus Peter Kwasi Sarpong, his illustrious brother Dr. Kwame Addo – Kufuor, Mr. Appiagyei and Prof (he prefers ‘Kwaku’) Baffour Agyemang – Duah.
After the passing of a rather “quiet” week-end we woke up on Monday to hear of the passing of our sister, Akua Donkor. As related by her daughter, Mary, they had received no news of her illness – only the simple sad message of her death. Any foul play? – Just thinking aloud.
Hailing from Ejuratia, she was an in- law because that is the town where our late father – in – law, Bretuo – ba Boakye Danquah came from, to come to the Akyempem throne at Adum. She was born in February, 1952.
Akua Donkor was a cocoa farmer and did not feel shy to acknowledge her lack of formal education. She started her political career as an assembly woman for Hemang. In 2012, her ambition to be President of Ghana was shot down by the Electoral Commission when she applied as an independent candidate. Unlike Bernard Mornah, she did not contest her disqualification in court.
She threw her support behind Kwesi Nduom’s Progressive People’s Party. She was again disqualified to stand in the 2016, but got the chance to do so in the 2020 election. With the support of her party, the Ghana Freedom Party, she came fifth out of the 12 candidates who contested. Akua Donkor was always ready to make light work of every misfortune. When in January, 2016, her Party’s headquarters at Kabu in the Eastern Region got burnt; she called the disaster a “test” which could not quench her ambition to be President.
Early this year, Akua Donkor presented Mr. Kwabena Agyemang Appiah Kubi (known in the media as Roman Fada) as her running mate and was successfully placed at number 3 on the ballot paper.
Claiming Libya’s Muammar Gadhafi as her icon, she promised free education from primary to Secondary level, thus giving credence to Article 35(7) of the 1992 Constitution; “As far as practicable, a government shall continue and execute projects and programmes commenced by the previous governments”. She also promised to abolish import taxes and was bent on attracting more businesses into Ghana through the judicious use of Ghana’s natural resources: gold, cocoa, shea butter, salt.
In her wild tirade with ex – President John Dramani Mahama, she alleged that the latter had questions to answer over the death of John Atta – Mills. Akua Donkor did not disclose her political (or even social) philosophy, but putting two and two together (infer, deduce), it is safe to say: “Aim high; don’t be intimidated by what you lack.” With her death it is all over. The Electoral Commission could suspend the printing of electoral ballots papers and Article 50(4) of 1992 Constitution mentions constituency. Is the nation a constituency?
Ghanaians have historically been obsessed by letters before and after erudite people’s names. We have scorned the illetrate, the unlettered as nit-wits. This brings to mind how we treated General Kutu Acheampong.
As narrated in his book: “General Acheampong: life and Times of Ghana’s head of State”, Prof. Baffour Agyemang – Duah reiterates: ‘At the meeting to review the 1972 budget, Acheampong was literally shocked to hear how much money the nation spent on rice importation … I don’t understand – why we are spending so much on rice importation . Don’t we have land? Don’t we have favourable weather conditions for growing rice?
What is wrong with us? “That must have been the primary motivation for Operation Feed Yourself (OFY). Of course, the other motivation was the unfriendly attitude of Western creditors taking “a hard stance against the ‘yentua action’ and decided against any further loans and grants…” Under Kutu’s OFY, we could feed ourselves and feed our factories and have a surplus for export.
Is it not time yet for those of us who were students in Acheampong’s era to take a second look at our attitude towards leaders lacking “our type of education dubbed “book long”? We would say “Acheampong abon” (guarantee for our safety taken as guarantee shoes; fa- wo to- begye Golf –womaniser; metwa bi a, meka nkwaseasem…)
We sat by when Flt. Rawlings lined the 8 Generals up and shot them at Teshie Range, and followed this up with a “house cleaning exercise” to satisfy his desire to go the “Ethiopian way”. We re- echoed “Let the blood flow” as people were hauled before “Kangaroo courts” that disregarded “recognized standards of law or justice” with the judges and prosecutors “hooded to hide their identities”.
Prof. Baffour Agyeman – Duah says at the concluding part of his brilliant work on Kutu Acheampong: “Hence, the life and times of Ignatius Kutu Acheampong ought to be celebrated as part of the narratives for the democratic resilience of Ghana’s Fourth Republic that emerged in January 1993”. Shall we give due recognition to the analphabetic Akua Donkor? Will she be given state burial? Will this modern – day Yaa Asantewaa be considered a heroine…?
“Enye ene no” (Is that not it? That is it)
AFRICANUS OWUSU – ANSAH
P.S. Condolences to the families of 40 year old seamstress Helena, 25 year old plumber Boama Gyasi Eric, 10 year old school pupil Lordina Yassan , 41 year old teacher Rita Agyare and 5 year old Doreen Yassan in the vehicle which plunged into the river at Darbaa.
