Ewes are among ethnic groups that love one another and other people from other ethnic groups. Majority of Ewes are for peace, however there are few who will like to ignite conflicts between them and other tribes.
I am in this feature, recalling events of the past and pleading with the majority of Ewes, who are good and godly to rise up against this agenda which could one day pitch us against other tribes.
Today, we heard from the good chiefs and people of Nogokpo that it was through their help solicited by Kwame Nkrumah that we were able to gain independence.
I have no grounds to challenge this, since politicians can go seeking help from all forms of deity and also from the Almighty Triune God to be favoured in their political ambitions.
However, I have this to say. If indeed, Nkrumah went to see the Nogokpo deity after it looked impossible to lead Ghana to independence, and the deity granted him that favour, then why did Nkrumah not acknowledge Nogokpo?
Nkrumah solicited help from Jesus Christ through the Catholic Church and so when independence became possible, he asked the Church to dedicate the country to Jesus Christ. Therefore, on March 5, 1957 Ghana was dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Is Nkrumah that ungrateful not to mention Nogokpo as a contributor to the victory of independence?
Some readers, especially Ewes may think I am going to raise tribal sentiment by recalling the past. What is a historical event will always be spoken about and it is only when we learn from history and vow not to repeat the wrongs, will there be peace, love and unity in this country. So, I continue.
Rawlings killed only Asantes who overthrew civilian administrations and left out the Ewe, JWK Harlley and the Ga J.A. Ankrah of the 1966 coup and also left out Ewes, Major Agbo and Major Selormey of the 1972 coup.
What does Bright Segbefia and others like him, think of what people will say about Ewes? Over forty years later, Rawlings in a final confession, stated that all those killed were not corrupt, but they had to be sacrificed to save the lives of eighty to over ninety corrupt people in the army and society, who deserved to die. So, that explained that the stable was not cleaned after all, since after all this, corruption only sky rocketed.
Saying it as it is, in 1979, Rawlings made a crown prince of Asante to carry nightsoil, parading him in the streets of Kumasi. And in 1999, he grossly disrespected the new Asantehene when he poked his blood-stained finger in the king’s face and accused him of not disciplining an alleged Asante youth over comments the man who gave his name as Francis or something on Joy FM radio in Accra.
When the Aflao chief gave the president ultimatum to complete a school project, which he took over from Mahama, from barely 20% to over 90% complete, and the president suggested that the chief should go and complete it himself, the Opposition NDC and some Ewes went to war against the president for what they claim was an insult to the chief. Is a chief allowed to speak to a president like that?
This same Rawlings stood in front of Asante chiefs and people and condemned them calling Asantes ungrateful people. Because, majority of Asantes do not vote NDC. Meanwhile, the stupidity of his conclusion is that the NDC got its third largest of its presidential votes from the Ashanti region in 1996. Can any other politician especially an Asante dare say this about Ewes?
When Rawlings came in 1979 and came back in 1981, all private industries he destroyed belonged to Asantes. He fished out only Akan and particularly Asante businesses and went on to warn Ghanaians not to patronised goods and services produced from these industries and businesses.
So, United Mattress and Foam Company, Siaw’s Tata Brewery, Poku Transport, Safo-Adu’s Industrial Chemical Laboratories (ICL), Darko Farms, and Menka Soap among others were all collapsed, meanwhile another very strong and competent industry, Nkulenu belonging to an Ewe was left to continue to operate peacefully in progress and to yield foreign exchange for this country. Ghana lost out big time.
When Rawlings came in 1979, he was against affluent life style, but he left out Pub la Rita, a very popular youth joint in Osu, because it belonged to MacCofie, an Ewe.
A less known fast-food joint, called Trafalgar in Accra, owned by an Asante, which was rising up to match and even beat Bus Stop restaurant, was crashed down.
Seriously, if an Asante man had done any of these to businesses owned by Ewes, what will be the response? I expect Segbefia to respond to this.
