Bawumia resurrects Mahama’s ‘dead goat syndrome’ remarks as campaign intensifies

The flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has taken a swipe at former President John Dramani Mahama over his criticism of his (Bawumia’s) government.

Dr Bawumia said that Mahama did nothing to solve the challenges of Ghana when he was president but is now going around criticizing him and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over the current state of the country.

The vice president then resurrected the “I have a dead goat syndrome” remark made by Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) when he was president in 2015.

"Today, John Mahama is going around the country and he is speaking to people as if he has never been president before. When we were suffering under his presidency, he told us he was a dead goat. A dead goat who had no feelings. Today he wants to resurrect and become a live goat," Dr. Bawumia said.

He added, "Suddenly he has all the solutions to our problems. But when he was President, what solutions did he bring to Ghana? Did he solve the unemployment programme? Did he create jobs? Did he tackle corruption? Did he issue Ghana cards? Did he build astro turfs? Did he abolish the three-month pay policy for teachers? Did he establish Free SHS? He had no solutions to our problems".

Mahama’s dead goat syndrome comment:

The then-president Mahama warned that he would not be shaken by the threat of strikes from labour unions as the country approached the 2016 Election.

He said that many presidents allow themselves to be shaken by labour unions, who only want to take advantage of the election years with various demands.

“Often what happens is that in election years, trade unions and everybody sees that government is in a vulnerable place and so that is when demonstrates, agitations for increase in pay and all that begins to happen.

"… I have seen more demonstrations and strikes in my first two years. I don't think it can get worse. It is said that when you kill a goat, and you frighten it with a knife, it doesn't fear the knife because it is dead already.

"I have a dead goat syndrome," he said on March 11, 2015, while speaking to members of the Ghanaian community in Botswana.

Watch Bawumai’s remarks and that of Mahama in the videos below:

John Mahama wants to resurrect himself to be a live goat - Dr. Bawumia#UTVNews pic.twitter.com/MN5nALQWyN

— UTV Ghana (@utvghana) November 21, 2023