Kpegah`s timorous letter to Kofi Coomson over Togbe Afede (part 1)

Attn: Mr. Kofi Coomson( Editor-in-chief, Ghanaian chronicle) Re: “young turk afede sobered by gradualist dufuor”

Your paper (THE CHRONICLE) in VOL. 18 NQ 85 of Tuesday the 3rd day of February 2009 and VOL. 18 NQ 88 of Friday the 6th day of February 2009 carried two very disgusting stories with bold banner headlines on the front pages of the said editions.

2.
These two publications were certainly intended not only to damnify but also to denigrade the person and traditional office of TOBGE AFEDE XIV, the president of the VOLTA REGION HOUSE OF CHIEFS and the AGBOGBOMEFIA of the Asogli State in the Volta Region.

3.
The stories were intituled as follows: (i). "controlled implosion @ Akosombo swords drawn over economy - young Turk Afede sobered by gradualist Duffour" (ii). "chaos as Mills halts payments - storms over Afede's ex- gratia payment to JAK"

4.
As one of your reluctant readers and a citizen of the Volta Region, I want to register my personal disgust and abhorrence at the uncouth and outrageous language you used in the two publications. I?isparaging terms like "Young Turk Afede" to describe our illustrious President of the Volta Region House of Chiefs is most discourteous and impudent on your part, to say the least; and also a source of great irritation to some of us who may describe ourselves as opinion leaders in the Region, and most of Togbe Afede XIV's subjects in the Asogli state.

5.
Needless to say that throughout Ghana, custom and tradition demands that when you decide to talk to a chief or write about him you must not do so without his traditional title. At least this is what I have observed and been taught: courtesy my disciplined parents. In my traditional area such a deliberate and flagrant violation of tradition is considered a serious customary offence which attracts a fine of a ram plus a pot of palm wine to pacify the stool which is considered as an embodiment of the soul of the people and their ancestors.

6.
To describe Togbe's participation in the seminar at Akosombo as "bearing an imposing presence of an Archbishop" indicates the total disrespect and disdain you have for Togbe Afede XIV; and to describe the brilliant paper he delivered at the workshop as being done "in a typical smash and grab spirit which drives his kind" is clearly libelous. The fact that you used the word "spirit" instead of "raid" which is normally used to complete the phrase "smash and grab" in the English language can not be lost on any average person who is conversant with the use of that phrase. This is intended by you to be an innuendo; and I will be right to regard it as such. So will any reasonable member of the society.

7.
I can only hope that the full import of the phrase "smash and grab spirit" which you claim "drives his kind" is appreciated by you. In my humble view it is certainly in bad taste and libelous. Your first publication apart from showing gross disrespect to TOGBE AFEDE XIV is also libelous of him since the intention to derogate and lower him in the estimation of the right thinking members of the society and portray him as a stomach politician can easily be gleaned from the said article.

8.
Could you have written about Otumfuo Osei Tutu 11 without prefixing his correct traditional title without fear of incurring the displeasure of the Ashanti establishment? If the answer is in the negative why then when addressing the chief of another tribe? That is to say without prefIXing his stool name with the traditional title that particular tribe calls its chief; no matter how inelegant the title may be? Would you have addressed the President of the Western Region House of Chiefs in the same vein? Even the Head of State denies himself that uncustomary privilege when addressing our traditional rulers by referring to them in his opening sentence "Niimei, Naamei, Nana nom, Tobgewo etc".

9.
Togbe assures me that your reporter might have been covering a different event.

10.
I think you need to be educated on the Chieftaincy Institution in the Volta Region. The EWES as a people had a King like the Ashantis - KING AGORKORLI in NOTSIE. He had strong dictatorial tendencies which he manifested in sheer wickedness to his subjects. The city of Notsie was walled with one gate. It is referred to in Ewe as "GLIME" (the walled city in English). This facilitated his hold on the people.

11.
They therefore contrived a plan which took years to implement before finally running away leaving Agorkorli to rule over himself and family. The exodus of the Ewes from Notsie or Glime is celebrated annually in November by the Anlos as Hogbetsotso festival. On the next occasion I will personally host you, all expenses paid, to enable you watch the rich culture of the Anlos who form an integral part of the tribe known as EWES.

