Bature: Mahama is not an Akan, correct him!

President John Dramani Mahama has come under heavy fire following his remarks that Kumasi residents are not ‘appreciative’ of efforts being made by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, to bring development projects to Ghana and in particular the Ashanti Region.

The President’s controversial comments which have not gone down well with some residents of Kumasi were reportedly made when he addressed teeming NDC supporters at the office of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council on the first day of his three-day tour of the region.

“The presidency is working hard so don’t allow anyone to deceive you into thinking that we are retrogressing. As I speak, there are several projects ongoing. We are constructing roads, providing water and electricity. Since I came, we have inspected ongoing renovation works on the runway of the Kumasi Airport. We are fixing instruments at the Airport to allow for both day and night flights. We have also inspected the DIHOC Shoe Factory where there are new machines for producing footwear for the military here in Kumasi."

“However, the Akans have a saying that, the chicken never pleases the hawk no matter how well she dances. But that shouldn’t discourage us. We have noted the promise we made to Ghanaians for which we were voted into power. As for some people, even if we construct roads tarred with gold in Kumasi here, they will tell us that we did nothing."

“The promises we made that Ghanaians stood behind us, all have been documented, we know all the promises, we are fulfilling all. By 2016, we will count them one after the other. When we finish counting, we will ask Ghanaians if we have left some out. They will say no, we have done all. 2016, the elections, we will win again…,” a transcript of the relevant portions of what the president purportedly said in Twi reads.

But government has come out to strongly deny the report saying the president never said what he is quoted to have said anywhere during his 3-day visit, or in his address to his party members.

Government is also further accusing some sections of the media of doctoring the tape.

However speaking on Adom FM on the issue, Managing Editor of the Al Hajj Newspaper and a self-confessed sympathizer of the NDC, Alhaji Bature Idrissu said the president should be pardoned for his words if indeed he did say so since he is not an Akan by birth.

He opined that even if the President deliberately used those Akan phrase “Wie ye num," “he [Prez Mahama] has a strong alibi that nobody can hold him to account for.”

“He [President Mahama] is not an Akan person. That [twi language] is not his native patois…he is learning from it. Even if he has erred, why don’t they correct him? I [Bature] sometimes make mistakes when speaking in twi and misapply certain words and people do correct me,” he added.