“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
Bishop Desmond Tutu
As I watch the beautiful African sunset across the horizon, I take stock of the journey of my life thus far in a community that anchored my development from a vulnerable toddler on its laterite streets of yesterday into a potent young man with a matured beard, on the tarred roads of its modern cosmopolitan society.
Once upon a time, our wasa model society that projected the true African story; the story of numinous individuals with abundant innate social skills.
Ubuntu may just be a term among the Nguni Bantu of southern Africa. However, the concept of Ubuntu (a universal bond of sharing that connects humanity) which is one of the rare and valuable attributes of Africans transcends the boundaries of southern Africa and manifests as communalism among the nations of the continent.
‘Tijaabunyeni” (we are one and the same) defines the spirit of communalism among the good people of Wa (Upper West Region) in Ghana. Wa and the Wala have always showcased communalism through phenomenal and unbridled ways of coexistence hence the glowing pride of being part of such an identity with a very enviable heritage that sets the tone of African renaissance.
A cursory observation of this Mole-Dagbani settlement reveals a burgeoning society of immense prospect and potential.According to the 2010 population and housing census, the total population of Wa stood at one hundred and seven thousand, two hundred and fourteen (107,214) represented by 15.3% of the total population of the region. A working age or productive population (15-64 years) is clearly represented by 60.6% of the total population. Taking a cue from this distribution, one can draw reasonable inference that Wa is home to a productive population. Interestingly, this youthful population distribution postulates a future of bright and bleak prospects.
A change is upon us and with a fortunate stroke of serendipity, the desirable lot that comes with a growing youthful population will be harnessed.
A change is upon us and in its wake are indicators which are as bleak as they are cataclysmic. The signs of pride in our enviable identity of African heritage, fostered by shared bonds of ancestry, camaraderie and aspirations are beginning to whittle away: uncertainty stares!
Over the years, our hometown of Wa has metamorphosed into a different habitat. A synopsis of a global village conveys perfectly, the transformation that has evolved and permeated our lives and trends. It is important to state that the evolution of technology has impacted heavily on developments as well as the lives of the youthful population, thereby creating misleading vibes among the youth. The aping of the lifestyles of celebrities as well as the overzealous pursuit of wealth and self-indulgence by the youth remain topical.
Yesterday gave onto us a society that placed premium on integrity: today rewards us with a society that pays homage to wealth regardless of modes of acquisition.
Our fathers of old bequeathed to us, a molded society bound by values and cultural systems that regulated lives and exalted the elderly; today, the youth present us with a breed of rich flippant men who expect everyone to simper and bow before them.
Yesterday gave birth to communalism; today is radiant with greed.
Yesterday was resplendent with virtues of hard work, empathy, contentment and cheer; today is riddled with crime, apathy, sorrow and regret.
Yesterday gave onto us a model society; today bestows a safe haven of armed robberies, theft, maiming, substance abuse, fear and insecurity.
Could the travails of a bleeding hometown be more depressing than these reflections of our broken down society?
When the vibrant youth of a population increasingly become deviant and are signatories to dastardly acts, what else could be guaranteed than a bleak future with cataclysmic ramifications?
These questions, rhetorical as they may be, provide impetus for an introspection into how a youthfully buoyant population, reflecting great promise could degenerate to the point of nadir.
At the pinnacle of this introspection lies the spectre of unemployment.
Farming has been the mainstay of the people over the years. However, the effects of globalization have led to changes in tastes and preferences which tend to make the activity unattractive to scores of youth. Indeed, most youngsters appreciate farming as a preserve of the down trodden which cannot support and guarantee ostentatious tastes and preferences.
Also, segments of the youth who crave for white collar jobs go through all sorts of trials and tribulations to obtain qualifications from institutions only to chase non-existent jobs.
The spectre of unemployment therefore tends to make the youth susceptible to exploitations by different interest groups and also make them prone to social vices which tend to retard progress and development.
In the ensuing duel against time, in order to put body and soul together and also support families, segments that find farming unattractive tend to embrace the phenomenon of galamsey (illegal mining).The activity is fast gaining currency among the youth since it guarantees satisfaction of ostentatious lifestyles.
Galamsey may have taken some wayward youth off the streets by giving them a source of livelihood. It may have also spurred economic activity within Wa and its environs. These notwithstanding, the phenomenon tends to pose dire environmental and security challenges to Wa and its suburbs.The effects on an already sparse vegetation cover, soil and water bodies are well documented. The emergence of pseudo militias due to fierce competition among rival groups is the unsettling new dimension galamsey has brought in its wake. These militias possess and wield assault weapons of high military specification in order to protect turfs and entitlements within galamsey enclaves. In effect, the proliferation of arms within our homeland has become nothing short than fashionable. Coupled with unenforced laws on arms, activities of galamsey have led to the influx of weapons and fire arms which provide robbers with the bravado to attack travelers, commuters, students and all manner of peace loving people.This growing security threat makes the most stable of stomachs churn with unease and trepidation.
