Speaking Truth to Power; The People, Ghana Ahmadiyya Mission Leader Vindicated?

THE PEOPLE
When a leader's center of thought is The People, the people tend to have a soft spot for that leader I believe, especially when the leader's performance is under genuine constraint circumstances.

Interestingly, leaders who are not people centered I have come to learn, at least from trends in Ghana's developments, tend to do well too but the dividend from the successes find its way into the hands and pockets of a select already endowed few, even though the success movers are the less endowed.

The latter phenomena, one would have thought with time, will edge towards the former, rather worsening and breed impunity and tyranny. Fear and bravery build up in equal measure among the people, including the select well-endowed few.

Silence becomes a commodity readily available to The People at an expensive price without many recognizing that fact. Advocacy or speaking truth to power which ordinarily must be free of charge become the scarce commodity.

Many bloggers, social media activists, some journalists, some members of the Clergy, and few Civil Society Organizations (CSO) bought into speaking truth to power hammering the previous government, the Nana Akuffo Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia's government for abysmal performance, debts, destruction of the environment, corruption and alleged state properties grabbing.

Some journalists and the Clergy were stifled, CSO's intimidated and threatened. Alleged blackmailing of some Judges reported, and some arrests made in a calculated attempt to counter speaking truth to power.

The result was that the Nana Akuffo Addo and Dr. Bawumia government was shown the political exit door. They obliged but with some earlier denial and power drunkenness withdrawal syndrome that ultimately saw the January 7, 2025, swearing in of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama curing them of it.

The essence of their exit must remind and educate those in power today to never underestimate The People, for the power they carry may appear to be inert, but when exerted can be tumultuous, for the phrase 'The People' can be heavier than almost every weight that can be imagined.

The phrase 'The People' has never been a case of accidental insertion in many books, or has it been engraved on many important things for no reason.

It is not the sound of it that is so melodious enough to find it resting consciously and comfortably in the heart of many nations' Constitution, National Anthem, and National Pledge. Rather, it is the connotation or true meaning of it.

As appeared in the Gettysburg address, delivered by President Abraham Lincoln of the United States on November 19, 1863,

"That government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth”.

And when it is invoked, as in 'We the People', it radiates hope to many and takes fear to a select few. A few that I believe voluntarily opted to be a select few in the nations of people.

There are some leaders that almost all The People are bold and happy to speak to in their faces as their leader, even in their (the leaders’) perceived failures, because they (The People) know that leader respects them as The People.

On the contrary, are leaders that not all people are able to channel their bravery toward them, let alone talk about them in the open or in private. These leaders also fear The People because of their might, and The People on the other hand, have the tendency to fear them for their cruelty and vindictiveness.

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER
There are also many individuals that will carry speaking truth to power as a voice for The People to death, as can be attested to by the many we know and read about around the world.

Apart from the National Chief Imam of Ghana, His Eminence, Sheik Nuhu Sharubutu who has always been known for his neutrality even in a politically toxic environment Ghana can be sometimes, and without being biased, no matter what, are a few too.

The person who stood tall in 2023/2024 in Ghana among the Clergy on National issues fiercely speaking truth to power, for me is Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih. I pray the many budding young Clerics will continue to aspire to live up to the Standards of these great men.

I applaud the Ameer (Head) and Missionary in charge of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission in Ghana, Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih as one of those leaders. His masterclass quick response to what he saw as a looming danger, and dissociated himself in a manner many might not do, informed my election of him.

In February 2024, as part of the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Ahmadiyya Muslims Mission in Ghana, the former Vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, his wife sitting by him, and other dignitaries was to address the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community. Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salih was sitting next to the former Vice president listening to the Master of Ceremony (MC) introduce the former Vice President.

Just as the MC could usher Dr. Bawumia to the podium from his seat, he was interjected by Hon. KT Hammond, former Member of Parliament for Asante Asokwa, an Ahmadiyya member. KT Hammond took charge of the microphone and asked the former Vice President of Ghana, who was then the Vice president and presidential candidate of the then ruling New Patriotic Party, to give him a minute to add what the MC left out in the introduction of him, Dr. Bawumia.

The former MP then introduced Dr. Bawumia as "the president of Ghana on January 7, 2025". That did not sit well with the leader of Ahmadiyya. After Dr. Bawumia had bowed to him in respect to walk to the podium, he was compelled to quickly eject from his seat which was next to the former vice president, to deflate the ‘political robe’ being put on him and his community.

