Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has captured the media attention more than any of his predecessors. As all that glitters is not gold, so is his media attention not all for good reasons, but at times for extremely bad reasons. He is noted for acting in bad faith when it comes to selecting candidates for installation as paramount chiefs or when flirtatiously involved in politics with selfish ulterior motives.
In this write-up, I shall narrate two stories in both of which I shall assign a character role to Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in attempts to give a graphic description to his cunning behaviour and how in the end, he is caught out, ensnared in his own web, of course.
There is the story of King Midas who by the Greek mythology had the power to turn everything he touched with his hands into gold. This came to be called the Golden touch or the Midas touch. All this came about in consequence of his drive and ambition to be overwhelmingly prosperous. This insatiably greedy quest of his to be abundantly rich finally culminated in his death. "According to Aristotle, legend held that Midas died of starvation as a result of his "vain prayer" for the gold touch". The food and drink he touched with his hands turned into gold. His own daughter he touched with his hands turned into a human statute of gold.
From empirical observations, the exhibited character by Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II can well equate him to the Greek legend, King Midas. His quest for acquisition of wealth through genuine and foul means is amazing. He is known for reaping from where he has not sown, thus, selling or leasing lands in other Divisions within Asanteman to foreigners for purported foreign investments to bring jobs to the inhabitants of such communities. Actually, he is enriching himself by pocketing the money accruing from the sale. He has done this to some communities within Asanteman of which Kumawuman cannot be an exemption. Consequently, he is constantly being ridiculed in homes, public places and in the media.
As King Midas died of starvation through greedy quest for wealth, Asantehene may die of insults, castigations and accusations of not only acquiring wealth and power illegally but also, causing acrimony among royals through his lack of demonstrable integrity.
The second story is about the wise, although outwardly seen by every member of his village as the BIG FOOL, and the publicly acknowledged wise (Father) Dwarf. In this story, I shall play the fool while Asantehene plays the dwarf.
The dwarf had a son with extremely hairy head. The mum of the fool felt it was abnormal for the baby dwarf to be that hairy. She trimmed his hair. When the father dwarf found out what she had done to his son, he was highly displeased. He demanded that the cut hair is put back in place same as it was previously. How can cut hair be fixed firmly back on unless the hair is left to regrow naturally?
Tried as the woman did, she could not fix the hair back on as obligatorily requested of her. Following her inability to do as requested, the Father dwarf decided to take her away in payment of the damage she had caused to the hair of his son – shaving the hair off.
The chief of the village, including most of the wise men and women plus the woman's children prevailed upon the dwarf to pardon her, thus, have mercy on her, but he wouldn't. When all attempts had proved futile, the tearful woman pleaded with the dwarf to allow her go and bid his only other remaining son a farewell.
This son of hers had been declared a fool by the entire townspeople with both his siblings and parents inclusive. He lived on the outskirts of the village and was always playing the swing. He had a sizeable ground surrounding his swing that was immaculately levelled with sand.
When they got to where his swing was, the mother shouted to him. As many times as the mum shouted for his attention, he ignored her, but kept enjoying his swing. The dwarf decided to approach him; walk on the sand-levelled ground to inform him of what his mum has done and his intention to take her away. When he became aware of his mum's sorrowful situation, he pleaded with the dwarf to have compassion on her. The dwarf would not budge, tried as he did.
He finally accepted that the dwarf could take her mother away as resolutely determined as he (dwarf) was, but on one condition. He asked the dwarf to clear all his footprints as appeared on his before then spotlessly sand-levelled ground. The dwarf set about levelling the ground to remove his (dwarf's) footprints but tried as he did, all his attempts proved in vain. By the time he completed levelling the ground to one end, he would still find trails of footprints left behind when he turned back to check. Finally, he gave up, asking the fool to keep his mum while he takes his shaved son away.
In the end, it was the perceived fool who could save the life of his mother.
How do I relate this story to the circumstances of Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II who I have assigned to play the character – the father dwarf?
On Monday 23 April 2012, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II in assertion of his authority as the purported Asante Overlord annulled the alleged installation of Nana Sarpong Safrotwie as the paramount chief of Juaso, during a sitting of the Asanteman Council. He said his enstoolment by Juabenhene Daasebre Otuo Serebour II was customarily illegal because it was done in the clear absence of Juaso Kontrihene and Akwamuhene. Without the presence of, and swearing of oath of allegiance to, these two principal traditional warriors, no-one can be accepted as a paramount chief, Otumfuo claimed.
Subsequently, a new paramount chief in the person of Mr Kwasi Agyei, a director at the Ministry Of Environment, Science Technology and Innovation in Ghana has been selected and enstooled on Monday 20 April 2015. He goes by the Stool name Asafoakwaa Agyei Tabi.
Now let us look at how Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, perfectly in his public life as the alleged Overlord of Asanteman fits the character of the dwarf under discussion. He has colluded with his Asanteman Council, resorting to all dubious means possible, breaching customs and traditions and Constitutional laws to impose one Dr Yaw Sarfo allegedly going by the stool name Barimah Sarfo Tweneboah Koduah as Kumawu paramount chief on the people of Kumawuman.
Dr Yaw Sarfo was installed as the alleged Kumawuhene in the CONSPICUOUS ABSENCE of both Kumawu Kontrihene and Akwamuhene. I will not discuss how he even compelled the Kumawu kingmakers to disregard the pendency of an injunction, to enstool Dr Yaw Sarfo. I am more concerned about telling the world how Asantehene is licking back his sputum or vomitus.
What is good for the goose is also good for the gander. What is not good for the goose is also not good for the gander. When you throw a ball to the wall, it bounces back to you. For the reason offered for the destoolment of Nana Sarpong Safrotwie, same must apply to Barimah Sarfo Tweneboah Koduah for both were installed in the complete absence of their Kontrihene and Akwamuhene.
The more Asantehene insists on his role of overlordsip, thinking he has the mandate to do what he wants when he wants because he probably has the backing of his friend President Mahama, the more the WISE FOOL from Kumawu will continually punch holes in his purported tough skin he claims to have built in his public life.
As father dwarf could not succeed in his evil enterprise, so will Asantehene be no match for Rockson Adofo, the vessel of God for the liberation of Kumawuman from the hands of external and internal exploiters.
Who are the advisers of Asantehene, I always inquire? I hope they will advise him to pull out of the Kumawu chieftaincy affairs because he will surely not attain his selfish aspirations, but rather will be bruised further. I intend to publish more facts which in the end will expose his hollowness in the eyes of those who might earlier have esteemed him highly. His advisers must note that "it does not belong to he who is leading to redirect their steps"
He is following money and his heart, but not his head. He should note that "SIKA ANNIBRE DA OWUO AFA"
"A word to the wise is enough". Do my enemies hate me for simply telling the truth? If they do, then they must gird their loins for more.
The fight to liberate Kumawuman from colluders, exploiters, and sheer criminals, whoever and whatever they are, continues unabated.
Rockson Adofo