Shireen Abu Akleh
The killing of Al Jazeera reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh, in the occupied West Bank was as shocking to Palestinians as it was to the world at large. She was with other colleagues and wearing a press vest and helmet when she was mercilessly shot in the face and killed. There was no armed Palestinian fighter in her vicinity. Eyewitness accounts and videos taken on the scene have corroborated this narrative.
Israel, of course, immediately tried twisting the narrative with a Kwaku Ananse story, claiming that Shireen might have been killed by a stray bullet from a Palestinian fighter, or might have been caught in crossfire.
Of course, we know better. She was neither hit by a stray bullet nor caught in crossfire. It was an assassination aimed at silencing Palestinian voices, intimidating Palestinian journalists and obscuring the truth.
Shireen’s experience and her constant presence made many Palestinians think that she was an exception. They thought her years of professionalism and her fame, even among Israelis, would intercede for her, and prevent her from being targeted.
How wrong they were! Shireen’s murder is a stark reminder to the world about the impunity of Israel against helpless Palestinians. Again, her tragic murder is a reminder to the US to revise its obnoxious “see, hear and speak no evil” policy on Israeli occupation of Palestine.
President Ogwanfunu took the opportunity to add his voice to the voices condemning the killing of the ace journalist. But as expected, he took the opportunity to criticise President Nana Dee for failing to bring Ahmed Suale’s killers to justice.
The call for Ahmed Suale’s killers to be brought to justice is a good one. But we ought to question the real motive for making such a call since it is coming from an ex-president whose reign saw many unresolved murders.
In 2013, Nana Gyimah Ankoana was killed in cold-blood, and his killers are still walking free. Why did President Ogwanfunu not appeal to the police to bring Nana Gyimah’s killers to book? Is it that his death is not important because he is not a journalist?
A 40-year-old reporter of Success FM, a radio station at Goaso in the Brong Ahafo Region, George Abanga, aka King George, was shot dead at close range on his way back from reporting on a dispute among cocoa farmers in 2015. As I write, the police are yet to find Abanga’s killers. Why is President Ogwanfunu silent on Abanga’s murder? Is it because it happened under his reign and will give him no political advantage?
In 2014, the District Chief Executive for Nkwanta South, Peter Kojo Kenyeso, was killed in his home. It is another unresolved murder which happened when President Ogwanfunu was at the helm of affairs in this country. Is President Ogwanfunu silent on the murder because the life of Kenyeso is less important than that of Ahmad Suale? Or is he simply screaming on top of his voice about Ahmad Suale’s killing because of the political advantage it brings him?
Abusuapanin, were we not in this country when J. B. Danquah Adu was cold-bloodedly murdered in his own bedroom in 2016? Why will President Ogwanfunu not speak on that? The answer is obvious, isn’t it? It happened under his reign so it is a blot on his record.
For sure, we should continue to call for Ahmed Suale’s killers to be brought to justice. But it is equally important to ask same for Nana Gyimah, George Abanga, J. B. Danquah and all those whose killers are yet to be found. Some of us will not sit aloof and allow dishonest folks with selective amnesia to twist issues in order to gain political capital.
President Ogwanfunu should revise his notes if he still deludes himself into believing that his folks have short memories. Some of us will not shirk our responsibility of reminding our compatriots of the dire consequences of allowing the Dead-Goat to resurrect. It’s a sacred duty we pledge to honour!
See you next week for another interesting konkonsa, Deo volente!