There is a groundswell in President Akufo Addo’s hometown of Kyebi as indigenes protest against a post re-circulated by Mahama that referred to the some Jubilee house “Mafia” as “Akyem Sakawa”
Whatsup News has intercepted Whatsapp Chats from a platform called Adehyeemu Nsem where some members of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) are threatening to “stone to death” any resident perceived to be supporting the NDC.
Whatsup called one Nana Adjei, a regional communications officer of the NPP who has been circulating the post calling for the stoning to death of NDC supporters in Kyebi-President Akufo Addo’s hometown.
“…if Candidate Mahama is not ready to retract his “Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas” comment, then any “Akyem” person following John Mahama should be stoned to death,” read the circulating statement.
According to Nana Adjei, the people of Kyebi are giving the NDC two weeks to retract or face the consequences. Some of the platforms that this terrifying message has been circulated has government officials such as Ken Ofori-Atta, etc on the Whatsapp groups.
Today, a group calling itself, Concern Citizens of Okyeman, took to the streets today to demonstrate against former President John Mahama and National Democratic Congress (NDC) for allegedly describing them as ‘Akyem Sakawa”, in reference to the reported wanton pillaging of public resources by a group of President Akufo Addo’s “family and friends”.
The group, made up of the chiefs and residents of Akyem Abuakwa, Kotoku, and Bosome, all in the Eastern Region are demanding an apology from the NDC flagbearer.
President Akufo Addo’s and some individuals and organisations had condemned ex-President Mahama for re-posting an opinion article posted by the NDC Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central, Isaac Adongo. Mr. Isaac Adongo had impugned that the controversial Agyapa/Asase Royalties deal was being fronted by a group of people he called “Akyem Sakawa”, with Sakawa translating to fraudsters.
“Presidential candidate, a former President of Ghana, you can call a group of Ghanaians “sakawa people”, and it involves the group for which the sitting President comes, and that statement goes without comment, and at the same time we hear all these statements, “let all try and bring the politics of insults to an end.”
However, Mr. Mahama, who is the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has fired back at the President, saying he has no moral right to condemn ethnocentrism.
“In any case, President Nana Akufo-Addo has lost the right to complain a long time ago. He was an opposition leader who called Presidents before him anything you can imagine including Prof. Do Little and he described somebody as ‘Simpa Panin’ and I don’t want to repeat some of the things he said. He is a President who has called his critics naysayers and Jeremiahs, I don’t understand what standard he can be offended at this time because he has precedence of name-calling,” Mr. Mahama fired.
Indeed, the NDC has stated that President Mahama will not apologise for the controversial statement that has gone viral on social media.
The communications spokesperson for the Mahama campaign, James Agyenim Boateng, has dismissed calls for the flagbearer of the party, John Mahama to apologise for the article.
Speaking on Starr FM on Wednesday, Mr Agyenim Boateng said the demonstration is a deliberate attempt to divert attention from the party’s manifesto which was launched a few days ago.
“The point that Adongo made was that certain people close to the President are involved in some shady deal. There’s no apology to render because Mr. Mahama has not used the word being attributed to him,” Mr Agyenim Boateng said.
“Those demanding an apology need to show they are members of government and also need to show they are behind the shady deal. This is a deliberate attempt to overshadow the NDC manifesto and we can clearly see through.”