Whispering Drums With Maigani
by Musa Ibrahim
Naa Polkuu Konkuu Chiri, the Nandom-Na
On September 4, another story appeared on the front page of the Peoples' Daily Graphic to the effect that 27-year-old steward of the late Nandom-Na, Mr Cletus Nonya had been placed in military custody for attempting to steal the late Naa Polkuu's belongings. The story filed by Graphic reporter Joe Okyere, went on: "Blankets, pyjamas and a single towel have so far been retrieved from the steward's house at Nima where he offered one of the blankets for sale at €1,000. According to ex-sergeant John Otu, caretaker of the late Nandom-Na's official residence at No. 1 Roman Ridge, he became suspicious of Nonya's movements when items like bulbs and household appliances disappeared after the Na's death. However, the items were found packed in the kitchen apparently meant to be carted away in the night. The steward, however, denied that he stole the items and had intended to have them washed..."
There are pertinent questions that arise from this bizarre story. Why should a person alleged to have stolen household items be placed in Military Custody of all places, when there are so many police stations in Accra empowered by law to deal with such offences?
Obviously, a military custody is where he cannot have visitors to whom he can talk or where no one will dare put him before a court or tribunal. The question everybody is asking is: was the old man, Naa Polkuu Konkuu Chiri 'pushed' or did he go a natural way?
Naa Polkuu Konkuu Chiri, a traditional ruler in the Upper West Region of Ghana was appointed a member of the PNDC in January 1983, then described as an agricultural specialist and a successful farmer. From then on he came into sudden public glow and became the number one public spokesman for the PNDC on many occasions. He was given the portfolio of Secretary of Defence. It was on this aspect that the PNDC manifested one of its contradictions by putting into the same box, a conservative Minister for Defence and a hard-line left wing Chief of Security.
The conflict between these two personalities was inevitable. Four weeks after his portfolio announcement, the Nandom-Na ordered the sacking of 13 border guards, including two senior officers, and restricted them from living anywhere near Ghana's borders for two years. On June 19, 1983, during his tenure of office as the Secretary for Defence, there was a coup attempt to overthrow the PNDC in which several serving soldiers lost their lives.
Thereafter discontent against his office grew among revolutionary cadres and Defence Committee organs. On many occasions, he castigated the military and police personnel for brutality against civilians and on one occasion, he actually summoned the I.G.P. and the Co-ordinator for Investigations, Vetting and Tribunals to complain about malpractices in the handling of criminal offences against military and police personnel.
Then, not unexpectedly, he was dropped quietly from the Defence Portfolio in November 1983, after being in office for eleven months. No reason was given to this day for his sacking as a cabinet minister. Apparently, he was pushing hard against the military establishment and the Chief of National Security under him did not agree on one bit of point with him. He was a smooth square peg in a deep rough round hole. After his sacking, although he still officially remained a member of the PNDC, he was set on a downhill drop to obscurity.
Nothing was heard about him, nor was he seen in public again until his death was announced on the evening of September 2. It is an interesting coincidence that membership of the PNDC has increased only a couple of months ago, to fill an intended vacancy, perhaps? His role as a public announcer and spokesman for the PNDC has been taken by the new appointee, Mr Justice D.F. Annan, retired judge, sports personality, chairman of the police council, member of the PNDC and Chairman of the National Commission for Democracy. The late Nandom-Na was loved by his people. He had on their behalf launched a Development Appeal Fund which should now stand as a memorial to his name. At several durbars throughout the days when he was in political limelight, he had exhorted his impoverished people to embrace agriculture as a way of life and to justify the creation of an Upper West Region to accelerate the tempo of development of the area.
The people of Ghana, led by the press both outside and within Ghana and all who believe in justice should call for an inquest into the death of the Nandom-Na, Naa Polkuu Konkuu Chiri and to allow his steward, Cletus Nonya to be offered a chance to defend himself in a public trial in respect of the allegation of theft which has put him in a military custody.
