It’s the Same Old Wine, Same old Bottle, John Mahama continues to ignore his kinsmen in Gonjaland.
On the 5th of February, 2023, news about the no return of our revered King and Overlord after visiting the farm went viral after proper rituals, customs, and traditions were followed to befit such an announcement. The Gonja Kingdom, its friends and family, and Ghana at large mourned and honored a king who preached and practiced peace in his days as Yagbonwura, Professor Tuntumba Boressah Sulemana Jakpa I, at the Royal Jakpa Palace, the seat of Gonjaland, he was laid to rest at the Royal Museleum in Mankuma in the Bole District.
The land (Gonja) has produced industrious and brainy fine Ladies and Gentlemen who with the kindest of history will deserve praise for their various contributions to nation-building from Academia, Politics, Chieftaincy, and Human Development endeavors.
When it matters most in times like these; mourning and celebrating our King, one of the best respect and honor we can do for not only the late King but the land is to see all our kinsmen who have or had the rare privilege to serve at the pinnacle of political governance in Ghana pay their last respect and associate with the people, to say the least.
It’s a bizarre, unfortunate, and most dishonorable to think that a former President who is a son of the Yagbonwura and of the land will desert his King and his kinsmen. The political party he represents is very good in flimsy excuses, wait for it, but let me dare put it to them that yesterday, the 7th-day adu’a is the body and soul of what we call the ‘The Funeral of the late King’. Why did John Mahama fail to show up? Where is the respect? Where is the commitment as a son of the land?
Our senior brother and Uncle, former President Mahama continue to show gross disrespect to Gonjaland Chieftaincy and its entirety. Why has he refused to change a new face towards his kinsmen? He pretended the people did not need an Administrative Region when he was President, how do you feel, now that a brother from far away land has granted that request you refused your people?
What wrong did the people of Kegbanye do in showing utmost faith and trust in one of their own, only to rise to the top and renege on his responsibility towards them? We thought good lessons were learned the hard way after losing two consecutive elections to President Akufo-Addo, how wrong we can ever be that you are still who you were.
Respectfully former President John Mahama, these are concrete facts from your kinsmen;
1. You failed in the Savannah Region to undertake any major intervention project of your own from start to finish throughout your stay as President, you could only supervise the shoddy execution and completion of the Kuffuor – Mills combined administrations Fulfulso-Damongo-Sawla AfDB Road project.
2. It’s even more shameful when your party claims part of the money meant for that project was been used for the Daboya-Busunu Road which was never delivered and no pesewa was paid to the contractor who happens to be your blood brother.
3. You forsake Gonjaland in many ceremonial events, at best you engage in deceitful delegation tactics to save your face. E.g the 7 days adu’a of our late King.
4. You continuously think Gonjaland can still be used and dumped by you for your selfish political interest. Our loyalty is now in exchange for development and deliverables.
5. President Akufo-Addo has visited the Yagbonwura and his kingdom more often and granted the ancestral wish of a Region to the people. The last respect of H.E President Akufo-Addo to the Jakpa palace yesterday is about the 10th time He has visited. This is a record our own brother would struggle to half.
6. We are not ready to stagnate our development nor are we ready to promote the deliberate disregard for us by our biological brother.
It’s correct to say that it’s not all blood that is thicker than water.
Cheers
Abubakari Ridwan Afeso
Gonjalander
054 505 3847