“Ayirikayiri”, the dying judge

“Ayirikayiri! Se berima bewu a na ne yere suro n’anim!!” is an Akan axiom, and it literally means, “Ayirkayiri! The face of a dying man is scary to his wife.” “Ayirikayiri” is a chant in Akan which connotes fear as far as I know and thus, it is mostly used as nicknames for persons who try to look or behave fearful.

Against this axiom however, countless number of men has died and just a few hours before their death, they had had chats or been with their wives and families but never did their wives or families get frightened by their (scary) faces.

On the other hand, the saying is very true when the dying man had taken in poison, or was being suffocated, among other means which are normally unnatural causes of death. By those instances, the dying man out of struggle would look fearful (but would eventually die).

The lesson here is that no matter how fearful you try to look in dying, once you took in an efficacious poisonous substance, or you suffered intense suffocation, you will surely die.

Anas Aremeyaw Anas’ recent exposé on corruption scandal within the judiciary of Ghana has popped out some “Ayirikayiri” judges. They are going length and breadth trying to use the law to discredit the revelation on their alleged corrupt practices which are against the same law.

Anas’ "Ghana in the Eyes of God - Epic of Injustice" documentary uncovered how some 34 judges and magistrates allegedly took bribes to throw away cases before them, a situation which is seen generally to undermine the democracy of the country.

As news broke about his expose and the intention to premier it, these “ayirikayiri” judges, notably Justice Paul Uuter Dery, supported by some legal luminaries began to ‘act fearful,’ coming out with all sorts of clauses and explanations that seemed to discredit the exposé. Not to mention the numerous (and still counting) applications of contempt, all in a bid to stop the premiering of the exposé and to make it look evil.

Justice Dery’s action is indicative of the kicks of a dying horse. No matter what it does, it will surely become a carcass. Somebody wrote that “those the gods seek to destroy, they first make arrogant and mad.” I think I saw a similar theme in the character of Odiwale in Ola Rotimi’s “the gods are not to blame.”

He might think he is a master of the law and so would want to use the law as a refuge for the alleged ignoble act the exposé has captured. But I honestly see a dying horse who is rather acting “arrogant and mad.”

He seems to be suing everybody as well as everything, and such an attitude can typically be described as “ayirikayiri.”

Justice Dery reportedly sued Anas, the Director of Estates and General Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Manager of the Accra International Conference Centre and the Attorney General, in fact, including the Chief Justice, all to no avail.

Now he has again sued Anas and his TigerEye PI team as well as the Kumasi Golden Tulip Hotel, restraining them not to show the documentary. Typical “ayirikayiri!” but interestingly, this face does not look scary at all to me, likewise most Ghanaians.

Directly opposite of Justice Dery is an undisclosed affected judge of the exposé who willfully confessed taking bribe from Anas to influence a case.

The New Crusading Guide reported of the unnamed judge as confessing to taking the bribe to the investigative committee and saying, “I knew that there was trouble coming because, as soon as he (Anas) gave me the money, he disappeared from the sofa he was sitting on. I was sweating and did not know what to do so I knew this day would come. That is why I have confessed that I took the money because I am afraid he may use the spirit to kill me if am not truthful.”

According to this honourable judge, he did not argue with the committee because he could remember vividly that he took the money to influence the case and WOULD BE ASHAMED NOT TO ADMIT IT.

My layman’s questions to justice Dery are; 1. Is he the one in the Anas’ video? 2. Did he ever take bribe as shown in the video to influence a case? If his answer is ‘no’ to the above questions then he is justified with his “ayirikayiri” antics. But if his answer to the questions is ‘yes’, then why try to deceive Satan?

If you go about claiming you were tempted, deceived or coerced to take bribe and you did so as a judge, then it means you surely have no moral temerity to carry yourself as a judge.

I implore justice Dery and co to take the warning from their colleague who confessed thus, “(those) who are fighting (or acting ayirikayiri) that their efforts would be in vain because they are not dealing with a mortal but a spirit.”

One Jim Rohn wrote, “If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn’t need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around.”

I have said my mind.
The writer is a journalist and a Communication Specialist

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