Being a traditional leader in Ghana is not an easy task, as it comes with many expectations and obligations, both formal and informal.
One of the informal rules is that a paramount chief should always be brave and strong, and never show any sign of weakness or emotion in public.
The Omanhene was speaking when the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, paid him a courtesy call on Wednesday, November 22, as part of his Building Ghana Tour.
He bemoaned the bad state of the roads in his jurisdiction, which he said affected the transportation of cocoa, the main cash crop of the area.
He also accused the government of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of neglecting his people, who have been loyal supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).
He added that his people were being gagged and intimidated whenever they voiced out their grievances. He said the gods of the land had abandoned him because of the dusty roads.
“Our road is critical to transporting cocoa, yet today our trees are being felled by Burkinabes exposing our houses to vagaries of the weather, what is our crime? When we complain too, we are being gagged,” he lamented.
As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes, and he was about to cry in front of his guests. But his aides quickly intervened, and covered his face with a cloth to shield him from public view.
They did this to prevent him from breaking the unwritten rule that a chief cannot cry in public, as it is seen as a sign of weakness.