Over the weekend, while campaigning in the Upper West Region, the President of Ghana and leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), His Excellency John Dramani Mahama opted to use very ethnocentric and divisive campaign language.
The President, while addressing party supporters in Lawra as part of his campaign tour of the Region, made comments to suggest that the New Patroitic Party (NPP) only “uses northerners” to win power and “dump” them afterwards.
The President alleged that if vice-presidential candidate of the NPP Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia decides to contest as presidential candidate in the NPP, he is likely to be rejected by the party.
He then went on to cite the NPP presidential race in 2008 in which 16 other candidates contested the then vice-president of the erstwhile President Kuffour administration, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, for the Presidential candidacy of the party.
President Mahama also allged that unlike the NPP, the NDC gives everyone the chance to ascend to the high office including northerners and it is that opportunity in the NDC that has made it possible for him to become president after the demise of the late President, John Evans Atta Mills.
The MFWA considers the comments of President Mahama highly divisive and unfortunate and condemns same in no uncertain terms. As a leader of the country, President Mahama is expected to act in ways that will unite rather than divide the people of this country.
The MFWA therefore calls on the President to publicly apologise for his comments. We take this opportunity to urge other political figures to avoid the use of hate speech, ethnocentric and divisive comments in their political campaigns.
Source: Peacefmonline.com
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Signs and sounds of desperation
I AM VERY SURE BY NOW, MY DEAR PRESIDENT HIMSELF WOULD HAVE REALIZED HOW FAR HE WENT. AS THE PRESIDENT AND FATHER OF THE LAND, HE SHOULD RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO TOW THE LINE OF THE ORDINARY. THESE ARE THE VIRTUES THAT ARE MISSING IN THE 4TH REPUBLICAN DISPENSATION. A PRESIDENT MUST BE A UNIFYING AND NOT A DIVISIVE CHARACTER OR PERSONALITY. MY EXCELLENCY, YOU GOOFED BIG TIME. I APOLOGIZE ON YOUR BEHALF.
can any say wait president said is untrue, npp call themselves "yen akanfou" we the akans and never allow other tribes to lead the party, look at even the elected party chairman Afoko
Kofi Atta, I think you hear and see things like me. If you had not written this, I would have wrote the same thing.Thank you. if you are an Akan you can't openly declare that you support NDC the only respond that will meet you is an insult and comment like "Okan ne ba paa na wu support NDC" they have made us all to believe that NPP belong to the Akans. MFWA don't be hypocrites and bias. For we all live in Ghana
oyiwa ena eda ho no. THen they will say akuffo addo is tribalistic. A whole president inciting northeners against NPP. shame on you mahama. You have been exposed big time...
He just desperate to maintain his position hence all these from him.
Sometime I am ashamed to be an educated person. Because we the educated are the worst enemy of our country. How on earth can what Mahama said in Upper East region, not even in the Northern region let alone in Gonja land be divisive and tribalistic? Prof, you and your group should come again. When Kufour said that the people of Eastern region should vote for Nana because he is their son, Prof. Kakari and his group found nothing wrong with that. When Bawumia, their darling boy said the northerners should vote for him and Nana because they present a Christian-Moslem candidates, that was not divisive? Shame on you and your cohorts in the media who are running with you with their eyes closed.
There is an adage that when there are no dogs, goats are used for hunting expedition. A president must think deeply before talking. Unfortunately in ghana we are blessed with a president who talk before thinking. Former President Kufour was a classic example of a president who thinks deeply before talking. It is a shame that even me, an ordinary person of 28 years will never make such unwise statements which President Mahama found delight in making. He is desperate and so any thing goes. Well the die is cast already - Nana Akuffo Addo is President elect of ghana.
so MFWA are people saying vote for ur son comment by kuffour is not tribal politic,where were u when bawumia said the current presidency is skiwed forward one religion,this is the reason why people dont take this institution serious,u are in bed with npp
Why should anybody give Aliu Mahama of blessed memory to take over after Kufour had left. It has not been done anywhere including your party. Rawlings gave it to Atta Mills and we saw the breakaway party from NDC. That is below the belt Mr President. A sitting President in your party was challenged or you think we don't remember? President JEA Mills was challenged in Sunyani by Mrs. Rawlings. Has it ever happened in the NPP before where somebody decided to challenge Kufour for his second term. I think Mr so called President should be ashamed of himself of espousing such ethnocentric gibberish. You were also challenged by George Boateng but your party described him with all manner of words including he being mad. I have always doubt your communication expertise Mr John Mahama. You always talk like a serial caller. Learn to be decent.