To Denkyira Obuasi and back with grief.

Thursday June 29 was exactly a month since Ghana woke up to the shocking news of the lynching of Capt(now Maj) Maxwell Adam Mahama by the people (mostly the youth) of Denkyira Obuasi with the excuse that he was mistaken for an armed robber. 

 

To mark the occasion, the family of Major Maxwell Mahama, made up of the father's side(where I belong), the mother's side and the wife's side with the support of the army, the police and the Central Regional Coordinating Council visited Denkyira Obuasi, to see at first hand where Maxwell had his last breath. Apart from seeing the site of his death the visit was also to enable us put the story we have heard so far from the police investigators into perspective.

Arrival at Diaso

 

We arrived at Diaso by helicopter at about 10 a.m. and drove to Denkyira Obuasi a distance of about 15 km in a convoy. We had two very senior police officers with us, one of whom happens to be part of the police investigations team. He took the opportunity to walk us through what the police have been able to put together so far with regards to what happened that day. 

 The Chiefs poured libation upon our arrival to welcome us

 

We started from where the women who were selling foodstuffs to find out how far the next village was. It's one of these women who is alleged to have phoned the assemblyman about her suspicions when she noticed a side arm on Maxwell. 

The abandoned empty improvised pallets

 

The place where Maj. Mahama is said to have bought some food items when entering Denkyira Obuasi

We were taken through up to the last point Maxwell gave up and took his last breathe. That's the wall where he took his last barrage of all sorts of missiles or objects of destruction. We could still see blood stains on the wall and that's where we all broke down and started crying. 

 

The blood of Maj Mahama stains this wall

 

The scene there became more or less a reenactment of what took place when Maxwell's death was first broken to us in his house at Burma camp. His father and mother were particularly so  heartbroken. Drown in uncontrollably tears and emotions, theyimmediately left the scene back to Diaso.

 

The rest of us who remained met the chiefs and elders of Denkyira Obuasi who had gathered not far from where Maxwell died to welcome us.

 

The chiefs and some residents of the town

 

The Deputy Central Regional Minister who was with us told the chiefs and elders of our mission after the welcoming formalities. He also on behalf of the region rendered and unqualified apology to the family and all Ghanaians, saying that never again should such a thing happen anywhere in Ghana let alone in the region.

 

The Chiefs welcomed the delegation led by the Seputy Central Regional Minister in blue shirt

 

 

After him two chiefs spoke and they all started by apologizing to us for what happened and to assure us that never again will such a thing happen in their traditional area. They also informed us of the formation of a task force by chiefs to assist the police in their search for and arrest of the perpetrators of the crime and to bring to the attention of the police any other useful information that they may come across.

 

The police confirmed what the chiefs had said and thanked them for their help because through them  some progress has been made in the investigations. 

 

 

Credit:Zakariah Sakora Ahmed