President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has condemned recent comments made by his predecessor, John Dramani Mahama, to the effect that Akyems are ‘Sakawa Boys’.
The former president is said to have shared an article written by Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga Central Constituency Isaac Adongo and further describing the Akyems as Grandpas who should not be in government, aside he referring to them as Sakawa Boys.
Youth in Akyem have already condemned the action, calling on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer to retract the statement and apologise accordingly.
But speaking to members of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the Jubilee House on Friday, September 4, President Akufo-Addo said he is surprised senior citizens as well as civil-society organisations and religious leaders have kept quiet over the issue.
“What can be the basis for such a remark?” he wondered.
“If it’s a public act that you have a problem with, fair enough but that the people who are doing it are given this ethnic branding, that cannot be right.
“That’s the kind of language that we don’t want in our politics. So I am 100 per cent on the same wavelength as you as to the kind of politics that will make sense in our [country],” President Akufo-Addo told the Catholic bishops.
‘Unacceptable’
He said condemnation should not be limited to only him but to all citizens.
“I am very keen also that when things happen, we will deal with each matter on its merit. Don’t worry [y]ourselves whether the person is in government or opposition or this or that whether there are political persuasions or not.
“If what they have said is unacceptable, it should be pointed out that it should be unacceptable. It goes for me.
“The president opens his mouth and says something which is unacceptable, he should be reprimanded and in same way opposition politicians, [and] people in the public space who comment, if they conduct themselves by their utterances in an unacceptable way, they should be brought to book and they should be reprimanded.”
Source: 3news.com|Ghana