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25.09.2018 Feature Article

Arthur Kennedy Writes: Kevin Taylor And Akan Hypocrisy

Kevin TaylorKevin Taylor
25.09.2018 LISTEN

Fellow Ghanaians, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I write in response to Kevin Taylor's editorial on Akan hypocrisy.

He made the following points in his editorial:
1: Akan tribalism started when Akans refused to give President Rawlings credit for his achievements because he was not an Akan.

2: Akans supported the Kufuor government uncritically and blamed V.P. Aliu for its failures.

3: Akans were against Prez. Mahama because of his ethnicity.

4: Akans are refusing to blame the NPP because President Akufo-Addo is an Akan and where there is blame, Dr. Bawumia is getting a disproportionate share because of his ethnicity.

5: The media and clergy have been silent on the failures of the government because the President is an Akan.

These are breathtaking claims.
First, tribalism, of all tribes, predates Ghana. That is why there were tribal wars. Indeed, there were tribal alliances in the formation of parties before independence. Our history did not start with the supposedly atribal President Rawlings. And by the way, the tribalist Akans in Central and Western regions voted for Rawlings-- twice!

Second, On the Ghana@50, Mr. Taylor glosses over the fact that Mpiani and Wereko Brobbey were tried and acquitted by a court of competent jurisdiction. It is unfair to peddle the lies of their corruption when they were acquitted. And while at it, Aliu was a respected Vice-President who lost a primary.

Third, he asserts that Akans are against President Mahama because of his ethnicity. Maybe, but why did Akans in Central and Western regions vote for Rawlings despite his ethnicity?

Fourth, on the NPP government. Are Asiedu Nketia, Ampofo and Ofosu-Kwakye Gas, Dagbani or Frafra? Are they not Akans? Dr. Bawumia was paraded before the country before the election as the economic genius who would lead the transformation of Ghana under an NPP government and rightly hailed. If things are not going well, it is natural that he would get most of the attention. However, as always, the buck must stop with the President.

Fifth, Kevin assails the media and the clergy for not attacking the President for his failures. Are all the clergy and media in Ghana now Akans? Has Kevin ever met Manasseh and Sampson Lardy and Bernard Avle and Reverend Martey?

Before I conclude, let me draw Kevin's attention to a bit of our history.

First,the resistance to Archeampong's NRC/SMC was led by the tribalist Ashantis despite his Ashanti ethnicity.

Second, all the three judges and retired army officer picked from their homes and murdered by the PNDC in early 1982, led by the atribal Ewe President Rawlings, were Akans!

Third, the strategy of the PNDC for survival was to pitch the Ewes and Northerners against the rest of us-- just read Kofi Awoonor's book and talk to the Ewes who opposed the PNDC.

Fourth, Kevin must have missed the audios and videos of President Mahama urging Northerners to vote for him because of his ethnicity!

Every bit of propaganda has an element of truth. This is propaganda from a man I admire but there is a larger truth.

The truth is that Akans-- many Akans are tribalistic-- but so are significant proportions of Ewes and Dagombas and Krobos and Gas and indeed all ethnic groups. Tribalism, Kevin, is a Ghanaian problem, not an Akan problem. To make it an Akan problem is unfair and misleading.

Let's attack it wherever we find it. Long live Ghana.

This is Arthur Kobina Kennedy and I AM A PROUD GHANAIAN!

Arthur Kobina Kennedy

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