It was the midnight of 18th April, 2022 that the Sissala community and the entire country woke up by the sorrowful wails of Mr. Iddrisu Waleika, the Sissala West Constituency NPP Nasara Coordinator. He was pleading for his life from treacherous hands and evil laden minds of strong young men. Their determination to kill was evident in their commentary as the exercise occurred.

One would have thought that the Sissalas as a people have recieved a heavy dose of these heinous crimes when our son, Major Mahama, was slained in a similar fashion without cause. We wondered how such conduct was even incubated and hatched by the people of Denkyire-Obuasi on our son who was just in his prime. Here we are.

You watch a purported video of the action and you hear a sober-chilly appeal for consideration being contrasted by a loud and thunderous voice threatening to slain the young innocent petitioner from Bawku on our soil. You hear the sound of a cutlass on his feeble body, and you pause to wonder what was amidst.

Every reasonable individual who have the heartbeat and conscience for God’s creation took time to condemn the action and invoked the revenge of the gods and Ancestors of the land to send down punishment.

In so many years, this is the first time we are seeing people from all divides and shades of our society abandoning neutrality and safety to condemn a matter. The words of Philosopher Dante are always relevant: The darkest places in hell are reserved for those who keep their neutrality in times of moral crises. “We Sissalas shouldn’t be the ones doing this”, some reminded. “Where is our brotherhood and sense of community?” Others questioned. Some asked to know who was behind that inhumane act, and for what reason at all.

However, it is said that when you allow time to pass the murky waters will settle allowing residue to float.

Today is exactly five days since that dastardly act was auctioned, sponsored, and executed in a public gallery. In these five days, we have seen press conferences seeking justice, and another rationalising the action. We have also been told that a few of the assailants have been arrested by the Ghana Police Service whilst others are on the run. At this rate we trust the security agencies to do what is required.

We grew up knowing that at the heart of the culture and customs of the Sissalas, there are a few things that cannot be substituted. One of them is the responsibility of the Chiefs, Landlords and Elders of our community in issues like this. My knowledge of the custom is limited, but I have spent my formative years on the knees of our culture to know that Gwollu Kuoro and his Elders are too loud in their silence. Why? I will answer.

The cutlassing and attempted murder took place at the precincts of the Gwollu Chief Palace. It literally happened in the Chief’s compound. The loud cacophony of ugly noises echoed through the walls of the Palace and broke the silence of the night everywhere. It is arguably true that the chief and his Elders were probably asleep at the ungodly hour. But it is more true that the volume of blood that spilled the earth is ocular evidence that the head of one of their subjects was placed on the chopping block right at their front door.

Under these circumstances, the pleasing thing to have heard by now is that the pepertraitors and their families have been fined to offer animals, cola, and drinks to appease the gods of Mother Earth, and the life of the victim placed in their hands. In any Sissala society one cannot even threaten another verbally with a cutlass or another weapon and go unpunished. This is what we know and expect from the chief as an interim measure. The chief as the custodian of the customs knows this. His silence is creating a void that sparks speculation and accusations.

The imposing history of the remnants of Gwollu Defence Wall including the Tomb of Dr Hillia Limann should wake our leaders to their duty in Gwollu. A failure will definitely validate any accusations, and even give lee-way for our unrepentant and unregulated youth to continue to exercise these sort of escapades without fear of rebuke.

My motive in this article is to petition the Gwollu Kuoro and his revered Elders to exercise their traditional mandate so as to sooth broken hearts and heal fractured bones. Lest they have their reputation dragged and soiled. Also remember that the people of Bawku are looking up to you. Our defence walls are no longer capable of protecting the people of Gwollu from the warriors of Bawku.

My name is Baba Wajia:

Servant of the Rain God who brings live tigers and vipers home.

Source: babawaija.blogspot.com