President Akufo-Addo
Former President John Dramani Mahama has set jaws dropping with his latest ‘distasteful’ comment about President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
He appeared to say the President had accumulated huge debt for the country although he has a short lifespan. He made the ‘distasteful’ comment in the Upper West Region, where he was rounding up his campaign.
Weird Analogy
His latest unprovoked weird anology has set tongues wagging after he appeared to suggest clearly that the President cannot live long.
He said “the lifespan of Akufo-Addo is shorter than all you young people. If you go to the market, you will see a small goatskin and you see an old goatskin.
“Young people can die, I agree. But if the natural order is to be maintained, somebody who is 20 years old here is going to live maybe the next 50 years,” he said, adding “I, at my age, am going to live shorter.”
He then said “Nana Akufo-Addo is going to live shorter because at his age in the natural order of things, if everybody is going according to his age, he has a shorter time.”
The crowd of NDC sympathizers, shell-shocked about the weird analogy, even shouted ei! Clearly, they were in disapproval of what he was saying, and he replied that “No! I’m making a point because he is not going to pay that debt.”
Sakawa Issue
Almost a week ago, he described the people of Akyem, the ethnic grouping where the President belongs, as ‘Sakawa Boys’ — a term largely used to refer to people who engage in internet fraud, dubious or criminal activities.
Mr. Mahama had shared on his Facebook an unprovoked blistering attack on the persons of President Akufo-Addo and his Vice Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia by Isaac Adongo, National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament (MP) for Bolgatanga Central, on the Agyapa Royalties debate.
Isaac Adongo had called those working on the Agyapa deal as ‘Akyem Mafia’ and Mr. Mahama amplified the MP’s vitriolic comment on his Facebook page by adding ‘Akyem Sakawa Boys’.
President Akufo-Addo last Friday even made his feelings known about Mr. Mahama’s behaviour when he met the leadership of the Catholic Bishops Conference to discuss national issues.
Unrepentant Flagbearer
Mr. Mahama later appeared unrepentant when he justified his actions during a television interview, saying the President did not have any moral right to complain and turned around to accuse the President of whipping up ethnic sentiments.
In one breadth, the former President said some gurus in the NDC are from Akyem and could not disparage them but in another, he said the President had lost the right to complain.
Nana Riposte
But President Akufo-Addo has said in the past that “all I can say is that those whose political fortunes depend on my ill health and degeneration, all I can say is we are all in the hands of the Almighty, Amen!”
Lambussie Sermon
When Mr. Mahama paid a courtesy call on the Lambussie Kuoro, he said “when I was President, NPP said I was borrowing too much. The debt I added to the national debt was GH¢54 billion in four years when I was President but you come to Lambussie, you see the E-blocks there. You go to Wa, you see the Upper West Regional Hospital there. You go to Tamale you will see the Tamale International Airport Phase 1 completed. You go to Bolgayou you will see Bolga Hospital there. You go to Kumasi you will see the Kejetia Market there. You go to Accra you will see the University of Ghana Medical Centre, you will see the Ridge Hospital, you will see KIA Terminal 3, you will see the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, you will see Kasoa Interchange, you will see Buipe Tamale Road. The evidence of what we used that money for is there for all to see (sic).”
He then added, “Now Nana Akufo-Addo takes over. Three and a half years, he has borrowed GH¢140 billion, almost three times as much as the debt I added and the question I asked him is: What have you done with all that money? Where are the hospitals? Zero; where are the schools? Zero; where are the roads? Zero; where is the electricity? Zero; where is the water? Zero, and so the question is: what have you done with all that money?” adding “that is why you criss-cross the whole of Upper West and you can’t find one single thing that they have done.”
Ghana’s Economy
He also said, “As for the economy, the least said about it the better. The economy is in intensive care. Ghana’s economy is sick and it is not coronavirus that affected it. It was sick before coronavirus came because the economy has been mismanaged,” adding “all the money that was taken even for Covid, the MPs say come and account for it, you say no (sic).”
NABCo Claims
The former President also made wild claims that “in four years he has destroyed more jobs than he has created. When you ask what jobs have you created – NABCo. You go and gather the young people give them 700 cedis a month. Most of them sit at home they are doing nothing. They have not been posted. Every month they go and collect 700 cedis and just sit at home. Paid for doing nothing (sic).”
He said the Akufo-Addo government was not paying contractors who were engaged during the NDC administration due to in his words “political motivation.”
By Ernest Kofi Adu