President Akufo-Addo
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has described as unfortunate, comments made by former President Mahama, referring to the people of Akyem as ‘Sakawa’.
Addressing the leadership of the Catholic Bishops Conference at the Jubilee House on Friday, President Akufo-Addo said he expected Ghanaians to condemn the unfortunate comments.
The MP for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo, wrote an article captioned “Agyapa Royalties fraud is the last straw: The Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas must go”. This was shared on the Facebook page of the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
“The comment made by my opponent…, ‘Akyem Sakawa people’, I have not heard any public figure in this country, independent, yourself or anybody, comment on it. It is completely unacceptable,” the President said.
President Akufo-Addo said if he had made such despicable comment about northerners or Gonjas (the ethnic group of former President Mahama), “you could imagine the uproars that would be in the country.”
President Akufo-Addo also said he was disappointed at the absence of criticism towards those remarks from observers.
“Presidential candidate, a former President of Ghana, you can call a group of Ghanaians ‘sakawa people’, and it involves the group the sitting President comes from? And that statement goes without comment? And at the same time we hear this statement ‘let’s all try and bring the politics of insults to an end and etc, etc?” he rhetorically asked.
Reprimand him
The President used the occasion to remind Ghanaians and leaders in politics that a goal of political discourse in the country is to obtain a sanitized public space where debates and national issues dominate and shape public life.
“For me, if a president opens his mouth to say something that is unacceptable, he should be reprimanded, and in the same way, if opposition politicians should conduct themselves, and their utterances, in an unacceptable manner, they should be reprimanded,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He also noted that the government has become a punching bag on matters of free speech.
“If you criticize the government, no matter what you say, it is legitimate. If the government is to respond, that is somehow illegitimate,” he added.
President Akufo-Addo thus stressed the need for a zero-tolerance approach to comments deemed unsavoury.
Bawumia hits back
Meanwhile, Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia has also hit back at the former President, and asked Ghanaians to reject anyone who will divide them on tribal lines.
The Vice-President, who gave the advice while addressing the chiefs and people of Gushegu in the Northern Region yesterday, underscored the need for Ghanaians to peacefully co-exist, irrespective of their religious and ethnic differences, in order to achieve national cohesion and development.
He stated that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, though an Akyem, has achieved the long-held desire of restoring peace and tranquility in Dagbon, after decades of strife and misunderstanding over chieftaincy.
“President Akufo-Addo is an Akyem, but he was particularly troubled by the lack of peace in Dagbon. The attainment of peace had eluded many governments before him, but as he promised in 2016, he has ensured the performance of the final funeral rights for a new Ya-Na to be enskinned. The Akyem man. This is why we must continue to support him because no amount of money can buy peace. Let us vote for him in December,” he said.
Tribalism can’t win
Dr Bawumia urged Ghanaians to reject any person “who will divide our ranks and ensure that we are not one people because this will rob us of the needed development. You cannot fan tribalism and divisions in your bid to rule Ghana.”
“Recently, President Mahama described a whole tribe as Sakawa (fraudsters). How do you take a whole tribe and say they are Sakawa? How do you do that? My message to Mr John Mahama is that you cannot win the Presidency with tribalism.
“Ghana has gone beyond tribalism. Come and show your competence in delivery to the people of Ghana. Because you cannot show your competence, you are resorting to tribalism. We will not stand for tribalism,” the Vice-President declared.
He added: “President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo remains a man of peace and unity, and Ghanaians will endorse his tireless efforts to make Ghana a peaceful, united country with one destiny.”
Source: dailystatesman.com.gh/NewsDesk
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