'Real 419' Mahama’s tribal bigotry 'height of irresponsibility' - Pius Hadzide

Deputy Information Minister, Hon. Pius Enam Hadzide has waded into the "Akyem Mafia" cum "Sakawa boys and Grandpas" saga, pointing out that accusatory fingers of the real perpetrators of 419 (scammers), should be directed at two individuals; specifically ex-President Johna Dramani Mahama for allegedly receiving bribe from a Burkinabe contractor, and his brother, Samuel Mahama for acting as a conduit to channel bribes in the infamous Airbus SE and is now on Interpol's Red Notice.

To him, Mr Mahama, who failed as a president and ended up earning the "incompetent" tag, but triumphed remarkably on sleaze, lacks the moral right to needlessly peddle such allegations.

The Deputy Info Minister held that as a statesman and someone who is aspiring to reoccupy the highest seat of government again, "he shouldn’t be heard or seen making such divisive comments."

Mahama & Brother Are The "Real 419ers"

Speaking on Okay Fm’s Ade Akye Abia morning show, he stressed that the former president should rather be heard condemning what the NDC Member of Parliament for Bolga Central, Isaac Adongo wrote on social media, rather than adding salt to injury by re-echoing the derogatory statement.

"We are getting into an election year and in as much as politicians go about campaigning, it should be issues-based and matters that will appeal to the heart of voters.

"It is only when you don’t have anything to say that you will engage in a campaign of insult and vilification, which for me should be condemned by all.

“in any case.....if we are to look for the real perpetrators of 419 (scammers) in the country, it should be the person who received bribes from a contractor based in Burkina Faso for easy and swift facilitation of winning road contracts....

"If we are looking for someone who is 419 and is perpetrating sakawa it is the person declared wanted by Interpol and is being sought by the Special Prosecutor to answer questions on how he was used as a conduit to channel bribes to his relatives with one of them known as Government Official 1.....Such a person in my view is the real sakawa....these two personalities are long on sleaze and short on substance...It is not Nana Akufo-Addo’s brother who has been declared wanted by Interpol, it is John Mahama’s brother. So if you ask me who the real sakawa is, I will point fingers at John Mahama,” the Deputy Information said.

Apologize

Hon Hadzide therefore called on the former president to humbly apologize to the people of Ghana and show commitment to ensuring a peaceful electioneering campaign process devoid of ethnocentrism.

No Apology Ever!

Even before Mr Mahama reacts to that call, the opposition party has emphatically stated that there is no reason their flagbearer will apologise for allegedly endorsing the “Akyem Sakawa Mafia” comment.

Deputy General-Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Otokunor believes the words have been taken out of context by the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its 2020 flagbearer, President Akufo-Addo, pointing out the tag was in relation to a selected group of people in government and not every member of the Akyem tribe.

Nana Addo "Disturbed"

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, last week, condemned a reference to himself and his home townsfolk as ‘Akyem Mafia’ and ‘Sakawa’ people by opposition MP Isaac Adongo, which was amplified by former President John Dramani Mahama, who shared it on his Facebook timeline a few days ago.

The Bolgatanga Central MP, in a statement relating to the controversial Agyapa Royalties deal, accused the President of forming a family-and-friends cartel to capture the mineral resources of the state.

However, at a meeting with the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference at the Jubilee House on Friday, 4 August 2020, President Akufo-Addo said he was “very disturbed” by the ethnocentric tagging his ethnic group.

"That is the kind of language we don’t want in our politics, If I was to get up to make a comment about northerners or Gonjas, you can imagine the uproar that will be in the country."

“Sometimes, one would hope when things come out, people will comment on them. The comment made by my opponent: ‘Akyem Sakawa’ people, I have not heard any public figure in this country or anybody comment on it.” he added.