Ex WO1 Bright Segbefia is talking about children’s textbooks which maligned Ewes, unfortunately he never volunteered to produce a few sentences or paragraphs which attacked Ewes. I wish he did, so that I can join him to attack the authors.
Strangely, he kept a distance from the tribal bigot, Prof. Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor’s infamous book, “The Ghanaian Revolution” who stated that he is Ewe First and Ghanaian Second. On Page 57 of his infamous book, this tribal warlord wrote:
“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”. Tribal warlord and Chairman of Council of State sees “Ewes as effective check on Ashanti effort at hegemony”. He goes 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.
Tribal warlord, Professor Kofi Nyidevu Awoonor is not done yet. He goes on to state that Dr Nkrumah’s CPP Government fell because of the presence of corrupt Ashanti elements in the Party. (Ref: Checkmating the “Terrifying Great Ashanti” Project is right on course, by Daniel Damptey Danquah – 01/06/2012.)
So, the December 31, coup of 1981, was to eliminate Asantes from the political and economic sectors. And to this day, Rawlings is celebrated after committing atrocities which are alien to the noble ways and ideals of the typical Ewe.
Below are some acts and comments against Asantes and I will humbly ask Bright Segbefia to comment by accepting or condemning them.
Emmanuel Dela Cofie, on May 19, 2010 wrote this, the Hypocrisy of the Asantehene Stinks, in which he alleged that the Otumfuo was overly corrupt.
When Prison officers went on strike, Sedinam Atieno Tamakloe, a top member of the NDC retorted on air that “no wonder the strike was started by prison officers in Kumasi”, when in actual fact it was initiated by prison staff in the Western Region.
Kobby Acheampong, of the NDC, made this remark about the late Sir John. “Sir John was behaving like a typical kookoase 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” What is the Kumasi Thing? And why describe Kumasi with the adjective, “Thing?”
Bright Segbefia, what will be your reaction, if an Asante made such comments against Ewes?
Going forward, in 2009, Alfred Agbesi Woyome a full-blooded Ewe, could steal GH¢ 51.2 million, worth $32 million at that time, from state coffers. He was made to walk free and what’s more the proverbial anger of Ewes when someone dares them, was loudly silent.
To some Ewes, only Akans especially Asantes are corrupt and nation wreckers. And to this day, those loud Ewes are very silent about Woyome.
It is a big insult to Ewes to be told they are Togolese or non-Ghanaians. Some Ewes openly attack non-Ewes who dare to suggest that. But where were those voices when the Ewedome Ewes came out to say they are not Ghanaians and declared their independence calling their new country Western Togoland?
And they were even ready to fight and kill for this. No condemnation came from Ewes, except the Anlo chiefs who only came out to confirm that they are Ghanaians.
Back to what brought us here, Bishop Agyinasare said Nogokpo is the headquarters of demons. Even though this is an unfortunate statement to hear about one’s hometown, it does not mean the town is demonic. When Jesus Christ stated that Satan is the ruler of this world, He had good reasons for that. Satan’s power is over all the nations of the earth.
That could be very frightening when we realize he can influence men in such a way that they are not even aware that they are being influenced toward evil. His power is so extensive that he is over all the nations of the earth.
Jesus calls him the ruler of this world (John 14:30). He affects people’s attitudes by moving our reasoning processes toward satisfaction of the self. He gives disinformation and stirs up our spirit.
Satan would always attack those walking the path of righteousness and will not be bothered about those already on the path of damnation.
With the bishop’s statement, I will rather humbly suggest that all the people of Nogokpo, home and abroad, should unite as one and walk the path of righteousness calling on God for protection and pleading with Him to drive away Satan and the demons. For if truly Satan has pitched his camp in Nogokpo, it is obvious the people there are doing something which Satan does not like.
Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, Amen. Now WO1 Bright Segbefia doom the gloom and brighten yourself as your name states and come out with responses to my lengthy counter-rejoinder.
By Hon. Daniel Christian Dugan
Editor’s note: views expressed in this article do not represent that of The Chronicle. Also this is the last article the paper will publish regarding this subject matter.
