The Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has denied claims by President Nana Akufo-Addo that he made ethnocentric comments against the people of Akyem tribe which the President belongs to.
According to John Dramani Mahama, the allegations by President Nana Addo that he described the Akyem tribe as ‘sakawa people’ is born out of frustrations and a deliberate attempt by the President to arouse ethnic sentiments.
While dismissing the president’s allegations, Mr. Mahama detailed his working relationship with people of the Akyem tribe both in his government and in his party adding that he has advocated for an issue based campaign and has demonstrated same on his campaign tours of the country and therefore cannot make such derogatory statement against the Akyem people or any other tribe.
“I can understand president Akuf-Addo’s frustration, desperation and deliberate attempt to whip up ethnic sentiments in this particular case. I’ve advocated for campaign of issues. It is important for me to point out that no one has described his (Akufo-Addo) ethnic group or any other tribe in the manner in which the president mounts his complain,” he stated.
The former president, however, believes the attempts by president Akufo-Addo to whip up ethnic sentiments will not ‘wash’.
Touching on the alleged derogatory text authored by MP for Bolgatanga Central Constituency which he shared, Mr. Mahama explained that the content of the text did not describe Akyem people as ‘sakawa people’ but a group of people in Nana Addo’s government who happen to be friends and family of the president and have engaged in what he described as shady and untidy deal.
“In that post, Adongo described certain people in Akufo-Addo’s government and you know he has a lot of members of his family and friends in government, so Isaac Adongo described those behind a certain shady and untidy deal in the government in a particular manner,” he added.
The former president was responding in an interview on Woezor TV to president Akuf-Addo’s outrage over what he said are ethnocentric comments propagated by Mr. Mahama.
The president, in less than 24 hours, has expressed in two different occasions his displeasure with the said comments.
President Akufo-Addo who appeared outraged said the comments are unacceptable and must be condemned by all. He also expressed his discomfort with the failure of independent people and organizations to condemn the comments.
