Editor of GhanaCelebrities.Com, Chris-Vincent Agapong Febiri is never late to the party–he comes in with thought-provoking submissions and questions.
This week, Kumasi has literally been on FIRE–with curfew having been declared on Thursday night because of the funeral of or Otumfuo Osei Tutu II’s late mother Nana Afia Serwaa Kobi Ampem II.
Beyond the curfew, schools were closed down–under the instruction of Ashanti Regional Director of Education.
The three days were full of amazing, scary and unique display of culture–with the Ewes having passed through to create social media buzz.
In a Facebook post which is receiving several comments, Chris-Vincent has sought to find out the basis and relevance for the curfew–and has attacked the idea that culture ought to be stagnant.
He wrote:
From what I know, the Ashanti Kingdom does not exist and the remains of the Kingdom as well as its territories do not constitute a sovereign state.
The only sovereign entity we have on that piece of land is Ghana–governed by the constitution of Ghana.
Of course, the constitution of Ghana makes borrow of customary law–and one of the fundamental principles of law is CERTAINTY of the Law (Albert Venn Dicey champions this better).
My question therefore is; what authority, legal backing or constitutional provisions are being used to declare curfew in Kumasi and all that we’ve heard and seen?
Are people adhering to the curfew because of fear or intimidation, or do they really believe it ought to be respected as it’s backed by law or well justified?
If there’s no appropriate legal justifications for this, what would happen if every tribe or group of people on the back of this precedent resort to this?
A different layer to this is the whole culture argument. Culture is best defined as the way a group of people live–it’s not the way a group of people are able to safeguard how their ancestors lived and repeat that, irrespective of their own contemporary conditions or philosophies.
Therefore, any Culture that does not embrace the spirit of dynamism or change is obsolete, mostly barbaric.
The beauty of Culture is not found in it’s antiquatedness but in its relevance and empowerment of those adhering to it.
Culture ought to be progressive and law-abiding!
—Chris-Vincent Agyapong Febiri
