John Dramani Mahama
Former President John Dramani Mahama does not appear to see anything wrong with a comment he made against the Akyem ethnic grouping which many have condemned unreservedly.
He sparked uproar last week when he described the people of Akyem, the ethnic group of sitting President Akufo-Addo, 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 NDC MP’s vitriolic comment on his Facebook page by adding ‘Akyem Sakawa Boys’.
President Akufo-Addo last Friday made his feelings known about Mr. Mahama’s behaviour when he met the leadership of the Catholic Bishops Conference to discuss national issues.
However, Mr. Mahama appeared unrepentant when he justified his actions during a television interview, even saying the President did not have any moral right to complain and turned around to accuse the President of whipping up ethnic sentiments.
“In that post, Isaac Adongo describes certain people in Akufo Addo’s government in a particular manner. I will be the last person to disparage any ethnic group,” he claimed.
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.
“In the first place, the National Chairman of my party, Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, is an Akyem and so are many leading members of my party and supporters. Everybody knows me, I have been in politics and I will be the last to express any ethnic sentiments,” he said.
“In any case, President Nana Akufo-Addo has lost the right to complain. He was an opposition leader who called presidents before him anything you can imagine, including Professor Do Little.
“I do not want to repeat some of the other things he has said. He is the President who has called his critics naysayers and Jeremiahs. I do not understand on what standard he can be offended because he has precedence of name-calling,” he added.
“I have called for a debate with President Akufo-Addo. He has not found it worthy to respond to that call and I understand President Akufo-Addo’s frustration and deliberate attempt to whip up ethnic sentiments in this particular case. I don’t think it will wash,” he noted.
He claimed that “I have campaigned on issues and that is what I am focusing on as I engage and interact with people on my tour of this country.”
“It is important for me to point out that no one has described his ethnic group or any other ethnic group in the manner in which the President mounts this complaint.
“What I remember is I shared a post of one of our very fine and brilliant MPs for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, and in that post, Adongo describes certain people in Akufo-Addo’s government, and you know he has a lot of members of his family and friends in his government, so Isaac Adongo described those behind a certain shady and untidy deal in a particular manner.
“And when I was President I appointed many Akyems in my government. The head of our manifesto drafting committee, Prof. Danso Boafo is an Akyem and they have all contributed to our government and our forward march to capture power in December,” he added.
By Ernest Kofi Adu