The above headline, under the authorship of a Mr. Daniel Dugan in his column, ‘Commonsense,’ published on 15 June, 2023, was at sharp variance with the contents and analyses he did about the unfortunate raging feud between Bishop Agyinasare and the people of Nogokpo.
Until you read the article, you wouldn’t know how improperly loaded it was against the entire Ewe (Eʋe) tribe.
In the face of the explosive controversy stoked by Bishop Charles Agyinasare of the Perez Chapel International that Nogokpo is the headquarters all demons in Ghana, with two reputable bodies reportedly seeking to intervene, I thought the write-up was to reconstruct the broken bridge between the Bishop and the natives of Nogokpo Township.
But, the ill-fated grudge seems to have offered Dugan a slippery opportunity to descend on us, Eʋes, without provocation.
I almost immediately grabbed my phone, after reading it, to send my thoughts without allowing myself to be carried along the undesirable route he chose to pitch Eʋes against Ashantis, two great allies under the influences of his Majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, and the Awomefia, Torgbui Sri III.
To begin with, Dugan and his ilk must understand that Nogokpo is a township, different from the deity, which seems to be synonymous with the township just like Antoa in the Ashanti Region.
Dugan, who thinks that the good people of Nogokpo do not have a case, rather contradicted himself when he wrote: ‘So, the Catholic Church gives respect to other Christian denominations and other religions who can make it to heaven.’
By this, the Catholic Church is admonishing adherents of all religions to accord one another due respect without denigrating any religion.
Ghana’s 1992 constitution, chapter five, 26 (1)grants us freedom of worship, meaning everyone has the liberty to subscribe to any religion insofar as it does not infringe on any other person’s rights.
But was that the understanding of the bishop? As far as he is concerned, non- Christians don’t deserve human dignity hence his labeling of a whole township as bastion of ‘demons.’
‘International’ as his church is, l would have expected him to have ordered those countries that do not allow the establishment of a church, to rescind their decisions.
Christmas and Easter are not allowed to be celebrated in a number of countries; the people believe in other religions.
The utterances of some Christian leaders pose the greatest danger to the stability of this country. Dugan said that if Togbuioo (what did he mean by this spelling?
And he did not bother to find out) take it that by Bishop Agyinasare’s statement he meant all people of Nogokpo are demons, then by Jesus’ own statement, every human is a demon because the world is Satan’s kingdom.
Dugan is suggesting that everyone in the world is a Christian and it did not matter how bishop Agyinasare labeled non- Christians.
Perhaps, both the Bishop and Dugan were not abreast of how seemingly harmless comment seven led to fighting and loss of lives elsewhere. South Sudan broke away due to religious hegemony by The Sudan.
And Dugan descended on all Ewes. ‘Togbuioo cannot deny knowledge of the fact that some Akan towns in this country are degraded as citadel of witchcraft and others as sika duro are engaged in.
Ewes look down upon people from this ethnic group or most importantly, such towns which to them, must be avoided at all costs.
To this day, such towns have been labeled for all that is evil and wrong, yet to this day, no traditional leader from these towns has cautioned people from making such statements.
How on earth could a writer lump all Ewes together and make such a sweeping statement devoid of evidence? Did Dugan ever hear me make such a statement?
He would have done readers of his article some good if he had made available his research findings, which revealed that Ewes look down upon ‘witchcraft tribes.’
When did he conduct this research, sample size, methodology, margin of error, etc. to draw that conclusion?
You see, it is this kind of stereotyping that’s tearing our dear country apart. For his education, he should have said ‘some’ Ewes, instead of putting us all into one basket and whitewashing us.
He further said: ‘ Togbuioo, please just chill and refrain from daring Christ in this matter.’
If it’s the understanding of Dugan that by the people of Nogokpo expressing their anger at the comments by Bishop Charles Agyinasare, they are fighting Christ, then he got it all wrong.
Dugan should read Mathew 22; 21 and refrain from the selective deduction and interpretation.
As far as he and bishop are concerned, the admonition by the Catholic Church that respect must be given to other religions is out-of-place.
There are equally men of God at Nogokpo Township who deserve the title of Bishop, who are also livid at the framing by Agyinasare.
