The Akroma File

Chapter Fourteen

87 The Akroma File Chapter Fourteen (Friday 18th May, 1984) O n Wednesday the following week, eleven days after Akroma as supposed to have left Cameroon Reverend Dieudonne Akwa was invited for questioning by the Commissaire at the Airport. “A cleaner discovered this letter under the wash-hand sink in the toilet.” Reverend Dieudonne Akwa opened the letter and read: Dear Rev. Akwa; May God bless you. We received the news from Cameroon about the political upheavals with a lot of shock and consternation. May the Lord be praised that all has virtually come to pass. Let me, brother-in-Christ, step a little bit out of the beaten path of religion to suggest something that would have sounded odious under different circumstances, and which I would never have dared to mention if I did not know that you would be of help. The bearer of this message is the son of Akromahene, the Ghanaian Chieftain whose generosity and kind understanding made it possible for LICE to settle here in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana to the extent that we have done. The family has presented us here with a problem which we have to solve to salvage our good name here. He will tell you what problems he has. You do not need to try to solve them. You only need to cooperate with him. I am aware of the indefinite postponement of the Episcopal Seminar formerly slated for May 14th. But we are using the Seminar as an excuse to let him into Cameroon. This letter is mainly to introduce him to you and to inform you that he has our blessing in whatever 88 Linus T. Asong else he wants to do in Cameroon. Once in he will be able to fend for himself He has promised me to be of good behaviour! Cameroons is a land of endless opportunities. Let us give him a chance, in God’s name. 89 The Akroma File 2 I t was the letter which Reverend Mot Tomlinson had given Akroma, and which he had lost at the airport. “I must congratulate you for your foresight,” the Commissaire told Reverend Dieudonne Akwa. “I am glad you saw with me, Monsieur Le Commissaire, and sent him away. I suspected that there was something the matter with him. Thank God we set him back.” The matter ended there, at least for a while. On Monday the 21st of May Reverend Akwa was again invited to the airport. Inspector Dangobert had made further investigations on the Akroma issue and had come to a conclusion which he handed over to his boss. “Reverend Akwa,” the Commissaire began, “that your Akroma did not leave Douala for Accra. Nobody bearing his name left for Ghana.” “What does this mean, Monsieur Le Commissaire?” Reverend Akwa inquired worriedly. “It means that he is certainly still in Cameroon,” the Commissaire said. Reverend Dieudonne Akwa’s smooth face creased into a haggard frown. He pulled down the sides of his mouth, pulled out a handkerchief and mopped perspiration that broke instantly on his face. “This Akroma problem is eating me like a canker worm,” he said, “and how I wish it should end. To my mind, Monsieur Le Commissaire, that man left. My driver is still out there, who took him to the airport, Monsieur Le Commissaire.” 90 Linus T. Asong Reverend Akwa immediately sent for J-P. J-P defended himself as best he could. He had driven the visitor to the entrance into the lounge and had waited until the plane had taken off with the passengers. Because he did not suspect anything, he had not stayed back to actually ensure that Akroma had effectively gone away. Reverend Dieudonne Akwa stared into J-P’s face like a cobra and warned him: “If that man is still in this country, and if it is discovered that you had your hand in this matter, you will pay dearly for it.” “But how can I do such a thing, Reverend?” J-P queried. Reverend Akwa merely shrugged his shoulders. “We will get in touch with you again,” the Commissaire told Reverend Dieudonne Akwa dismissively. “Be on the lookout.” ...