Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) John Dramani Mahama and General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia have repeated the controversial ‘Akeym Sakawa boys’ comment.
Making reference to how, in his view, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta have mismanaged the economy, while speaking during NDC’s town hall meeting to explain the context of the party’s manifesto for this year’s elections, Mr Asiedu Nketia shouted “still Akyem Sakwa boys”.
This comes after calls on former president John Dramani Mahama to apologize to the people of Akyem for describing them as such.
Over 500 natives of Akyem Abuakwa State clothed in red and black attires gathered at Asamankese last Wednesday to embark on a demonstration for Mr Mahama to retract the comments. Some wielded placards bearing inscriptions such as ‘Mahama is shameless’, ‘Mahama stop these insults’ and ‘JM enough is enough you are warned’.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo also condemned a reference to himself and his hometown folk as ‘Akyem Mafia’ and ‘Sakawa’ people.
Member of Parliament Isaac Adongo had made the remark which was amplified by Mr Mahama on his Facebook timeline a few days ago.
Mr Adongo was making a comment relating to the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal.
At a meeting with the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the Jubilee House on Friday, September 4, 2020, President Akufo-Addo not only said he was “very disturbed” by the ethnocentric tagging of his ethnic group, but also said “that is the kind of language we don’t want in our politics.”
“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,” the President bemoaned.
According to him, free speech must not be seen from the perspective of allowing the opposition to go at the government at the least opportunity.
“If you criticise the government, no matter what you say, it is legitimate. If the government is to respond, that is somehow illegitimate”, the President complained, adding: “If the President opens his mouth and says something that is unacceptable, he should be reprimanded. In the same way, opposition politicians, if they conduct themselves by their utterances in an unacceptable manner, they should be brought to book.”
At the meeting in Kumasi on Tuesday, Mr Mahama said some of the projects, particularly the sods cut, are ‘419’ and ‘Sakawa’.
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana