70-year-old widow ostracized

A 70-year-old widow, Madam Abena Anane is appealing to President J.A. Kufuor to go to her aid because she and her immediate family from Muoso, a village in the Akyem Abuakwa traditional area in the Eastern Region have been ostracized.

Her crime? She and her daughter have persistently refused to pay a development levy of ¢1000 (GH¢0.1) imposed by the traditional authority during funerals. Abena Anane is also accused of insolence and insulting behaviour.

Now she says herself, her daughter and seven-year-old grandson are barred from selling or buying from the local market, fetching water from the stand pipes, accessing healthcare from the local hospital and also from using the public toilets.

They would also not be buried in the village on their death and cannot enjoy the cold comfort of a funeral.

The chiefs are angry that it is the same contributions by other townsfolk that fund development projects and they therefore see no reason why those who willfully refuse to contribute to development efforts must share in the fruits.

Some chiefs from Kyebi numbering about 10 stormed the offices of Joy FM on Tuesday night to explain why the old lady and her daughter and grandson cannot be part of the usual society.

But According to Madam Abena Anane, over a year ago, her daughter Afia Assoh failed to pay a development levy of ¢1000 due to some financial constraints.

This incurred the wrath of her head of family, Kofi Anoma, who invoked on her the greatest of all punishments of the Akyem land called “Wiemtuo”, which precludes one from partaking in any customary practice of the village.

Kofi Anoma demanded that Assoh offered a ram and schnapps to pacify the stool of the land, as condition for his recanting the invocation. But she never performed the ritual until Thursday, October 11, when she was summoned, together with her mother Abena Anane before Kyebi Executive Council, an arm of the established traditional authority for the area.
The Council allegedly dismissed the case as unmeritorious upon listening to both sides, but advised the old lady to pay the fines imposed by the head of family and for them to go and settle their differences amicably.

Upon her return however, Madam Abena Anane was alleged to have doused herself with white powder and proclaimed victory in the litigation, while boasting that even the Okyenhene could not do anything to her.

This infuriated the Council who re-invited her on October 12th and this time, in the full glare of a gathering of the townsfolk, invoked the great oath of the land and pronounced the family ostracized.

To their surprise some members of the Traditional Council came to Muoso saying they erred in their first judgement and had come to correct the anomaly. Addressing the whole community, the traditional council led by the Adontenbohene accused Madam Abena Anane and her daughter Assoh of jubilating over the first judgement saying they have been exonerated. According to Madam Abena Anane, they poured libation before the gathering, invoked the great oath of the land and pronounced the whole family banished.
CUE:

Madam Anane complained that once her daughter's fried fish she sells was destroyed by Kofi Anoma and they reported the matter to the Anyinam Police, they were told that the traditional authority had directed them not to give the family protection. Her cocoa farm has also seen some destruction as the youth have cut down the trees and ripe fruits.

The chiefs have meanwhile denied refusing the seven-year-old grandson access to the local Methodist school.