OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT ... about 2014 Ngmayem festival

The Prez. (middle) delivering his address during the 2012 Ngmayem festival durbar

Hi Mr. President,

I bring you warm felicitation from the home of quality & original beads and rich culture, Odumase-Krobo. It has become necessary that I check on you and make a few observations known to you as we the Krobos wrap up and start a new year this October.

The whole of this week, the town has been bubbling with rich cultural activities to mark the annual Ngmayem festival of the Chiefs and people of my Manya Krobo (my homeland).

We have a few more days and activities to go but tomorrow (Friday October 30, 2014) is the d-day for the grand durbar which will see lots of dignitaries in attendance.

I vividly remember that you graced the durbar in October 2012 but some of us were under the impression that you came that year because you needed us (our votes) even more than we needed you to add to the beauty of the durbar.

I was personally not convinced that you would have come that year looking at how tight you were on the day but you surprisingly came (though late) because it was an election year and your presence must be felt to pull you some more floating votes.

I still remember that you hurried through your schedule and your “equally important national assignments” (as is often the excuse) one of which was that year’s National Ed….. gathering/celebration in the capital city of Accra which ended around mid-day.

Ordinarily, our durbar ends just around mid-day or 1pm latest, but that year, we had to “WASTE” time in wait for you because you wanted to come at all cost. And true to your words (and promise to come) you drove at “top speed” from Accra and arrived at Odumase-Krobo within the blinking of an eye and hey, you, characteristic of you, wowed and sparked the crowd on your arrival. Whether or not your coming resulted in the massive votes you garnered in the presidential election is something I can’t really prove with figures, but I shudder to think that it did.

I also know that because it often rains on the durbar day every year, the practice has been to swerve the rain by closing the durbar early, say by noon. That year was an exception, we waited and waited for you, drummed and danced to while away time. We literally had to pause the main activities of the programme with a LOOOOOOONNNGGGG musical interlude from the Police band.

The Police band that gave us the long musical interlude

One of the chiefs being beaten by the rain

Before we could say jack, it started raining and you even had to deliver your speech under the cover of an umbrella. That was the first day I saw chief literally swimming in palanquins. We were heavily beaten by the rain on our return from the durbar and that was because we delayed.

Why would I conclude that you came in 2012 mainly to pick your badly needed vote? President Kuffour did same in 2008 (also an election year) and that was the last time I saw a sitting president at the durbar (at least in recent times) until you also came in 2012 (also an election year). I know you can’t be jumping from one festival to the other throughout the year, neither can you be at our Ngmayem durbar annually but when you time your coming to coincide only with an election year, then you push us into arriving at the conclusion that you come only when YOU NEED US and not really when we do

I am watching with rapt attention and in an attention position if you will prove me wrong.

Sources have told me you have been invited and you are coming godo godo; please do ok to clear that baseless perception of mine (only formed through observation)

I welcome you I advance

Mo heeeeeeee Mr. President !!!!

And it rained heavily

Traditional priests (in white) on their way from the durbar ground