If only Kwesi Nyantakyi had listened to Stonebwoy!

I felt the pain for a great statesman until I realized “when all else is lost, the future still remains” – Christian Nestell Bovee.

The honour, the treats and delicacies for a man addressed as His Excellency has gone down the drain within a twinkle of an eye.

Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi, a lawyer by profession, was the President of my country football administrator, Ghana’s Football Association (GFA). He led the GFA for over ten years and made several records over the period. Ghana first tasted the FIFA World Cup under his regime.

The Wa All Star Football Club Boss survived lots of backlash as every leader would, and got through all of them. But it was so heartbreaking when the whole country had to gather in one big auditorium to witness the unfolding of the hidden layers of the decorated egg.

On that fateful Wednesday, 6th of June, 2018, millions of Ghanaians gathered at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) to witness the much anticipated expose by the ace investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

As a reporter assigned to cover the event, I was so much expectant, but not so delighted. I sensed a possible stampede because the tickets for the program had been exhausted days before the premiere.

My fears somehow manifested when I saw women being pushed down and stepped on in a long queue manned by armed military and policemen. I realized they (the security) became handicapped when the entry gate got broken by the anxious and ecstatic crowd.

After hustling at the entrance for a while myself, I managed my way into the auditorium which was already full to capacity. I remember that was our first story, and obviously for every media house in Ghana that evening. To serve my listeners, I had to lean on the shoulders of a spectator who attentively didn’t want to miss any part of the video.

Anas and the TigerEye PI did their thing again. Throughout the showing, the only sound you could hear from the audience in the 6,000-capacity hall was “wow” “eii” “aww” and “Jesus”.

As the saying goes in Akan “agoro b3so a, efiri anopa”. The clip was full of surprises until Mr Kwesi Nyantakyi‘s face appeared. The first shock of the sight and sound of our chief football administrator bluffing and calling big names for dollars.

I was so shocked, I was lost for words when I was called from the studios of my station Adom 106.3 FM to report on the happenings at the premiere. I reported three times on one bulletin, a situation which is strange and happens only on Presidential and Parliamentary election days.

As a music lover, I could not help but picture what I saw in the Number 12 video through the lens of the lyrics of some songs that have impacted my life.

After seeing the full clip, I asked myself, did Kwasi Nyantakyi ever listen to dancehall artiste Stonebwoy? Through lyrical dexterity and a great melody, Stonebwoy has won several awards, including a BET on his own, and a Grammy through songs he featured on. I think he has a lot to offer, and he is worth listening.

William Shakespeare once said – “The man that hath no music in himself, nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night, and his affections dark as Erebus. Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music.”

Stonebwoy is known for being the mouthpiece of the youth through his lyrics.
Some of Stonebwoy’s lines like “No matter what you do the rich man dies, no matter what you do the poor man dies too” in his tomorrow hit song, should have told Mr Nyantakyi that all he was fighting for is vanity.

Kwasi would have told us where we’re gonna run go after making our football fraternity a bitter sector to invest or feature in if he had listened to Stonebwoy’s “Run go”.

I’m also sure that Kwesi never thought of his reputation as to whether he would be called a hero if he died today. Stonebwoy’s “Hero” would have done the magic for him. He obviously didn’t know that if he gets more money, he becomes open to more problems. “Problem” from Stonebwoy has all the lesson Kwesi needed.

Kwesi Nyantakyi could not call a spade a spade but a dagger, when he failed to tell to staged investors in the Number 12 video he was only a football person. He rather chose to brag about having the country in his pocket and whatever is needed to call the shots on what happens everywhere in the country.

I believe Kwesi can start listening to Stonebwoy from now; and I would humbly suggest he starts with “Take Me Away”, which features Rocky Dawuni. The part of the song I would recommend for Kwesi at this stage is the part which says “Take me away from the sorrow, take me away from the pride, I’m just a little innocent soul.p, I don’t have to pay for the price, on top of the cruelty, they treat us like a savage.”

Kwesi, you don’t need to fly first class anywhere to get Stonebwoy. He is here, his music is all over social media. You can start at any time. It’s free.