‘Yesterday, I Sent Krobo Edusei’ (1)

I hope by now my cherished readers have become accustomed to my misleading and teasing captions as well as my circumlocution. It is so with angels who dwell up there in the firmament and those of us who are earth angles. We write and speak in parables.

Mr. Krobo Edusei, like DC Kwame Kwakye, was a semi-literate who served as a minister in the Dr. Nkrumah regime. The Osagyefo was such a smart guy. He used his 'Veranda Boys' to his advantage.

Krobo Edusei was a popular outspoken guy who energised support for the CPP in the Ashanti Region where Baffuor Akoto's National Liberation Movement (NLM) was in full control of the Ashanti Region, and made the place a no go area for the CPP.

That is why the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu, said some time ago that Dr. Kwame Nkrumah did not like the people of the Ashanti Region. Nana was perfectly right. The Osagyefo found in Krobo Edusei, a man who could match Baffuor Osei Akoto boot for boot, using Communist Propaganda tactics, and so he charged him to literally invade the region and win some souls for the CPP.

Krobo Edusei served as the Minister of Agric, Minister Without Portfolio, Minister of Transport and Communication and Minister of Interior.

In all these ministries that the semi-literate served, it was at the Ministry of Communication where he really excelled. I can put my hand in the fire to swear that no other Minister of Communication in all the regimes after Dr. Kwame Nkrumah could withstand the dexterity and smartness of Krobo Edusei.

He used Communist Propaganda to the fullest to win more souls for the CPP, and made Kwame Nkrumah look like a deity worth worshipping. He seldom spoke English Language, and when he did his message to the masses was in simple 'class one' English Language. Kwame Nkrumah used Krobo Edusei to test the waters anytime he wanted to send an important message to Ghanaians.

At a point in time during the reign of the Osagyefo, prices of a ton of cocoa in the world market went nose diving. Times became hard because unlike today where galamsey has taken over cocoa farms, cocoa was the bedrock and lifeline of the economy.

Dr. Nkrumah decided to reduce the producer price of cocoa in Ghana and he sent Krobo Edusei to test the waters. This was what Krobo Edusei told Ghanaians in a radio broadcast: “White men do not drink cocoa tea as they used to do, so the prices of cocoa beans have gone down overseas. As a result, the Osagyefo has asked me to tell all cocoa farmers that the prices of cocoa beans will be reduced.”

In fact, it was Krobo Edusei who first coined the phrase 'Cocoa Tea'. To Krobo Edusei every beverage was tea, be it coffee or tea leafs. It was like what General Kutu Acheampong used to refer to every university as 'Legon'. Acheampong used to refer to University of Science and Technology as 'Kumasi Legon', and the University of Cape Coast as 'Cape Coast Legon'.

After Krobo Edusei's announcement, tongues started wagging and cocoa farmers became highly agitated. The following day, Dr. Nkrumah used his 'dawn Broadcast' as usual to tell Ghanaians the following: “Good morning fellow Ghanaians. Yesterday I sent Krobo Edusei to broadcast to the nation about the downfall of cocoa prices abroad.

“Krobo misinformed you. I told him to tell cocoa famers that even though the prices of cocoa beans have gone down drastically abroad, I, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, will never reduce the producer prices of cocoa beans in Ghana despite the difficulties. I love cocoa farmers and I will be the last to punish farmers that way.”

The following day the song: 'Nkrumah eee! Nkrumah showboy. I want to see you, Kwame Nkrumah showboy' resonated wherever you went in Ghana. That was a perfect example of Communist Propaganda tactics for you. Those days of propaganda are gone with the win.

At first the NDC thought they could use Nkrumah's Propaganda tactics to bamboozle Ghanaians but when they realised that Ghanaians have wised up, they chose to call their Propaganda Secretaries as Communication Directors. Sadly they forgot to understand that if you pour Akpatashie in an empty bottle of whisky, the stuff is still Akpatashie.

Fiifi Kwetey, the former National Propaganda Secretary of the NDC who shamelessly told Ghanaians that ex-President Kufuor had stolen all the National Gold Reserve, is the photocopy of Sammy Gyamfi, who is on the rampage as the National Communication Director of the NDC.

The boy has never found anything good about President Nana Akufo-Addo, and he never hesitates to insult the gentleman as if he is his co-equal. There is no difference between Fiifi Kwetey as the National Propaganda Secretary of the NDC and Sammy Gyamfi as the National Communication Director. Call it two of a kind and you will not be far from right.

Undoubtedly, he is loading the magazine of his AK-47 assault rifle to attack Dr. Bawumia. But will he find it easy this time around? The answer is a big NO. Any attempt to attack Bawumia will be an attempt to open the underbelly of Mr. Mahama for some of us to take Mr. Mahama to the cleaners.

We will all go down the gutter and besmear ourselves with dirt. In fact, we will act like zongo boys. If you insult the father of a zongo boy, he will in turn use unprintable words against your father and you will regret insulting his father. We will go the zongo way because that seems to be the language the NDC understands well.

I have acquired a new Fountain pen and a box of Lion ink so NDC propagandists should go for their iron crush helmets because nobody fights me and survives. Even in the greatest darkness, if you light a candle it spreads a great light that can be seen from afar.

I will light that candle and tell the success story of the NPP in an abrasive manner. When the time is up for me to fire from all cylinders, I will never hesitate to do so. After all, no one can complain that enough notice has not been served.

Cowards should keep their distance because I am going to spit fire!!!

By Eric Bawah