Former president John Dramani Mahama has stated that President Nana Akufo-Addo has no right to complain about the ‘Akyem Mafia’ and ‘Sakawa Boys’ tags used to describe some of his appointees responsible for the Agyapa Royalties deal.
According to the NDC flagbearer, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo did worse when he was in opposition as such, he doesn’t have to be offended by the name calling.
In an interview of TV XYZ, Mr Mahama explained that “He [President Akufo-Addo] was an opposition leader who called Presidents before him anything you can imagine, including ‘Prof Do Little’ and then he described somebody as a ‘Simpa Panyin’ and I don’t want to repeat the others things he said.”
“He’s the President who has called his critics naysayers and Jeremiahs”, adding: “I don’t understand on what standard he can be offended at this time because he has precedence of name-calling,” the former president added.
John Mahama’s comments comes a day after president Akufo-Addo, at a meeting with the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, complained about the ethnocentric tagging of his ethnic group.
This was after Mr Mahama shared a statement issued by Minority MP Isaac Adongo, in which the lawmaker described the President and some of his appointees as ‘Akyem Mafia’ and ‘Sakawa Boys’.
The president said “Sometimes, one would hope when things come out, people will comment on them. The comment made by my opponent: ‘Akyem Sakawa’ people, I have not heard any public figure in this country or anybody comment on it.”
“If I was to get up to make a comment about northerners or Gonjas, you can imagine the uproar that will be in the country,” he further bemoaned.
But reacting to this, his predecessor, John Mahama told Eric Ahianyo during the interview on Saturday September 5, that though he shared the statement, “I’ll be the last person to disparage any tribe or ethnic group”.
He added that several leading members of the NDC and his former appointees are Akyems.
“In the first place, the National Chairman of my party, Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, NDC, is an Akyem and so are many leading members of my party and members and supporters and when I was President, I appointed many Akyems in my government.
“The head of our Manifesto Drafting Committee, Prof Danso Barfuor, is an Akyem and they have all contributed to our government and our forward march to recapture power in the December elections in order that we can create jobs, spread development in an equitable manner throughout the country”, Mr Mahama pointed out.
He however said President Nana Akufo-Addo lost the right to complain a long time ago.
NDC Flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama