The lesser gods in the olden days were revered. They were fully trusted to help with securing the truth about anything that happened in the absence of a witness but which, demanded absolute revelation of the truth about it. In the instances of something going missing, someone denying the accusation of stealing something or say, accepting bribes, someone suspected of lying, we resorted to invoking the gods/fetishes to know the truth.
Many a then Ghanaian had absolute faith in the gods to extract the truth in such circumstances. However, with the recent invocations of same gods once deemed powerful, trustworthy and dedicated in the execution of their duties, one only sees abysmal results or no results at all. Can the gods/fetishes still be counted on when seeking the truth?
Not long ago, many a Ghanaian invoked the gods, especially, the dreaded river deity Nana Nyamaa of the Antoa Nyamaa shrine on the Supreme Court judges alleged to have short-changed Ghanaians. Some of these judges were believed to have either accepted bribes, or been deliberately irresponsible in dispensing justice or had intentionally decided to favour one candidate above the other irrespective of the contrary evidential proofs submitted,?or the truth adduced at cross-examining witnesses. However, in the glare of the judges, especially the Presiding judge,?William Atuguba, been utterly irresponsible according to legal minds and laymen?s perception, the gods could only do him fuck all.
Are the gods able to live up to the belief invested in them or they have also been infected by the stinking prevalent corruption in perpetration by the leaders of Ghana? As the society is, so hopefully are the gods ? like father like son. Is that the case?
In the face of the once trusted gods unable to live up to expectation, I can only advise fellow Ghanaians not to rely too much on them in their quest to obtain the truth of any sort. Were they even able to perform proficiently as attributed to them or we simply allowed our blind trust in them to carry us away without bothering to probe their worth extensively?
Who has ever seen a rich person taken before any of these fetish shrines seriously ill, accused of having been struck by the god for being a witch or a wizard? It is only or often poor people that are incapable of affording medical care when ill, that are taken before these gods accused of all silly things. This is the view of most enlightened people in the Ghanaian society of today. This view was not many weeks ago expressed by some radio presenters on PeaceFm. They even joked about an old Ghanaian woman saying,?she was party to those that killed Jesus Christ when she was compelled under duress amid beatings to recount all that she had done – accused of witchery.
As a rich man or a rich woman will be taken to hospital, the poor man or the poor woman will rather be taken before the fetish shrines for treatment,?accused of witchcraft. If it was not so, why have the gods not struck a single of the judges clearly seen by Ghanaians to have twisted justice in Election 2012 petition? This is just one example of a multitude of instances where the gods are found incapable of anything.
Are the gods also as corrupt as human beings, especially,?Ghanaian political and traditional leaders? One may presume so when you add one and one together and they don?t add up.
How at all could Kumasi “Nsumankwaahene” have the authority to reverse any curse invoked on anyone by someone who feels cheated, feels distrusted when he thinks otherwise? I understand he does that even without the presence or knowledge of the invoker. This makes the whole idea of invoking the spirits e.g. the lesser gods, in determination of truth or punishing the wrongdoer more farcical.
When one Odike in Kumasi recently invoked the river deity Nana Antoa Nyamaa on Kumasi Asokwahene and one Kwadwo Bonsu for allegedly pulling a fast one on him, he, Odike, was rather punished by Asantehene. He was condemned for invoking the deity in the first place. He was told it was wrong to invoke deity curses on others whether or not you have been cheated and are desirous for the truth to out. What then is the essence of having the deities if they cannot be invoked in our quest to find out the truth about dodgy situations? Was Kwadwo Bonsu not found guilty and charged 700 bottles of schnapps and twenty-four sheep, later reduced to twelve sheep on incessant kowtowing pleas?
If the lesser gods can be manipulated by the living, then they are not worth trusting. They worked in the olden days simply because of the faith which,?in itself,?is powerful and works wonders that people placed in them. I think it was the faith but not the gods that performed the quick solutions we sought from them. Now that many people do not have absolute faith in them anymore with all the human corruptions vividly in perpetuation, the gods have nearly been rendered ineffective.
Keep to your belief. Keep to your faith. However, our lesser gods are currently causing a lot of doubts in our minds as to whether they are honestly able to live up to expectation or they are simply fakes.
Written on?Monday, 30 December 2013.
Rockson Adofo
