How Lengthy Is The Dead Frog?

'You cannot tell a man the truth. You can only put him into a position in which he can discover it for himself. Such a situation reveals truth to the one who desires truth, and it conceals truth from the one who does not wish to see the truth.'

Those are not my words. They are the words of a great English philosopher called Walter Pater. I've always believed in the truthfulness of the saying, but very recent events have amply confirmed the fact that the truism in the saying cannot be doubted.

Until the painful and regrettable demise of our former president, nobody in the Zu-za family was willing or ready to confirm the rumour that the man was battling a serious ailment.

His health status had virtually become a taboo topic. Anybody who dared to suggest that the man was ill was subjected to serious tongue-lashing by foul-mouthed party and government communicators.

Even wishing the man a successful medical treatment when he himself had announced that he was going for a routine medical check-up was regarded as a crime.

My gosh! How they subjected the Osono flagbearer to a severe verbal attack for wishing his school mate a successful check-up in the US.

Their beef? He should not have used the phrase 'medical treatment' in his statement, for doing so subtly alluded to the fact that the man was ill.

Some of them even said the get-well-soon statement by the Osono flagbearer was a deliberate act of mischief intended to ridicule the late President.

When Agya Ofuntuo returned from the routine medical check-up in the US, any honest Asomdwekromanian could tell all was not well with the man. But in their desperate attempt to convince me and my compatriots that his doctors had given him a clean bill of health, the spin doctors convinced him that jogging in front of television cameras could do the trick. As to whether it worked or not, your guess is as good as mine.

There is an Akan saying which literally translates, 'The length of the frog can be fully appreciated only after its death.' How profoundly true! It is only after the demise of our president that the truth about his health was finally revealed. Annoying, isn't it?

Some people may not like what my okro-mouth is about to spit out, but the truth must be told. When Dr. Boom alluded in a BBC interview that the deceased had allowed his minders to send him to an early grave, many were those who called him names.

Despite hitting the nail right on the head, he was compelled to apologize because the deceased's family felt he had disrespected their sensibilities.

The truth however is that Dr. Boom's apology does not negate the fact that the late President was jostled around when he should have been having some rest. The man had serious neck pains and needed rest. But rest was one thing he never had. While struggling with his neck pains, he was whisked to Apedwa to inspect a road project.

While inspecting a school project at Salvation at Mamprobi in Accra metropolis, a few days before he passed on to glory, the visibly frail president was seen struggling to keep pace with members of his inspection team. Certainly, a little more rest could have done him a lot good.

Some people have argued that there was no negligence in the President's death. Others too argue that dying in a hospital bed was ample evidence that there was no foul play in his death.

With all due respect, how can one make such claims when one is not a physician or pathologist?

Also, that the man gave up the ghost in a bed is not enough reason to say there was no negligence on the part of his minders.

We are all privy to the circumstances which led to the demise of the King of Pop, aren't we? When it was suspected that there was some foul play, they did not hesitate to institute an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The investigation confirmed that there were indeed some acts of commission and omission on the part of his doctor; and he was punished accordingly.

Given that the late President was afflicted with a major health challenge, against the backdrop of the mendacious stories and wanton propaganda spun around the condition, is that not enough reason to probe the man's death?  Me, I smell something!

But hey, ours is a country where suspicious presidential deaths are swept under the carpet to avoid any political backlash. One can even play 'chaskele' with a president's health and still go scot-free. That is country of jokers for you!

They refused to tell us the truth, but the demise of Agya Ofuntuo has put us in a position to discover it ourselves. Those of us who desire the truth have discovered it; and the jokers who want the truth to be concealed can delude themselves into believing that it is still hidden.

As you pray for the departed soul of the President, do remember to pray to the Bearded Old Man above to give the nation serious leaders. For it is an understatement to say the jokes being dished out are not funny. Indeed, the jokes aren't funny at all!

May the soul of our late President find peace with his Maker!

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