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I would want to use this medium to say a big thank you to the entire Peacefmonline.com crew for the unrelenting pushups they give to my pieces. They have demonstrated time and again that laymen and hood-rats like us also have the avenue to break the silence.

I am grateful to Ghanaweb and the numerous news portals scattered all over for their enviable publication. And to my friends, folks and faceless readers across the globe, I say thank you – the criticism I get for my assemblage have sharpened and strengthened me.

My write-ups describe my world so don’t get too comfortable. Just last night, I had a phone call from a journalist friend in the Diaspora, and she asked me about a missing Ghana-based journalist who works with Ashh FM, a Kumasi radio station. 

To be frank with you, she was the first person who gave me reason to analyze the situation, and after our phone conversation, she has been pressing me with whatsapp messages for updates.

Since then, I have thoroughly combed the internet for all the help I could find, all in the name of bringing her up to speed because she never seem to stop asking the why, who, where, how and the rest. She is giving me sleepless night and I am growing tired of her, besides I have no business with the Ghana Journalist Association.

But if for nothing at all, the father of seven, Daasebre Agyei Dwamena before his disappearance was a Ghanaian before belonging to an association, so let’s say the association is a white-elephant or he wasn’t even a member of the association, what do you think we should do as Ghanaians?

I think our maker didn’t bring us to this planet to be silent, he wants us to raise our voices, and he wants us to demand for answers; he does not want us to kowtow to any hierarchy but to obey and respect the system.

Democracy also teaches us similar tradition, let the voices be heard, irrespective of where you find yourself because I am of the view that, in any democratic environment, the populace should be able to express their anger and grievances with words than with machetes.

Daasebre Agyei Dwamena is missing for more than 30 days and our security apparatus, Ashanti regional chapter, go to their normal duties acting like all is well with the Ghanaian citizenry. Kudos to the loud voices on our airwaves demanding for the whereabout of the young man.

I hear some inky folks have paid courtesy calls on the family, the Concern Journalist, Ashanti region have presented a petition to the Ashanti regional police command and The Press Foundation is also said to have launched #OperationFindDaasebreDeadorAlive… I think they have done well and, I would want to see the inky fraternity cutting the red-tapes.

I am somebody who do not actually ask for special treatment but, issues of the Fourth realm of the state cannot be taken lightly and I implore whoever is in charge of the search operation to give us real time updates. There are some people who think delay is a weakness, therefore the security apparatus should stop dragging its feet in the matter.

The Ashanti regional media practitioners have worked hand in hand with the police to smoke hardcore criminals from their hideouts, the police service have relied on the media for information, the police have depended on them to reach the masses and some of the tipoffs and alerts the police service get, do come from the media.

It is these same practitioners who branded COP Kofi Boakye as “commander one”. I believe his work in the region was not different from the works of the numerous police commanders scattered across the length and breadth of this country. The media guys showcased him, oh yes they made him.

The huge media projections COP Kofi Boakye ever had was longtime ago, when I was in my village sipping “pitoo” in what I describe as natural apartment, it was under a mango tree. I was in the midst of my grandfathers, it was fun and I was enthused because I had about five old men with grey-haired advising me about how to live my life.

Under the mango tree was a hanging radio set, it was singing like a bird but I wasn’t paying attention until it was 6pm when I heard murmurs and whispers from the old folks, I guessed they were trying to tell me to keep my mouth shut frankly; the excitement caught me off-guard.

It was news time and the bulletin had already gone haywire but a story of a police officer doing drugs will not skip the most stubborn ears. It was the Kofi Boakye cocaine saga – all the men in greyhair went gaga. The question of the time was how, why and so on and so forth.

That projections was huge but the Kumasi-based media practitioners decided to let it go and embrace the man with a warmth reception, they decided to drop the old name and brand it with a new one, they did not care about the past… all they cared about was the man’s ability to lead and, look at what they were offered in return, discrimination from firsthand information, bias in their operations etc.

Kofi Boakye is alleged to have created his own media group which serves his interest and of that group, nobody dare lay a finger because you do not want the commander of police for an enemy. Somewhere last year it was reported that, a journalist was robbed of his Toyota Corolla and with less than a week the car was seen parking. Oh yes!!! The Toyota Corolla was found in less than a week. I believe the journalist pulled some strings, I mean he made some phone calls. Why should the security agency be partial in their call to duty?

The cat is out but it’s not too late for him to retrace his step, Kofi Boakye does not want the Kumasi media practitioners for an enemy – the men and women who sang hosanna were the same guys who trumpeted crucify him. You cannot use them and dump them like your old pair of shoes.

I would seize this opportunity to sympathize with the family of Daasebre Agyei Dwamena, it is my hope and prayer that God protect him and bring him safely and to my girlfriend in the Diaspora, the young man is missing and is nowhere to be found so I expect COP Kofi Boakye and his able team to fetch him, dead or alive.

 
#FetchDaasebreDeadorAlive

The writer Kofi Asamoah-Ababio, is the Executive Director, Amass Ghana. The views expressed in this article are his personal opinions and do not reflect, in any shape or form, those of Amass Ghana, where he works. His email address is [email protected], please find time to visit our website www.amassgh.org