10/07/2025
NGMAYEM IS COMING, BUT LET’S PAUSE AND ASK THE HARD QUESTIONS
Very soon, the drums will sound, the traditional regalia will be worn, and we will carry our chiefs high during the Ngmayem Festival. Speeches will be read. Guests will be welcomed. We will sing, dance, and celebrate our culture and rightly so. But amidst all the celebration, we must take a bold moment to pause and reflect.
Is that all the festival is about?
Is the role of the Paramount Chief only to be carried during festivals, preside over rituals, and be praised during durbars? Or is there a greater expectation from the traditional leader of a people with such rich history and great potential?
Our Paramount Chief, Nene Sakite II has led us since 1998. That is 27 years of leadership. A lifetime for some. But now is the time for us, as a people, to ask an honest question:
What can we point to as a major developmental achievement or transformation in Krobo land under his reign?
I not speaking out of disrespect, I speak out of love for our land and concern for our future. Leadership must be measured, not by how often one wears the crown, but by the impact left behind.
Our roads are still in terrible condition.
Our youth are unemployed.
Our markets are outdated.
Our communities remain largely underdeveloped.
Shouldn’t we be seeing bold initiatives, powerful advocacy, and concrete projects? Shouldn’t our palace be a center of strategic thinking and community transformation? Shouldn't our chief our father, our leader be championing solutions, mobilizing resources, and holding government accountable?
We cannot continue to celebrate for a week while suffering for a year. We cannot lift chairs and pour libation while our future is sinking into poverty and disillusionment.
Let us ask the critical questions, not because we hate our traditions, but because we want them to mean something beyond rituals. We want Ngmayem to be a celebration of both culture **and progress. We want to proudly say, “Under the leadership of Nene Sakite II, this is what we have achieved.”
But right now, can we confidently say that?
It is time to start thinking, start asking, and start demanding better, not only from politicians but also from our traditional authorities. Culture without progress is stagnation. Leadership without vision is ceremonial.
This Ngmayem, let’s celebrate but let’s also reflect.
Our future depends on it.
By Konor
