The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Savannah Regional branch have denied reports that former president John Dramani Mahama was recently booed in Damongo when he attended the enskinment of the new Overlord of the Gonja Kingdom, Yagbonwura Bii-Kunuto Jawu Soale, on Monday, March 20, 2023.
This follows that circulation of viral video which that showed a section of the crowd purportedly hooting as Mahama was descending from the stage he was on together with other dignitaries including Vice President Dr Bawumia and the Jinapor brothers, to address the crowd.
The persons who were hooting, even though were a small section of the crowd, could be seen clapping and screaming “away, away, away”.
A statement from the NDC stating the facts of the incident alleged that the booing party were NPP supporters bussed from parts of the northern region for the specific purpose.
Adding that despite their unruly behaviour, Mahama "was welcomed with cheers and a loud applause as his brilliant speech touched the hearts and minds of his tribesmen, chiefs, and elders at the ceremony.
"There was absolutely no reason or cause for anyone whatsoever to hoot at President Mahama. The false narrative of being booed must be treated with contempt," the statement read in part.
Explaining the source of the unruly crowd, the statement continued: "It was observed that a small group of people who were part of an unruly and uncouth supporters of the NPP were on the blind side of President Mahama and his delegation, shouting and recording themselves. In the process, the detachment of police and military personnel ensured that they remained where they were, without the people at the durbar hearing whatever they were saying.
"These were NPP supporters bussed into Damongo by the NPP, obviously because of the Vice President’s feeling of insecurity and nervousness. A total of five buses transported these supporters from Tamale and Wa to cheer him."
FULL STATEMENT: Here are the facts:
1. As a Royal and a native of the Gonja Kingdom, President John Mahama attended the event as a son and grandson of the land.
2. HE John Mahama, after all the protocols, paying homage to the new Yagbonwura with his delegation, stepped forward to deliver his speech, which had nothing to do with politics but full of wisdom, history, and the great traditions of the great Gonja Kingdom.
3. He was welcomed with cheers and a loud applause as his brilliant speech touched the hearts and minds of his tribesmen, chiefs, and elders at the ceremony.
4. There was absolutely no reason or cause for anyone whatsoever to hoot at President Mahama. The false narrative of being booed must be treated with contempt.
5. It was observed that a small group of people who were part of an unruly and uncouth supporters of the NPP were on the blind side of President Mahama and his delegation, shouting and recording themselves. In the process, the detachment of police and military personnel ensured that they remained where they were, without the people at the durbar hearing whatever they were saying.
6. These were NPP supporters bussed into Damongo by the NPP, obviously because of the Vice President’s feeling of insecurity and nervousness. A total of five buses transported these supporters from Tamale and Wa to cheer him.
7. However, we wish to state in the strongest terms possible that the deliberate attempts by the NPP to always bus people from other regions into the Savannah Region just to cause confusion, disorder and mayhem at public functions will no longer be tolerated, and this will be the last caution.
8. For the records, H.E John Mahama remains the only president with an enviable record of projects in the entire Gonja kingdom from Senior High Schools (E Blocks at Daboya, Mpaha and Bamboi etc), Hospitals (Sawla, Buipe and Bamboi district hospitals etc), roads (147km Fufulso-Sawla road, Datoyili – Buipe road etc), factories(Buipe sheanut, Daboya smock, Savanah cement factories etc), water projects (Ntereso water project etc) among others.
For maximum satisfaction and the avoidance of doubt, kindly find attached two videos- one of the arrival of President Mahama at the durbar ground, and the other, the beautiful speech delivered by the former president as he was cheered on by the good people of the Savannah region and all present.”
Anyidoho reacts to booing incident
Samuel Koku Anyidoho, a former deputy general secretary of the NDC, reacting to the viral video lamented the incident.
He said that former president John Agyekum Kufuor, the late Prof John Atta Mills and the late Jerry John Rawlings (JJ) never received this kind of reaction in their home regions.
“JJ was never hooted at in Volta; Kufuor was never hooted at in Ashanti; Atta-Mills was never hooted at in Central; Nana Addo has never been hooted at in Eastern; Someone has been hooted at in his own Gonjaland - Damango. Hmm!” parts of the tweet read.
View Koku Anyidoho’s tweet plus the booing incident below:
Please watch this clip in detail: JJ was never hooted at in Volta; Kufuor was never hooted at in Ashanti; Atta-Mills was never hooted at in Central; Nana Addo has never been hooted at in Eastern; Someone has been hooted at in his own Gonjaland - Damango. Hmm! pic.twitter.com/m86LpN38kf
— Samuel Koku Anyidoho???????? (@KokuAnyidoho) March 22, 2023
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