Kufuor and Otumfuo Recall How Soldiers Nabbed Woman for Hoarding During Rawlings’ Era

During the administration of late President Jerry John Rawlings, a notable incident involving the arrest of an elderly woman in Kumasi for hoarding essential commodities has recently been recounted by former President John Agyekum Kufuor and the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II as reported by Ghana Web.

The two prominent figures revealed that Rawlings had initiated a stringent campaign aimed at curbing the illegal stockpiling of goods that could negatively affect the nation’s economy.

This operation was carried out with military support to ensure compliance across communities.

Kufuor shared a vivid memory of how soldiers conducted a search at the home of an elderly woman in Kumasi. During the search, they discovered a rare and valuable beverage concealed beneath her bed.

“During Rawlings’ era, soldiers were searching for hidden commodities and they entered a certain woman’s house in Kumasi.

They found a prestigious beverage hidden under her bed,” Kufuor recalled, stressing the seriousness with which such offenses were treated.

The Asantehene confirmed Kufuor’s account and added that the woman was arrested after failing to provide a satisfactory explanation for her actions.

He stated the significance of the case, stating that it was one of the first instances of hoarding that authorities encountered during that period.

“Yes, it happened in ’79. The beverage was popular in Africa, so the woman’s case was the first one they had seen, and the woman had hoarded it. That was when the woman was arrested and later dealt with,” Otumfuo said.