The other side of the coin on youth unemployment equally presents a harrowing picture. The inability of the youth to attract non-existent jobs after school in order to make ends meet, pushes pockets of youth into compromising positions. Accordingly, they become subjects of craftily schemed exploitations by cunning politicians and religious zealots.
For reasons of political expediency, cunning politicians do not only brain wash this class of unemployed youth to run petty errands for them but also consciously weave dependency syndromes around them in order that they may continue to exploit them. Commonly, these individuals become boogeymen who are unleased to carry out mundane schemes as well as bad mouth and hurl invective at opponents or anyone whose relevance threatens the whims and caprices of their pay masters.
As stated in the beginning of the narrative, Wa is a society of religious and spiritual quality that embodies the presence of God (numinous society). Based on this quality, different sects of religion exist. Religious issues are therefore patently passionate and explosively sensitive. It is instructive to state that, these attributes underpinning the nature of religion in Wa dates as far back as 1940 and this has been duly illustrated by Prof emeritus Ivor G.Wilks in his book, Wa and the Wala. Having identified religion as a cannon fire that can easily stoke flames of anarchy, some crude religious fanatics take advantage of learned but unemployed youth by surreptitiously conscientizing them to help prosecute grand schemes of extremist positions on religious doctrines, through vile sermons, preaching and hate campaigns. This charade simply smacks of intolerance in religious diversity.
The actions of these politicians and religious men tend to misdirect focus and mischannel the positive energies of productive youth on otherwise productive undertakings which have the potential to uplift the development of society. In effect, the opium of politics and religion administered to the youth of our fatherland is by far the most destructive force, conveniently visited on a bleeding hometown.
We cannot afford to allow politicians and extremists to continue to use politics and religion to sow seeds of discord and antagonism among us. We owe it onto generations to leave behind a society that brews peace, love and unity in the midst of diversities.
Delving further down introspection lane, values and cultural systems which have regulated our lives over the years come under the micro-scope. Social values which have kept the fabric of our society closely knitted have gradually crumbled and given way to a plethora of vices we are confronted with. The cultural systems which gave us identity and regulated our lives in ways that embodied ‘tijaabunyeni’ have since been relegated to the door steps of obsolescence.
Cultural and value systems have survived generations; therefore, modernity in any mutated form imaginable, cannot coax a people with a firm resolve and focus to jettison these systems which have stood the test of time. Suffice to say, that the Ashanti kingdom amply demonstrates this assertion.
Manhyia is an epitome of a fully functional traditional state within a 21st century modern Ghana. Through festivals, culture is held in high esteem. Through its traditional administration, Asanteman is regulated according to time tested values, traditional and cultural systems which give Ashanti its unique identity. In all the successes that Asanteman is noted for, in being a model traditional state of great repute in a modern mix, it is worthy of note that the success of Ashanti as a modern traditional state revolves around the general accord in which the custodian of the traditions of Asanteman is held- in dignity and in stature. Asanteman beholds the revered Otumfuo as the fulcrum around which Ashanti works and develops. Drawing from this, the king commands the voice to make decrees that conform to culture and impacts positively on subjects. Drawing further from same, the king is given the clout to make demands from the modern administrative Ghanaian state and be taken seriously.
The story of the Ashanti state illustrates the fact that our traditional systems and cultural values still remain relevant in regulating our lives and building our societies in spite of modernity.
Just as Manhyia is to Asanteman, Nayiri is to the Wala. Nayiri is not just home to the king of the Wala kingdom, but also the traditional administrative hub where the king sits in state.
One cannot compare Asanteman to Wa in terms of size and composition. Equally, one cannot reasonably juxtapose Manhyia with Nayiri in terms of structure, organization and other vital parameters of establishment. Notwithstanding, the most important commonality between the two traditional set ups is that the occupants thus Otumfuo and Wa-Naa respectively are the custodians of the traditions and cultures which define the identities of their respective kingdoms. In effect, the traditions and cultural values which regulate and bind society stem from traditional authorities.
The big question that then arises is, how has it been possible for Manhyia and Asanteman to have been successful in promoting values and traditions towards the regulation and development of Asanteman, with all the associated challenges of modernity yet Nayiri and the Wala have not been able to get their act together in same regard?
