2024 flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has criticised President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, for condemning a machete brandishing by some members of the NDC at his (Mahama) office.
In a tweet made by the former President Tuesday, November 28, 2023, Mr. Mahama says he finds the president’s actions to be double standard after choosing not to comment on some issues that appear more dangerous than what happened at his office.
In the post on X, formerly twitter, Mr. Mahama said “this is a bit rich, coming from a President who superintended the mayhem at Ayawaso West Wuogon and has not had a word of sympathy for the families of our 8 compatriots who died from state-sponsored violence in the 2020 elections.”
This is a bit rich, coming from a President who superintended the mayhem at Ayawaso West Wuogon and has not had a word of sympathy for the families of our 8 compatriots who died from state-sponsored violence in the 2020 elections. pic.twitter.com/qnLMdF46It
— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) November 28, 2023
Some NDC youth stormed the office of the former president who is also flag bearer for the party last week with weapons to engage in what they called a clean-up exercise. They made the arrangement for the supposed clean-up exercise after a pro-political group, FixingTheCountry, announced their intention to picket the former President’s office over the Airbus SE scandal.
The Eastern Regional Youth Organiser of the NDC, Richard Etornam Nyarko, said he was mobilising some youth to confront Ernest Owusu Bempah, leader of the FixingTheCountry group and his entourage at the former President’s office.
The face-off threats came up after Mr. Owusu Bempah had notified the police of their intended picketing.
According to him, Mr. Mahama is implicated in the Airbus SE scandal but appears to be left off the hook despite the Office of the Special Prosecutor indicating the outfit’s effort in investigating the matter.
He noted that the FixingTheCountry movement has petitioned the OSP’s office to look into the matter considering the international disgrace the issue brought upon the state.
But reacting to the issue in a video that went viral on social media, Etornam Nyarko, the Eastern regional Youth Organiser of the NDC said he was mobilising his team to join an entourage in Accra led by the Greater Accra Youth Organiser of the party to confront the FixingTheCountry group.
He said they were going to tidy up the surroundings of the former President and will get rid of anyone they find around, including Owusu Bempah.
“He is the leader of our party and we don’t want surroundings of his residence to breed snakes so we want to clear everything that will make the surroundings the habitat for predators and animals and snakes.
“So I’m going there purposely to clean with my sharpened edged cutlass. If I see Owusu Bempah he is not an NDC person we have not invited him to join our cleanup exercise. If I see him, it will turn into something else.
“I’ll treat him like a snake because I’m going to kill all snakes and anything that’s unwanted around the house of President Mahama. If he’s a man, I’ll treat him like a snake,” he said in the trendy video.
“He needs to know his level. He needs to know his limit and if he hasn’t been shown his limit I’m sure the very day that he’s seen to move around the residence of President Mahama and deliver whatever petition he wants to deliver to him, that day, he will know his limit. I’m throwing a challenge to him and I’m daring him if he’s and he has two balls, he should dare walk around the corners of President Mahama’s residence and see. If he doesn’t meet anybody he will see me there and we’ll meet him squarely,” he added.
He continued that “whatever weapon I had that will help me do my cleaning around the residence of president Mahama, I’ll carry it along and if he dare come through and join our eyes I’ll treat him like an enemy. So my words to him, if he is a man, we want to see him on that day. My colleague Greater Accra Youth Organiser is going to be there. He is mobilising and I’m mobilising.”
The FixingTheCountry movement apparently suspended the picketing after the National Security said the move could have serious security consequences.
But the NDC youth, on the day of the intended picketing went to Mr. Mahama’s office to showcase what they have got to confront the demonstrators, making President Akufo-Addo condemn the act.
READ ALSO: Owusu Bempah petitions OSP to expedite investigations on Airbus SE scandal
