‘Why did you snub us?’ – Upper Axim traditional leaders ask Mahama

Traditional authorities at Upper Axim in the Western Region are alleging former President John Dramani Mahama snubbed them on Tuesday during his campaign tour of the region.

The chiefs and leaders, who are not happy by the alleged incident, want the former President to explain why he refused to attend a durbar held purposely to welcome him to the area on Tuesday.

According to them, they were informed by the National Democratic Congress executives in the area that the Mahama would as part of his re-election campaign tour pay a courtesy call on them on January 8, 2019.

Based on the information, the chiefs and queen mothers of Upper Axim said they gathered in the town Tuesday morning at about 11 to welcome Mahama but he, unfortunately, did not show up at the grounds through the former President was in the area.

Obaahema Eza Nkrumah II who led the traditional authorities to the studio of Takoradi-based Connect FM Tuesday night said they did not understand why Mahama came to Lower Axim yet did not come to Upper Axim when he was scheduled to meet them.

They claim while waiting, they heard Mahama was addressing a meeting with the paramount chief at Lower Axim and later another gathering at the Victoria Park, but after hours of waiting, Mahama never showed up at their durbar grounds at Upper Axim.

“I became unease so I called my elders and one of them, the gyaasihene said we might have wronged him so we should go and apologize to him,” she said in Twi.

She said several efforts to get explanations for Mahama’s refusal to visit them proved futile hence their resolve to use the media to find out from the former President.

The traditional authorities claimed it has not happened that a sitting or former president would come to Lower Axim and not visit Upper Axim, indicating that whenever the issue of time arise, they always found a common ground to join their counterpart in the other side.

However, she said on Tuesday, “We waited till we heard he [Mahama] had left”.

Obaahma Eza Nkrumah and the traditional leaders want Mahama to tell them if they have in any way offended him so they could render an apology.

But the Western Regional NDC organizer, Japheth Baidoo, told Connect FM Wednesday that the claim by the traditional authorities could not be the case because Upper Axim was not part of Mahama’s itinerary.

“I can show you the itinerary, Upper Axim was not part of it,” he stated.

He indicated that the organization of the visit was planned by constituency executives but could not tell who “misinformed” the traditional leaders at Upper Axim.