Akyem Sakawa boys tag: Adongo may be pardoned, but not Mahama - Obiri Boahen

Deputy General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party, Lawyer Nana Obiri Boahen has slammed former President John Dramani Mahama for amplifying what he describes as ethnocentric comments made by the Member of Parliament for Bolgatanga.

According to Mr. Obiri Boahen, whiles Mr. Adongo could be pardoned for tagging government persons fronting the ‘Agyapa Gold Royalties deal as Akyem Sakawa boys’ on grounds of youthful exuberance, the same cannot be said for former President Mahama considering his status.

“You may pardon Adongo, he is a Member of Parliament and as a Member of Parliament we know you are not supposed to speak like that but he was dabbling in his youthful exuberance...It is not a parliamentary language for Adongo to have used such words but you may pardon Adongo because the positions Former President Mahama has held, Adongo has not held the same. President Mahama is a former President and that is what makes me tell the NPP people to avoid insulting President Mahama,” he said in an interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikese on Okay FM, today, September 7, 2020.

He stated that the tag can best be described as a dangerous statement that evokes tribal sentiments.

“Once you use Akyem, Ga, Bono, or Mamprusi you have raised the issue to a point that gives you off as having an evil agenda against a whole ethnic group and that is dangerous,” he said.

On Friday President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo when the Catholic Bishops Conference visited him at the Flagstaff House relayed his dissatisfaction with the tag placed on him and his tribesmen serving in his government and seemingly lashed out at the clergymen for being silent on the subject.

In response, former President John Mahama and his party have sought to defend themselves by saying the tag is not in the description of the entire Akyem ethnic group.