At the heart of this inquisition lies the one factor which has comatose traditional values and cultural systems which bind people and give meaning to co-existence-protracted chieftaincy disputes.
Over the years, chieftaincy disputes have sharply divided our society. With unending squabbles and litigation over succession rights and legitimacy of successive overlords, the Wala kingdom has always been robbed off the unanimity that seals the authenticity of the over lord and the power that comes with his authority. Divided into blocks of different lineages amid divided loyalties on who has always been the rightful heir to the skin, Wa and the Wala continue to deny themselves the rallying factor that the king requires for his words and actions to be law onto the people, in so far as championing affairs of growth and development are concerned.
Through protracted litigations challenging the legitimacy of king after king, Wa and the Wala continue to debase the might and clout of the skin; thereby denying occupants the relevance and stature to command attention and use traditional administration to effectively oversee affairs of the kingdom. When a society undermines its supreme leader, that society forfeits direction and often times get drowned in retrogression and deprivation.
As a people, we cannot continue to decry lack of attention by successive governments on matters of development and be taken seriously if there is no unanimity in giving voice and clout to the leader of our society to make such profound engagements in our stead.
Chieftaincy is a delicate institution. Royals view chieftaincy as a right and heirloom that must be passed onto generations to keep royal identities afloat and lineages relevant in the scheme of aspiring to the highest traditional skin of Wa-Naa in the kingdom. Based on these considerations, royals tend to be passionate about chieftaincy. This has eventually led to disagreements on the chieftaincy front which has denied us the common voice in championing the progress of our society. It is important to state that chieftaincy disputes are not akin to only Wa and the Wala. However, the size of Wa and the interlinked relationships among the Wala leave one traumatized as to how chieftaincy could perilously divide a people and render traditional administration so ineffective.
We can continue to haggle over rights and loyalties. But the reality is that, without unity of purpose, the society we aspire to be kings over will never be peaceful to ensure any effective rule. We cannot go back in time to make changes to events that led us to our present state but we can surely start from now to find common ground, write off past wrongs, evaluate points of departure and decide the direction we aspire our society to take, by making compromises and giving the necessary support to the traditional authority in our bid towards resuscitating social and cultural values aimed at bringing semblance of normalcy to our bleeding hometown.
Furthermore, the modus oprandi of the police force in curtailing crime within the region comes to the fore. Concerns by citizens on the professional etiquette of police personnel have been rife. Through town hall meetings and radio talk shows, residents continue to question the will of the police in the fight against crime. On the 15th of December, 2017, a police officer was busted with others for narcotics related offences and that adds to a list of established cases of police personnel in cahoots with petty criminals to carry out criminal schemes to the chagrin of residents. Over time, the faith in the police to protect society has waned considerably with the force been viewed as a compromised unit that is glorified in corruption, aiding and abetting crime. The effect of such bad policing is that, in a matter of time, residents will resort to their own ways of dealing with crime and criminals. Eventually, mob justice will hold sway; the plight of our hometown would be aggravated. The regional minister through the REGSEC (Regional Security Council) must get tough on security heads and urge them out of their lethargic approach in fighting crime. For a bleeding hometown to recover, the grave concerns of crime must be given serious attention beyond talk shops and written scripts read at functions.
The Attorney General’s Department is the state institution vested with prosecutorial powers by the constitution of the republic.The young state attorney in Wa brings verve into the office. Significantly, major strides have been made by the affable state attorney and the department in stamping out crime through prosecutions. That notwithstanding, our hometown continues to be a grave yard of fear, with known criminals pervading the streets. In evaluating the role of the department and the state attorney in the scheme of things, we must confront our own attitudes and actions which stand in the way of justice delivery. Apart from the fact that Wala duel so much on the maxim of “tijaabunyen” (we are one and the same), thereby consciously shield known criminals and refuse to act as witnesses for prosecutions when such criminals are caught up by the long arm of the law, they also go to all lengths to ensure that known criminals are spared and left back onto our fold.
It has become the norm for opinion leaders, politicians, religious figures and men of stature in our society to act as power pillars by stepping up to the police, the state attorney as well as judges to plead, coax and influence them in any way possible for known criminals or offenders of the law to be pardoned rather punished, all in the name of complex inter-connected relationships for which the community is noted for. How long can we rely on such tactics to obstruct justice delivery yet envisage to have a crime free society? How long can we prioritize personal relationships over the health of our society? How long will it take us to come to the realization that our bleeding hometown is in its current state due to the knife wounds we continue to prick on it through unchecked behaviors and attitudes overtime?