I cannot rest my pen without eulogizing the epic way he did it. He majestically after the former second gentleman of the land was made to stand following a courageous tap from his wife, and a bow to the leader, he ordered Dr. Bawumia to sit down to receive the truth, then he walked to the podium, spread the flanks of his 3-Piece Agbada, lifted it graciously to rest on his shoulders. He brilliantly respected everyone with the best salutation ever the prophet, peace and blessing of Allah be upon him and his family thought Muslims; asalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabarkatuhu. Below is what he said.

"Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi ta'ala wabarakatuh. We members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community completely and completely disown the statement that the Hon. KT Hammond has made. He has expressed his own desires; political desires. Our own desire is that Allah Subhana Wata Hala (SWT) should give us that kind of a leader; that leader who will lead Ghana once more into its position in the committee of nations. So that we can command that respect which Ghana is known for. That is the leader we are praying to Allah, that Allah SWT should give us that leader".

The long silent pause following the statement above, accompanied by a smile stare from the respected Ahmadiyya Muslim leader, and directed at Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia I guess was a strong message to him and Hon KT Hammond that, if only Hon KT Hammond and Dr. Bawumia had the gift of spiritual facial and body reading, their instinct would have strongly echoed to them that they will lose in the 2024 general election of Ghana.

Speaking Truth to Power is a jewel; an expensive jewel that not many have or at least strive to have because of fear of retribution, especially in an environment bedeviled with tyranny. It is simply disclosing an uncomfortable truth to those who govern or in power, whereas those in power will deem it an inconvenience.

Islam teaches us that there has been times truth has been forced on the face of leaders known to be tyrannical.

Talk about Prophet Musa or Moses, Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH) and the Pharaoh.

Prophet Issa or Jesus (PBUH) and the Romans.
And Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessing of Allah Be Upon Him and His Family) with the Quraish.

I am not raising the status of the subjects involved in this incident to the same statuses of the Prophets of Allah listed above. However, it is to emphasize the genesis of Speaking Truth to Power.

The Ahmadiyya Leader exercised the Jewel in him at an uncomfortable occasion and situation. That promptness of the decision to defend the people's sanctity irrespective of the players involved, I believe engraved his name in history forever to be told.

Today, I am saying mine, so will it be told by another tomorrow.

What if he had remained silent, or allowed the jewel in him to be intimidated by the presence of the former Vice President in the name of diplomacy, or played to the gallery under the umbrella of some public relations, and forgot about his people, The People?

His faith and the Community would have questioned his allegiance and sense of judgement. He would have failed his people simply by the mere outcome of an election where both Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Hon. KT Hammond, who put him to the test, lost very badly. He would have disappointed his people; The People.

He risked everything by emotionally spewing the truth, and protected his people, and The People from being blindly used as one of the ladders to a ‘political roof top’.

He set an example for many to follow. You and I are no exceptions. He spoke truth to power by that singular act of his

After all, many who spoke truth to power were vilified in their times, but TIME exonerated them to be now heroes we all sing about.

As Jeremy Hammond once said: "When we speak truth to power, we are ignored at best and brutally suppressed at worst"

You can be ignored, brutally suppressed but the jewel in you can never be made not to glitter.

This jewel in you is not and cannot be forged by any Blacksmith or Goldsmith anywhere, for we are all verbal or writing Blacksmiths and Goldsmiths. It is a God-given trait to everyone. You decide to bury yours for reasons best known to you or keep it alive for the sake of The People, especially the vulnerable!

The Ahmadiyya Muslim Leader exemplified a strong VERBAL BLACKSMITH and GOLDSMITH exhuming a beautiful unapologetic glittering jewel-Speaking Truth to Power!

With candid understandable emotions, he spoke Truth to Power

in an iconic way to forever be printed on the mind of the former second family of the land, the Bawumia family, and on the minds of those who were present, including the political ‘misbehaved’ with all due respect who set the fire, and to the generations to come.

That eloquent expression of the truth in words and in action garnished with a long silence to stare at an angle for a purpose left for all of us to decode, he respectfully left us with the same beautiful greeting; Assalamu alaikum.

The Clergy must learn from that man irrespective of who is in power. He has been vindicated.

I rest my PEN.
Mustapha Alhassan
Pennsylvania, USA.