Food for Thought Open Letter to the Ashanti Regional Minister Hon.Simon Osei-Mensah

Dear Hon. Simon Osei-Mensah,

Following a recent unpalatable situation that I have become aware of, I feel obliged as a dedicated native of Kumawu in the Ashanti region to convey my concerns and thoughts to you. You have the right as the Ashanti Regional Minister to do things that are best for the collective interests of the residents in the region in particular, and for Ghanaians in general, provided whatever you do is within the legal confinements and your remit.

As a Regional Minister, you have the right to have friends and do have the right to choose whoever you desire to become your personal friends. However, you have no right to intimidate the enemies of your friends in the belief that that “the enemies of my friends are my enemies”, in case that is your mentality.

Are you trying to usurp the powers of the Minister of Chieftaincy Affairs? Has your ministry the powers to involve itself in chieftaincy matters in a lopsided manner to favour your friends implicated in chieftaincy matters? I am just asking but not accusing you of any irregularities at this juncture.

Yes, you have the right to advise or plead with someone who has instituted a legal case against your friend to withdraw the case from court to be settled amicably at home. However, let me state it vividly to you that you have absolutely no right by virtue of your position to ORDER one to proceed to withdraw their cases from court for home settlement.

I have been watching closely and with keen interest your alleged partial interest in the ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy dispute in favour of your alleged friend, Dr Yaw Sarfo, the supposed “Kumawuhene” Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua. You might have played a decisive negative role in the police cum military assault on mourners in Kumawu-Bodomase at the late Kumawu Akyempemhene Nana Okyere Krapa Yiadom II’s funeral on Thursday, 16^thFebruary 2017. Let your conscience judge you on this, whether you did play any role in it or not.

The main reason for writing this letter is about your recent exertion of pressure on one of the Kumawu sub-chiefs’ institution of court case against “Kumawuhene” Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua, your friend, over some land issue. Could you please tell me if the allegation is true, and if it is, is it part of your job? Yes, you can seek to have peaceful atmosphere prevail in the region where there will be no animosity between neighbours but only prevalence of good neighbourliness. Nonetheless, the question is, do you have to issue instructions because you are a Regional Minister or you will have to plead with those concerned to see reason?

Be very careful of your nepotistic role in the Kumawu chieftaincy dispute and the stance you have taken to pressurise the Abaasehene, leading to his destoolment by your friend Dr Yaw Sarfo, the alleged Kumawuhene Barima Sarfo Tweneboa Kodua. I am conversant with the details but will not disclose them here today.

For my research work and interest in the Kumawu affairs, I have placed you under the surveillance of my radar being monitored from far away United Kingdom. I hope you will not give me the chance to take you on by your unfavourable manipulations. For your attention, you have no right to take the laws into your hands to do what you want because you are a Regional Minister. Should you do that, be prepared to face my rage and the wrath of God.

You had better concentrate on achieving the objectives for which His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appointed you the Regional Minister than to needlessly corruptibly involve yourself in the ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy affairs. It is the prerogative of any Ghanaian citizen to choose where to have their cases settled, either at home or in court depending on how they see it fit. Therefore, cease your undue pressure being put on the concerned Kumawu sub-chief.

We voted for a change of government from NDC to NPP for the better but not to see the repeat of same evils and nonsense perpetrated and perpetuated by the NDC government.

Did anyone condemn you for going on to your knees before Asantehene to plead for mercy for the NPP Government when the government was falsely accused by the Asante “Overlord”? No, because it was your choice through the exercise of your democratic human rights. However, for you to try to act despotically outside your ministerial remit, then be prepared for the shock of your life.

I am not enthused at all about your conduct vis-à-vis the ongoing Kumawu chieftaincy affairs. I am sure you are not a stranger to how capably I can take you on should you needlessly mess around the Kumawu chieftaincy case in favour of your dubiously enstooled friend as Kumawuhene.

I hope you have got the message. Concentrate on making Ashanti Region better by getting their fair share of the national cake which will not be embezzled by whoever but used judiciously for the collective benefit of the region and the people therein. Not long ago, I heard Kennedy Agyapong (Hon), say on radio that some Ashantis had appealed to him to intercede on their behalf with His Excellency the President to get some developments to Ashanti Region. What are you and the other six Cabinet Ministers in the NPP Government from the Ashanti Region doing, only to let people appeal to Kennedy from the Central Region to come to the aid of Ashanti Region? You had rather better concentrate on doing your job properly than to meddle in the Kumawu chieftaincy case only to surely suffer a bloody nose in the end.

Yours Sincerely,

Rockson Addo