Dugan should know that the president of African Clergy Council, Bishop Dr. Fred Akakpo, was quoted by the Ghanaweb as describing the comment as totally defamatory.
‘The statement the archbishop made is totally defamatory. It implies that the people are possessed including the Christians living among them. He did not attack the deity of the town or invoke the wrath of the deity but rather the community.
His statement can give birth to a serious tribal or religious conflict leading to loss of lives and property,’ said bishop Akakpo.
Dugan failed to appreciate the enormity of the comment of bishop Agyinasare and asked if Togbuioo considered the repercussions that would follow when traditional worshipers clashed with Christians in this country?
What an inexcusable question? If he anticipated danger from the comment, would that not be the compelling reason why he should have called for a truce and coaxed bishop Agyinasare to review his obstinate stance?
It is the ilk of Dugan who are poking the fire set by the bishop, instead of using their platforms to preach peace, unity, and tolerance of other’s faiths for the development of our country.
‘Calling on your gods will not help matters but rather put Ewes in a bad light,’ Duncan warned. He cannot claim to be unaware of these popular deities; Akonedi/Tigari at Akwapim Larteh, Esio Koffi around Prestea, Nana Borbo Ayisi (Nzema Island), Nana Brawula, Nana Eluku Tayiba, all in the Nzema area, Techiman- Buokyerewa, Nsuatre-Buotwene, Apape, Antoa Nyame etc.
Did you ever you hear any pastor describe the towns, where these gods are, as the headquarters of demons?
In any case, are gods not visibly mounted on some streets in the area where his church is headquartered?
Why did the bishop not condemn the indigenes? ‘Togbuioo,’ Dugan proceeded, ‘why is it that once a statement is made against Ewes, it is a reason to go to war?’
Oh, so, Dugan finds it acceptable that when an individual steps on someone’s toes, his entire ethnic group must take the flack? You see the tribal dominion he is projecting?
I want to refer Dugan to just one incident; a seasoned journalist was declared persona non grata in a Region other than Volta for his comments deemed debasing.
I must, perhaps, refer Dugan to these two books, written just last year; History of Ghana Text Book 3, and Golden English Base, by Nana Badu Nkansah, Nelly Martison Anim, and Okyre Baafi Alexander, respectively, to see how Ewes were maligned and framed in books meant to be learnt by pupils; you may then feel the pain in our shoes.
And Dugan veered into the arena of partisan politics. But as l said, l will not follow him there. One would have thought that Dugan would stop there, but no.
He gleaned some ‘distasteful’ comments from the Facebook to justify his unwarranted attacks on innocent Ewes. Oh, Dugan, you have hit us far below the belt, but I leave you to your conscience.
I find it difficult to understand how herculean a task the Bishop sees it to say sorry on any platform to the peace-loving people of Nogokpo, his ‘in-laws,’ for berating them, having now realised that the deity is different from the Township.
That will not be condescending at all. Do we not apologise to our wives whenever they accuse us of delinquency, which might not be factual, but just for the sake of harmony? It’s a mark of humility to say sorry.
What understanding will his congregation have of his sermons on humility with this precedent? Bishop may win the ‘battle’ today, but he should consider the future of his ministry and the legacy he will bequeath to others.
It is my humble submission that, he establishes a public relations unit for his global church to be handling such issues, instead of living them with the likes of Daniel Dugan, who is discouraging me from continuing to read his column. We must peace ambassadors and not ‘armageddonians.’
Nearly every news story or article that appears online attracts all kinds of comments from readers who have wide-ranging objectives. Why should these give Dugan a headache?
Was he doing a phenomenology? And now, see his conclusion: ‘Togbuioo, once again, may I humbly and respectfully appeal to you to let go?
Because Bishop Agyinasare never said Nogokpo indigenes are demonic.
Any attack on the bishop and his church in particular and Christians in general, could break up Nogokpo in particular and Ewes in general, because as you know there are many faithful followers of Christ who are Ewes.’
This your article is woefully short of an appeal and utterly lacked respect to Torgbuiwo, as it was a threat and contradictory in some respects.
Dugan, talk to a cross section of the flock of Perez Chapel International and see how many non- Ewes who will strongly disagree with their bishop on this matter.
By Ex-WOI Bright Segbefia, PR Practitioner
