'Akyem Mafia and Sakawa Tag': Akyems give Mahama one-week ultimatum to apologize

The Chiefs and people of Akyem Abuakwa on Wednesday, September 9, 2020, staged a demonstration against the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama over certain comments made about the Akyems, which they considered derogatory.

The demonstration, which took place at Asamankese in the Eastern Region saw some prominent chiefs of the Akyem Abuakwa, Bosome and Kotoku, who expressed their displeasure against a post shared by John Mahama which labelled some members of the government and natives as “Akyem Sakawa” boys.

According to the chiefs and people who were demonstrating, the ethnocentric statements from the NDC and its leaders have a tendency to plunge the nation into chaos if not condemned by all Ghanaians.

The demonstrators therefore issued a one-week ultimatum to Mahama, to retract and apologise to Akyems for the “Akyem Sakawa Boys” tag.

Without an apology, the irate crowd threatened to ban the NDC from campaigning on any Akyem land.

Per reports from 'dailyguidenetwork' being monitored by soireenews.com, the demonstrators held numerous placards with inscriptions such as “Progressive Dialogue not insults.” and wore red bands on their heads

The Bolgatanga Central MP, Isaac Adongo, in a statement relating to the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal, accused President Nana Akufo-Addo and his kith and kin of forming a family-and-friend cartel to capture the mineral resources of the state via the deal.

He labelled them as “sakawa” and “mafia”, development that has caught the ire of President Akufo-Addo and some members of his government.

READ ALSO:
NDC’s SADA Is rather a Monumental Waste of Taxpayers Money – Bawumia

At a meeting with the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the Jubilee House on Friday, 4 September 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.”

But Mr Mahama has said, President Akufo-Addo should not take offense for being ‘tagged’ since he (Akufo-Addo) started the name-calling politics.

"He's the President who has called his critics naysayers and Jeremiahs...I don't understand what standard he can be offended at this time because he has precedence of name-calling," John Mahama,  said.

Mahama said the President instigated the name-calling business, therefore, he has no right to complain.

Mahama said however noted that he will "be the last person to disparage any tribe or ethnic group."