Is this Oftentimes Abusive Use of the Police and Military in Kumawu by the DCE Sanctioned by the NPP Government?

Mind the general public, the framed heading of this publication, thus, “Is this Oftentimes Abusive Use of the Police and Military in Kumawu by the DCE Sanctioned by the NPP Government?”, is neither meant to derogate the NPP government nor be capitalised on by myopic political activists for their cheap politicking, the usual characteristic of the Ghanaian politician from the opposition divide. However, it is directed at conveying to the attention of, and querying, the NPP government of His Excellency the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, about what I see as the preposterous use of the Ghana police and military (soldiers) by the Kumawu Sekyere District Chief Executive (DCE), Samuel Addae Agyekum (Hon).

Let me ask the NPP government, if not His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, because of the occupation and consumption of all his time by the national and global health crisis come about by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), if the police and soldiers in Ghana are unjustifiably capriciously allowed to be used by the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE)?

On a number of occasions, and especially just over the weekend, a number of armed police personnel, about fifteen or so, I have been informed, were dispatched to Kumawu-Ananangya for the burial of the deceased Kumawu-Ananangya Kontrehene. This dispatch of the police to Ananangya from outside the Kumawu district is understood to have been arranged by Mr Samuel Addae Agyekum.

Why did he feel such a number of police personnel was needed at Ananangya at the burial, but not funeral, service, of the late Ananangya Kontrehene? What informed his decision to dispatch the police to Ananangya in the first place? Was there going to be any commotion over the decedent’s burial and if yes, who were the people going to cause it? Was he informed about there going to be insecurity hence the need to proactively safeguard the safety of the people by his decision to dispatch armed police personnel to Ananangya?

When did it become a norm in Ghana under any government to dispatch national security forces to the burial or funeral of any chief as the Kumawu DCE under the NPP government of President Nana Akufo-Addo is doing? Are many MMDCEs doing same or it is only uniquely limited to the DCE of Kumawu Sekyere District who has so intransigently, corruptly, unethically and lopsidedly webbed himself in the ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy dispute?

Where there is no problem, or there going to be a problem, to raising the bar of insecurity and safety issues, do you send the security personnel there, and if yes, for what main reason? Is that proactiveness?

Not long ago, and from the week of Monday preceding the days until the announcement of the lifting of the ban on the partial lockdown of some cities in Ghana including the Greater Kumasi of which Kumawu was excluded, Mr Samuel Addae Agyekum for unexplained reasons but the overflowing of the abundance of his stupidity, single-handedly imposed a curfew on Kumawu from 22:00 hours (10 pm) every night until day break. He arranged police and soldiers to descend on Kumawu to enforce his capriciously implemented policy. Some of the soldiers and the police arrested those who were seen outside their homes in the curfew hours, seized their goods, beat some up and took some away. I did not hesitate to put out a publication about it but luckily and coincidentally, the president lifted the ban on the partial lockdown the same day.

On other occasions, the DCE had been instrumental in abusively and unprofessionally using the District Security Council (DISEC) of which he is the head, to implement such intimidatory policies of unleashing police and soldiers on Kumawu and Bodomase citizens for his diabolical intents.

What information does he feed to the Ashanti Regional Security Council for them to heed to his requests for police and military personnel to descend on Kumawuman to display their brutish behaviour of intimidating the innocent citizens for all stupid reasons? The security agents are there to protect the people but because of the manipulations by the DCE for his selfish and narrow-minded quests, they end up doing otherwise.

The DCE has been behaving same as Anas Aremeyaw Anas, the once acclaimed Ghanaian ace investigative journalist, who conducted or conducts investigations in the vacuum of committal of crimes. An investigation is initiated at the committal of crime or intelligence gathered that a crime is about to be committed. Something must happen before investigations start. You cannot put the horse before the cart. However, for the hidden or obvious agenda by the Kumawu Sekyere DCE, Mr Samuel Addae Agyekum, this is exactly what is happening. He brings in the security agents in the absence of tension building up in the Kumawu locality or people having committed crimes. He rather brings them in to hype up tension in the area for all his secret intentions.

Subsequently, I am asking the NPP government and the president that I support, are they aware of the behaviour of the DCE and do they support his evil machinations? I know he was a few months ago celebrated with an award bestowed on him by the NPP as the best performing DEC in the Ashanti region. How do the NPP measure a hardworking and farsighted DEC? Is it by the amount of lies one tells and the propaganda done? This DCE is doing more of propaganda than realising any good job for the people of the district.

Whenever he comes out to say the district has obtained this or that, I phone up Kumawu to ask some people I do trust to investigate it for me because I love my place of birth so dearly that I want it to have a fair share of the national cake. However, the DCE’s claims are often found to be mere exaggerations and many a time I publish articles to rebut his claims.

He was on the list of my WhatsApp contacts and did send him the web links of my publications so he is aware that I have aversion to the lies by the Ghana politicians with himself included.

Finally, what has the NPP government to do with the infatuated desire with unleashing the security agents on Kumawuman by the DCE for no tangible reasons as explained above? I would not like to see some selfish and short-sighted individual scupper the hard gains of the party for his personal interests and aspirations hence asking the NPP government if they have a hand in what the DCE is doing as is hereby reported. Should they not support his actions which are in no way proactive but oppressive and malicious according to my observations, they had better investigate and correct him as they may have long term adverse effect on the chances of the party in the district or constituency.

Rockson Adofo

Tuesday, 5 May 2020