“Suban Wo Ho yi Ete se Nnyinsen” – A Habit is Like Conception

For how long can a pregnant woman deny that she is pregnant? In the initial stages of her conception, when there are no clear indications to point people to her true body status, she can deceive the public by saying she is not pregnant. However with time, the bulging of her stomach, the telltale of conception will give her away. Pregnancy can never be hidden from curiously probing eyes because it grows bigger and upwards but does not shrink in size or grow donwards.

Similarly, ones habit is proverbially acclaimed to assume same characteristics as pregnancy. Nobody can hide their true character from the public forever. No matter how best the person tries to deceive the public, putting up false behaviour other than their true character, with the passage of time, they will be caught out.

Again, it is said, "a mad person healed of their madness does still have some remnants of the madness in him to frighten off children".

Why this subject of discussion today, one may ask? It is all about people who irrespective of their advanced age and positions held in society cannot still let go their wayward habits lived during their adolescence. It is the belief among Akans or many parents that when a child is misbehaving due to peer pressure or whatsoever, that child will surely change for the better when he grows. However true this belief is, it can be militated against by the earlier statement on a person healed of their madness.

The story now goes as, once there lived a Ghanaian royal in Canada. He involved himself in many despicable criminal activities which culminated in the country probably placing him on their wanted list with many a Ghanaian losing their respect for him and even trying to get him arrested. He escaped to Britain. He could still not let go his bad habits.

Unfortunately or fortunately for him, he was recalled to his country of birth to be enthroned the King of his tribe. Everybody thought with his elevation to that highly worldwide recognised position, he would eschew his criminal past. He initially fooled the subjects of his Kingdom, pretending he was a reformed man. However, hardly had he been enstooled the King of his people when his old bad habits resurfaced many folds stronger than previously.

He goes reaping from where he has not sown. He sells lands that do not belong to him and pockets the money for his personal and family use. He deposes chiefs he does not like and replaces them with cowards that he can manipulate at all times. He has put fear into his other chiefs who continually pay obeisance to him where reprimand would rather have been the better option to correct him.

Nonetheless, this bullying King is getting his comeuppance at the hands of the people of one of the Divisions within his Kingdom. He had desired to trample on their traditional rights but little did he know that the people conversant of their rich warrior history would not let him have his criminal way. He is now in hot waters experiencing the Akan "me ko a enko, me ba a emma" scenario.

It is hard to do away with one's bad ways no matter how you advance in age. Many people do try hard to suppress their childhood bad behaviour from resurfacing but others like the fictional King under discussion can't.

Concluding from the King's behaviour despite having immense wealth and power at his disposal with many people at his beck and call, he still cannot let go his bad habits, so it is very true the saying that, "Suban Wo Ho yi Ete se Nnyinsen"

I dedicate this publication to the citizens of Kumawuman/Asiampa. Your no-nonsense son of the soil is back again fighting the ills in the Ghanaian society. Be proud of him even though he can be rude at times.

In my next publication I shall be discussing whether or not pastors, chiefs and politicians are those ruining Ghana as it was the view of some Ghanaian radio callers phoning in to contribute towards a live programme hosted on Hot FM UK on Thursday 5 November 2015 at about 14:40.

Please listen to me live on Sources radio Online UK from Tuesday 10 November 2015, God willing.

Rockson Adofo