Judging from commentaries on social media, the concerns catalogued in this audacious write-up fall in sync with varied views on the plight of our society. Having identified the cracks, we are obligated to start tinkering around our plight towards redeeming our society.
To this end, there is the need for the formation of an all-inclusive civil society group that reflects selfless service. When formed, this pressure group would assume the mouth piece through which affairs of Wa and the region can be evaluated and assimilated so as to proffer informed solutions.Making individual comments on Facebook and other social media platforms on pertinent developments of our fatherland is positive but lacks the force meaningful impact. An old African saying has it that: ‘if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go together’. Beyond individual contributions therefore, a pressure group guarantees in-depth assessment of situations, appeals to a broader base, commands attention from stakeholders and assures a far-reaching impact.
On the heels of that, town hall meetings should be regular features on the agenda of the assemblies. The constitution of these meetings should encompass but not limited to elected officials, government appointees in various capacities and traditional authorities. These meetings will provide a regular platform for open and constructive engagements among stake holders and residents on pertinent issues affecting society and self-prescribed measures for adoption. What this approach guarantees is a holistic embracement and participation of all facets of society on adoptions from these meetings thus effective implementation and enforcement of conclusions reached.
Going forward, there is the need to make conscious efforts to break deadlocks on traditional and chieftaincy related conflicts. Some of these conflicts go aeons back yet still linger on. Our regional house of chiefs must not only get busy but employ more tact in resolving these conflicts amicably. Also, the house of chiefs must be more proactive and innovative in building bridges between parties after litigation outcomes. This will help forestall tortuous litigations which prolong chieftaincy impasses. Such actions will also help bring peace, oneness and faith in our supreme traditional authorities and give them the power to effectively deploy tradition administrationfor the growth and development of society.
The regional minister needs to take concerns of insecurity in the region more seriously. No meaningful development can strive in a chaotic atmosphere. Through the REGSEC, detailed plans (e.g. constant police patrols and gun control) and prime time results on the fight against crime must be the focus. Conduct of some security personnel which stands in the way of nipping crime in the bud ought to be thoroughly examined with security chiefs in the region. Additionally, the IGP must be petitioned for more robust actions to be taken on the professional conduct of police personnel in the region.
Further, the regional minister through the MCE and the coordinating council can explore the option of a neighborhood watch to serve as a supplementary security measure to curtail crime. Through this, some form of employment will be created and police patrol teams would be augmented to effectively monitor happenings within and around Wa.
It is refreshing to see radio stations springing up in numbers within the region. Through a lot of innovative programs on these stations, far reaching platforms are created for affairs of the region to be brought to the door step of the populace. These platforms also create opportunities for scores of people to give very solid contributions on salient matters of interest to the region. On this back drop, more engagements should be made with public officials and stakeholders on issues of crime and development. Resource persons within and outside the region should be engaged often to conscientise people on the need to stop certain behaviours and attitudes which contribute significantly to the social ills we are bedeviled with. Matters on obstruction of justice and influencing due processes known to be behavioral traits amongst us must be dealt with if we intend to redeem our lost society.
Our spiritual leaders hold the sanctity of society intact. It is therefore necessary to embark on special sessions of religious encounters with the masses. These sessions, via radio or sermons would afford spiritual leaders the audience to educate the masses on religious tolerance, our way of life and other doctrines that bind society. Advisably, there is the need for leadership of all shades of religion to be seen together administering these sessions in order to send strong signals of unity in diversity and most importantly to prevent crude fanatics from intoxicating the youthand turning them into agents of anarchy.
Finally, government has a bigger role in creating a conducive atmosphere for jobs to strive. The unemployment situation in the country calls for concern. Modules on the youth employment scheme have to be examined and situated properly since such modules seem to only serve as stop gap measures to satisfy political interest within a political span without necessarily creating permanent employment. It is refreshing to have planting for food and jobs in the scheme of government’s bit to make agriculture an attractive enterprise. Cost of farming still stand in the way of commercial farming. More subsidies on farm inputs as well as ready markets for farm produce will enable more people venture into it beyond subsistence levels.
It is instructive to state at this point that, all efforts notwithstanding, the travails of our bleeding hometown cannot be curtailed without the right mindsets and attitudinal balances. We must endeavor to take up the challenge in redeeming our society and setting it on a footpath of prosperity.
The fortunes of generations to come depend on our actions today and the legacies we leave behind; long after our departure from ephemeral earth and even longer after our generation had come and gone.
Silence, surely can’t be enough when there is already enough silence.
By Danaa Abdul-Samad/samaddanaa@gmail.com
