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A Touch of Nokoko by Kofi Akumanyi
Flight-Lieutenant Jerry Rawlings, Chairman of the Provisional National Defence Council (PNDC) seizes the microphone from its stand and storms towards the audience - a gathering of fishermen and industrial workers. He uses his power over the crowd for all it is worth and his theme is always the same education and the need to "explain, explain, explain".Charisma, corruption, honesty, hunger, murder, anger and such emotive adjectives are in plenty supply in the public speeches of government appointed officials indeed, they are the current shibboleth of the revolutionary leadership in Ghana.
"Are you getting me?" he cries. "I'll stand here for 12 hours explaining things.....I want you to hear me well".
He exhorts the workers to produce more so that the rural poor can eventually look forward to a fairer deal. He castigates the IMF and the multinationals and deplores the country's vulnerability to world commodity prices....."
"Revolution - you can't get it in a straight line, you've got to learn the word tactics, TACTICS: Twenty percent of our poverty may be due to corruption but our ignorance is responsible for the rest".
A man steps out of the crowd and Rawlings breaks off to ask him what he wants. "I'm suffering from malnutrition," says the old man. "All right," says Rawlings, "see me afterwards." And he continues his speech. This is a revolution that depends largely on the honesty, anger and charisma of Rawlings.
— The Guardian December 7 1982.
The fact of the matter is that after the leader of the revolution's exhaustive and meticulous explanation of the dynamics of a revolution to the masses, they go. home to ponder over the phenomenon of ever increasing deprivation that has been their lot for a long time, thus underscoring the point that revolutionary rhetorics do not fill the stomach of the hungry man.
I met the man who was asked by Rawlings to see him after he had interrupted. his speech with a complaint of hunger and malnutrition. He was walking with an unsure and shaky gait towards "Rawlings Square" (Makola) for another peoples' rally. Hundreds of men, women and children were out walking him with steady steps towards different destinations, sweat pouring down their backs.
"You're looking quite fit, Chairman Rawlings must be taking care of you very well".
"You must be joking," he almost spat out "Rawlings cannot single me out for special! treatment all the time. I'm still hungry, I'm undernourished."
"You're bound to be because the government cannot provide all your needs at once. For instance, we need petrol for all the vehicles parked at the filling stations," I explained.
"That sounds familiar.. Where did I first hear that?....If there is no food, why can't we have petrol so that all the vehicles revert to their original use of moving passengers and the little quantity of goods left!
"Because remember that Ghanaians pledged to walk twenty miles or more when the going gets tough immediately after the revolution of December 31. And it obviously can't get any tougher than now.”
"Did we say we would walk? I certainly don't remember saying any such thing. Besides, even if some people did say that they would, I'm sure they didn't say they would walk bare-footed".
"Oh dear, it seems to me that you have not clearly understood what the Leader of the Revolution told you at the rally".
"What did he say?"
"That the path of a revolution is never straight - you can't get it in a straight line."
"I suppose it's crooked. Yes, we've realised, haven't we, that it's quite zig-zag".
"Perhaps that's what is referred to in revolutionary jargon as TACTICS. Pitching the people against the economy and vice-versa. It's an exercise in mind over matter.
Check it up in the appropriate literature"
"You can't teach an old dog new tricks. All I want to know is - how do all these so-called tactics bring us food and fuel?", the old man wanted to know looking down at his blistered feet.
"Lesson one in revolution - never expect miracles overnight. High expectations may be very dangerous to your health."
"Come again. This is a matter of life and death, my friend and you stand there telling me, young man, not to expect rapid results?" he asked angrily.
"Please, calm down. You must realise the problems of the PNDC arelegion. They need time to solve them. If you're politically aware, you'll have the patience to wait for the day of happy reckoning." I explained thinking: how did I get myself involved in this situation?
"Two years ago, if someone had told us this I certainly would have laughed in his face but now, I'm not sure. I'm hungry and walk miles everyday... Well, so long. See you later." The man said.
Hey, wait a minute. Where are you going?"
"To the Rawlings Square, of course, for a peoples' rally. I hear there are going to be some good speeches today," he waved as he walked along. "Make sure to turn on your television tonight for the evening news. You'll surely see me in the front row... I may ask the speaker another question today."
