�Insensitive� Mahama Must Retract And Apologise - Kwamena Duncan

Central Regional Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwamena Duncan, has asked President John Dramani Mahama to apologise to the people of the Ashanti Region for various comments he had made in his tour of the Ashanti Region. President Mahama is alleged to have said that Ashantis are ungrateful of efforts made by his Government to bring development to the region. �The Akans have a saying that, the hen never pleases the hawk no matter how well it dances. But that shouldn�t discourage us. We have noted the promise we made to Ghanaians for which we were voted into power. As for you in Kumasi, even if we construct roads tarred with gold, they will tell us that we did nothing,� President Mahama reportedly said. The President is also said to have played 'Yentie Obia' (to wit; we won�t listen to anybody), one of the tracks on the latest album by celebrated highlife musician, Daddy Lumba during his tour in the Ashanti Region. This has created controversy for President Mahama and his administration as many have described his comment and the use of the song as an insult to Ashantis in particular and Ghanaians in general. Contributing to panel discussions on Wednesday�s edition of �Kokrokoo�, Kwamena Duncan asked the Asantehene, Osei Tutu ll to insist that President Mahama apologises to Asanteman. �I cannot imagine that the President can be this insensitive especially looking at what Ghanaians are going through. In this difficult times; instead of finding solutions to our problems, you tell us that �Yen tie Obia��the Asantehene must also ask the President to apologise for saying that even if they use gold to construct roads they will not be satisfied. What does that imply? Does it mean that Ashantis are not appreciative? A president must not speak this way. He must retract and apologise�.,� Kwamena demanded. Commenting on the President�s tour of the Ashanti Region, Kwamena Duncan said it has been an �anti-climax� because nothing good has come out of it. According to him, the President, instead of focusing on his projects in the region, treated his tour as a �political rally�. �You don�t go on tour like you are going on a political rally. For me, it was an anti-climax. It would have even been better if he had not gone on this tour at all,� he said. But reacting to the NPP National Executive�s analysis of the president�s tour, the Deputy Minister of Chieftaincy and Traditional Affairs, Hon John Alexander Ackon noted that the President has done nothing wrong. He strongly held that the President did not insult Asanteman and �he will never do that�. Speaking on the same platform, he said: �we are making a mountain out of a molehill with this issue. He (President Mahama) is not being tribalistic�. Meanwhile, government has come out to strongly deny the report saying the president never said what he is quoted to have said anywhere during his 3 day visit or in his address to his party members. Government is also further accusing some sections of the media of doctoring the tape.