The National Youth Organizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Sammy Awuku, had said that former President, John Mahama’s “personal attack” on current President Nana Akufo-Addo, when he described the latter as super incompetent, was uncalled for and unpresidential.
“Mahama’s comments were not presidential, unnecessary, needless and President Nana Addo will not descend low to respond to him,” Mr Awuku told Citi News
[contextly_sidebar id=”fxnPGjlsCzJD6EvkyTu87vzcVREwqNoK”]During the National Democratic Congress’s Unity Walk last Saturday, Mr Mahama took a swipe at the Akufo-Addo administration describing it as super incompetent and suggesting it needed Bishop Daniel Obinim’s miracle sticker to help change the fortunes of his government.
Although the NPP has made similar claims against the NDC government in the past, Mr Awuku said the recent actions by Mr Mahama did not contribute to the constructive political discourse of the country and were not befitting of the stature of a former president.
“I think it was unnecessary, and I was particularly saddened because former president John Mahama is not an ordinary opposition leader but someone who has occupied the high office of the land before, you can have some of us activist talking that way, but when you have the former leader of the country to make such a comment then that was a direct attack on the personality of the sitting president,” he said.
“When you do this, you open yourself up for reprisals and counter attacks from the NPP but I am happy President Nana Addo has not responded because the statement made by former President Mahama was not presidential and it was needless. He could have just addressed the supporters that accompanied him on his walk and offered an alternative argument, strong and constructive criticism but when you reduce it to jokes as it is in social media you lower the discourse and makes it very difficult for us to measure on a balance what he wanted to put across.”
Mr Awuku also said there was no substance to the former President’s verbal attacks.
“If in his [Mahama’s] words the NPP government is incompetent, incompetent in what aspect? Is it the handling of our economy? Is it the rolling out of our policies and free SHS, restoration of the teacher training and nurses allowance or in which aspect?”
“Opposition must be credible, I have no doubt in my mind that the unity walk is part of Mr Mahama’s plans in testing the waters in a bid to seek re-election in 2020 and we do not have a problem with it because when the time comes we will all play the politics but as a former leader he must play his part constructively to enlarge and let the populace understand what he will do when he gets the nod again.”
Sammy Awuku added, “Is he saying when he gets the opportunity he will ask all of us to go and buy Obinim’s sticker, his comments were not necessary and needless and am happy president Nana Addo will not descend low to respond to him.”
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By: Neil Nii Amatey Kanarku/citinewsroom.com/Ghana