Stop inciting Akyems against Mahama – Gonja group to Akufo-Addo
President Nana Akufo-Addo must stop inciting the people of Akyem against former President John Mahama, a youth group in Gonjaland called the Progressive Youth Forum has said.
At a press conference on Monday, 14 September 2020, the group’s convenor, Salifu Seidu Kudus, said: “It is interesting how President Akufo-Addo, in seeking the sympathy of Ghanaians, incited all Akyems against President Mahama”.
“He did this without regard for the peace and unity of the nation”, Mr Kudus said.
After Mr Mahama shared a write-up authored by opposition MP Isaac Adongo on his Facebook page titled: ‘Agyapa Royalties Fraud Is The Last Straw: The Akyem Sakawa Boys and Grandpas must Go’, a group calling itself the Concerned Citizens of Akyem in the Eastern Region, demonstrated against the former President on Wednesday, 9 September 2020, and gave him a 72-hour ultimatum to apologise to Akyems or stay away from campaigning in any of their jurisdictions.
However, another Okyeman Group, Progressive Akyem Citizens, countered the claims made by the Concerned Citizens of Akyem.
According to the Progressive Akyem Citizens, the actions of the other group is shrouded in “misguided emotionalism and unhealthy political infiltration”.
At its press conference on Monday, the Gonja youth group wondered: “What is President Mahama’s crime for sharing Adongo’s post on his Facebook wall?”
“These opinions are solely honourable Adongo’s”, the group said, adding: “The only thing President Mahama did was to share the post”.
“And since when did referring to a section of people become addressing everyone in the group?” it inquired.
“If this is the argument, then when the Gonja mafia tag came up, the Gonja people should have protested, too,” Mr Kudus argued.
In his view, the threat by the Concerned Citizens of Okyeman is condemnable.
“They cannot ban Mr Mahama from the Akyem land.
“He has the right to go there whenever he wants, just as President Akufo-Addo.
“Last week, President Akufo–Addo was here, no one threw stones at him whatsoever. He was in Bole, Mr Mahama’s hometown, and was accommodated. So, how come a mere post should put the life of Mr Mahama at risk?”
“We need to condemn these things”, he said.
“They can breed chaos. We are monitoring the situation keenly and will not hesitate to react at any indication that the life of Mr. Mahama is under threat”, he noted.