12.
After the exodus, Ewes swore an oath that never will they concentrate so much power in the hands of one person. A concept which is cryptically acknowledged by Lord Acton in his famous and immutable saying: "Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely". This accounts for several paramount chiefs in the Volta Region. When therefore all the paramount chiefs from the various traditional areas in the Region meet to elect one of them as their president, some of us regard the one so elected as our king. This is how I personally perceive Togbe Afede XIV as a result of "nostalgic" feelings.

13.
Finally, your first article did not only show gross disrespect to Togbe Afede XIV, one of the most highly educated chiefs, in Ghana today. He is an Alumnus of the prestigious Yale University in the U.S.A where he pursued a programme in disciplines which Ghana needs most in her present moment of economic distress.

14.
Your paper in a subsequent edition which is a follow-up to the vilification started in the first article is the unkindest cut of all. Why do I say so? Because you falsely and maliciously Qr recklessly accused our illustrious president as the one who authorized the payment of the Ex-grtatia award to the former president when you very well knew or ought to have known this to be false.

15.
Indeed the said publication sought to portray Togbe Afede XIV as old sympathizer of the N.P.P government; and therefore a political cameleon which you followed up with a veiled allegation of a hidden agenda or machination by him to become the next Governor of the Bank of Ghana. I can assure you that Togbe Afede XIV is not interested in the governorship of the Bank of Ghana and will therefore not scheme for it. He perfectly appreciates the saying: "He also serves who only stands and waits". His only desire is to serve his nation where His Excellency the President may feel his expertise is needed. You cannot succeed in freezing His Excellency the President's admiration for Togbe Afede XIV's professional competence, industry, and dedication to the service of Ghana to frustrate whatever His Excellency the President may be contemplating for him.

16.
It will take more than a mercenary paper like the "CHRONICLE" to destroy the solid, impeccable and enviable reputation as a prominent and internationally acclaimed investment banker and stockbroker.

17.
Your accusation of his stockbrokerage firm to be "practicing insider dealing" is very serious. I will leave that to the solicitors of the company as to what action they intend to take against you personally and your paper.

18.
Togbe informs me that before your first publication he had information from a sympathizer that the "CHRONICLE" has been paid by some people to run him down so he should be on the lookout. When the first issue of 3rd February, 2009 appeared on the news stands, his informant assured him that a second one would follow to complete the damage; and it did follow.

19.
Mr. Kofi Coomson, as one of the opinion leaders from Volta Region, I am demanding a retraction and an unqualified apology to Togbe Afede XIV, the elders, and people of the Asogli State. The implication of this demand is that the apology rendered in an obscure corner of your paper is unacceptable, moreover it does not cover the libel and disrespect shown to our president of the Volta Region House of Chiefs in the first publication.

20.
If you fail to comply with these modest demands within three days upon receipt of this letter, I will in concert with other opinion leaders ensure that your paper is boycotted in the Region without prejudice to any other action which may be contemplated later. We will not issue a Fatwa against you in person but your paper - yes. As a people we have the right to choose which paper to buy and read, and which not to.

21.
I think an early caution to you personally and your paymasters will do a lot of good not only to the present N.D.C government headed by His Excellency President Mills but also to the futur~ political fortune of N.D.C in the Volta Region including the people who choose to be only "power brokers" instead of being "ground breakers" in the N.D.C party. People who have never stood for any election even in the N.D.C party to seek an Executive position; not only that but also who have never graced any campaign in the Volta Region with their "august" presence.

22.
Since the 7th December Elections, I have been quietly brooding over a personal tragedy and refused to answer people like Dr. Arthur Kennedy and other N.P.P apologist who claimed their supporters were beaten and some even killed in the Volta Region.

23.
My own cousin Mr. ZU MENSAH a.k.a AKLI, a strong and dedicated N.D.C. activist was mercilessly beaten by N.P.P thugs on the eve of the 7th December, 2008 elections. He died in his sleep a few days later. If this tragedy had befallen any of your secret mentors it would have made headlines in most papers.

24.
Though devastated, I have tried to keep my tragedy to myself; for I am a firm believer that the loudest voice is not necessarily the strongest in the room; and it is only a man of courage who enters a room when he knows his enemies outnumber him.

25.
I need not reveal the role I played personally in the Hohoe North and South Constituencies during and after the elections.