The White Powder Palaver II

It was just last week that I wrote in this column about a childhood friend who fell for the allure of sniffing the white powder called cocaine. I also told you how such a great talent got blown away by a whiff of the hard drug. Well, the sad news is that he passed on last Wednesday, exactly two days after the publication. However bad or insignificant his life was, all I can do is pray for his soul to have peace with its Maker. The fierce debate about the circumstances that led to the arrest of Nayele Ametefeh aka Ruby Adu-Gyamfi continues, and Yours truly could not help but join in the debate. As I write, Ruby has accepted responsibility and pleaded guilty in faraway UK. About 12 persons have also been arrested here in Asomdwekrom for their various roles in the embarrassing UK cocaine bust. Three of the twelve were arraigned before court and remanded. In the meantime, we are told the police are feverishly looking for one Alhaji Daud, the alleged kingpin of the cartel. He is said to be the one who authorised a foreign ministry official to allow Ruby to use the VIP lounge, or is it the VVIP lounge? I once wrote in this column about my awe, admiration and reverence for some African writers. One of them is Chinua Achebe. He once said that �old women are always uneasy when dry bones are mentioned�. Here in Asomdwekrom, it isn�t old women who become uneasy because dry bones are not in contention. Rather, it is those standing under the eagle-headed Umbrella who become apprehensive at the mention of cocaine. Their apprehension is puzzling because, as far as we know, no card-bearing member or party executive has been arrested with the illegal substance. Neither has any government official been arrested with any illegal substance. Why then the apprehension and the unleashing of all arsenal at their disposal to defend an arrested drug queen? What is so special about this lady to warrant the deployment of the whole government machinery in her defence? Could it be that they have something to hide? We are told Alhaji Daud was the one who authorised the foreign ministry official to allow Ruby and her friends to use the VVIP. The obvious question any curious mind would ask is the authority of the said Alhaji. Could it be that he was fronting for someone sitting very high on the governance ladder? Prior to this Ruby saga, our foreign minister was not heard commenting on any serious foreign affairs issue. Frankly, I don�t even remember the last time I heard her voice. For such a minister to now appear to be the mouthpiece for the drug lady would definitely raise some eyebrows. One becomes even more suspicious when ministers of state tumble over one another giving contradictory responses in an effort to paint the government clean. When Honourable Nitiwul raised the cocaine issue in Parliament with the bag of rice in his hand, my understanding was that he only sought to give Mr Speaker and the country at large a pictorial description of the quantum (12.5kg) of drugs the lady had on her. He did not politicise the issue; neither did he point accusing fingers at anyone. All he did was to question how that quantum of drugs could have left the shores of this country without detection. The reaction of the other side was unfortunate, though not unexpected. They took it personal and immediately went on the defensive. The uproar led to the suspension of sitting for that day. As I watched the unfortunate episode on television later that evening, I could not help but wonder if our representatives in the so-called House of Honourables do deserve to be addressed by the title �honourable�. Franklin Cudjoe of IMANI Ghana was apt when he wrote on his facebook wall that Mr President and Mr Speaker should wake up from their slumber and put their heads together to save the last of this country�s torn clothes. But I wonder if the two gentlemen would heed to Franklin�s wise call. Why? Of course, they are widely awake; but are only pretending to be asleep. It�s indeed refreshing to hear that Ruby�s alleged accomplices have been busted. But can the state prove their culpability in the matter before the judge? It is one thing helping or giving favours to someone; and another thing altogether being in the know that the one you are helping or giving favours to is indeed engaged in criminal endeavour. By the way, I plan visiting the UK next June and I shudder to imagine the thorough search I would be subjected to. But trust me to remind the UK authorities that I do not use the VVIP lounge; neither do I have any links to any Alhaji nor any hidden political hand. Perhaps, that would make them go slow on me. See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!