Kofi Wayo’s breeze into the Ghanaian socio-political scene was so eventful and remarkable. It was so because it was marked with some sort of pomp and pageantry. He didn’t return to Ghana from his 42 years, three months sojourn in Uncle Sam with any modesty. He landed big and made no mince meat of it. The media made a show of him. Tales were told of his long journey through the desert to America and the public were made to yearn for more about him. Very fine details of how many cars, particularly Rolls Royce he owns were revealed. Some listed 19 cars, five of them Rolls Royce. One of the Rolls Royce was said to be in Accra together with a Cadillac, Lincoln and Jaguar. He was reported to have said he couldn’t afford to be riding in comfort in luxurious cars while most of his people are poor. Kofi Wayo is said to have left High School at the age of 17 to be ‘his own man.’ He says so proudly of himself, “I left for the university of hard knocks.” Just like saying he made it out on the streets. He made his money from oil and guns, Ghanaians were told. He is wealthy. And in Ghana if you are wealthy, you command so much respect. No one cares about how you got your money. And more so, when you speak most will grovel at your feet. Frankly, in Ghana, it is money that talks and not intellect. And so it came to pass, that Kofi Wayo became an instant celebrity. He quickly got connected with people in power, and immediately, he had clout. Kofi Wayo suddenly became the standard for returnees. He went to America, struggled, made some money and returned to Ghana filthy rich. And so he was touted as rich and famous. And he flaunted his success with relish. With his trade mark Cowboy hat and cigar you will never miss him among a multitude. And then, he began to talk. Talk he did and he talked big. He sometimes sounded bellicose and downright profuse in his choice of words and description of Ghanaians, especially politicians who are in power. His favourite general description of Ghanaians is “you are not civilized.” He spoke with so much passion about the recklessness of Ghanaian politicians and how they are messing up the economy, and then goes on to tell everyone else what could be done better. He tells Ghanaians they deserved better, and when he is asked to share his wealth with the ordinary citizen, he would retort, “you don’t pay your taxes to me, you pay to your government, so tell them to help the poor.” Kofi Wayo, has also ruffled some feathers with his views on Ghana’s energy sector and about laws on guns and their handling. He wants to be allowed to manage the energy sector, because according to him, those charged with the responsibility only have long degrees attached to their names, but know little to nothing about managing energy. He also wants a liberal law on guns. By his forthrightness, he won for himself many admirers, especially during the regime of former President Rawlings. Around that time his image had soared so high he was even courted by the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) which was then struggling to come to power after 30 odd years in the wilderness. And so the NPP found him worth recruiting. They nominated him as their Parliamentary candidate for the Ayawaso East Constituency in the 2000 general elections. Indeed, his participation in the election itself did not go unnoticed. It was eventful and full of drama. And even though he lost, he did so narrowly amidst controversies of rigging and death threats. Kofi Wayo, who proudly calls himself Nima Boy, and is also called Chuck, has fallen out with the NPP and has since gone on to form his own political party, the National Renaissance Party. But he hasn’t stopped talking. He still talks. He has lost out with the NPP, but not with the media. He is literally on every radio network in Ghana very often. And when he does, he misses no opportunity to lambaste the government in power, often making outrageous allegations. In spite of that, he is much loved just as he is hated – he is hated mostly by NPP followers. There are so many people who just love to hate him, and others who hate to love him. But I know a few NPP big wigs who just love the man. They say people like him make our democracy thrive. At least, when they are allowed to talk and say the things they freely say, it enhances our democracy in the sight of our development partners. To this school of thought, Kofi Wayo, and his likes are a stamp of approval on Ghana’s brand of freedom of speech. Kofi Wayo, though, was made who he has become in Ghanaian politics by the media, thinks and says as loudly as he could when he has the chance to, that the media in Ghana is full of cowards. He says so because, he claims Ghanaian journalists know the truth but are afraid to say it. He even claims he knows a few who have taken money from politicians to do their dirty work for them. His approach has made many to refer to him as swashbuckling, controversial, crazy, ignorant, arrogant, and even some refer to him with unprintable adjectives. Many would also pour invectives at him without the slightest restrain at the least chance. But Kofi Wayo never budges. He seems to care less about his detractors. He continues to project himself as a force to reckon with. I remember a telephone interview I had with Kofi Wayo recently. The man was simply illogical. But in Ghanaian politics who is not? Those who make inconsistent statements, false claims and incorrect assumptions become instant celebrities. They are hailed and respected even though their claims cannot pass any test of reasonableness. And Kofi Wayo is one of them. They would always twist facts to suit themselves, no matter who is listening. They would make specious and questionable arguments and pass them for truth and facts. During my interview with him, he hopped from one point to the other without any clarity of facts. And as I pressed him for clarification and verifiable evidence of his claims, he begged the issues and lunged at me calling me a coward. A tactic most Ghanaian politicians use. He called me a coward like he called all other journalists who demanded proof from him for his numerous wild allegations against others, and his favourites are always politicians in power. He never substantiated his allegations, even when he claimed he has documentary proof. As it turned out, the documents were never to substantiate the specific allegations he was making. No matter how hard I tried, he never did. Even though, Kofi Wayo’s image looms so large in Ghana’s socio-political stage, he is very difficult to understand. While he sometimes appears like a good omen, other times, he shows up like excess baggage. Kofi Wayo, Chuck, the Nima Boy, is he a political enigma or albatross to the country? Authored by: Emmanuel K. Dogbevi Email: edogbevi@hotmail.com