The Dog Days of Agona Kenyanko

 

Agona Kenyanko, a quaint farming village nestled in the Agona East District of the Central Region, was the kind of place where everyone knew everyone’s business — whether you liked it or not. The village was peaceful for the most part, except for one glaring nuisance that plagued its inhabitants: Papa Wangara's dogs. Now, Papa Wangara wasn’t just any villager; he was the newly minted chief of Agona Kenyanko, and his word was law — at least according to him.

Papa Wangara was a man of many assets: a sprawling yam farm, a family that could fill half the village square, and a pack of ferocious dogs that seemed to have an insatiable appetite for chaos. These dogs were no ordinary mutts; they were the stuff of nightmares. If you saw them roaming, you'd best summon every ounce of courage and run as if your life depended on it — because it just might. Children especially bore the brunt of their terror, sprinting and screaming as the dogs chased them down for sport.

Despite countless complaints from the villagers, Papa Wangara remained unmoved. "Dogs are loyal creatures," he would say, puffing out his chest. "If they attack you, it’s probably your fault. Maybe your spirit doesn’t sit well with them."

The Fateful Day

One sunny afternoon, the dogs decided to up their game. They stormed the compound of Papa Aweizu, an elderly man known for his sharp wit and love for storytelling. Papa Aweizu had just bought a goat from Togbe Kuwornu, the retired chief, and was preparing to celebrate with a pot of steaming goat light soup. The dogs, however, had other plans. They smelled the aroma from miles away and, driven by greed and hunger, launched an all-out assault on the compound.

Papa Aweizu and his family tried to shoo them away, but the dogs were relentless. They barked, snarled, and clawed at anything in their way. In the chaos, one of the dogs lunged at Papa Aweizu’s wife, tearing her headscarf. That was the final straw. Papa Aweizu, a retired hunter, reached for his trusty shotgun.

"Enough is enough!" he bellowed, pulling the trigger. When the dust settled, ten of Papa Wangara’s prized dogs lay lifeless in the compound. The remaining ones limped away, tails between their legs.

The Gongong Beater’s Summons

Word of the canine massacre spread like wildfire. Papa Wangara was livid. He summoned the town crier, who beat the gongong and announced that an emergency meeting would be held at the palace.

At the meeting, Papa Wangara demanded justice. "How dare Papa Aweizu kill my beloved dogs? These animals were like family to me!" he thundered. He insisted that Papa Aweizu pay for the burial of the dogs, compensate him for emotional distress, and hire a veterinary doctor to treat the injured ones — all at his expense.

Papa Aweizu was dumbfounded. "Ah! Me? Pay for what? Your dogs invaded my house, attacked my family, and tried to eat my goat! What did you expect me to do? Offer them palm wine and kola nuts?"

The villagers erupted in laughter, but Papa Wangara was not amused. He threatened to banish Papa Aweizu if he didn’t comply. At that moment, a brave elder rose to speak.

"Papa Wangara, this situation is your own doing," the elder said. "For years, we’ve begged you to control your dogs, but you refused. Now that they’ve faced the consequences of their actions, you want to punish an innocent man? This is the price of turning a blind eye to wrongdoing."

The Lesson Learnt

Papa Wangara’s face turned ashen as the weight of his mistake dawned on him. His silence and inaction had emboldened the dogs, and now he was paying the price. Reluctantly, he dropped the matter, but the incident remained etched in the memory of the villagers for years to come.

This story mirrors the challenges we face in society today. Too often, political leaders turn a blind eye to hooliganism, crime, and evil simply because it’s perpetrated by their supporters against their opponents. But just as Papa Wangara’s dogs eventually turned on the village, so too will unchecked wrongdoing come back to haunt us. To build a just and peaceful society, we must condemn and address evil, no matter who is behind