'Sika mpɛ dede’ – Presby Moderator 'explains' Akufo-Addo’s famous quote

Most Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, the 18th Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, has tasked Ghanaians to critique the government using the proper channels stressing that doing otherwise ultimately hurts the economy as it has the tendency of chasing away investors.

“There is a medium to raise concerns about issues not to dirty each other in the media. The more we say negative things about our country, the more prices will shoot up. Because there is no investor who will seriously take you seriously.

“It is this that someone wanted to say when he said sika mpɛ dede,” he added in reference to controversial comments President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo made in his October 30 economic address to the nation.

The clergyman was speaking at an event to climax the Centenary celebration of the Asante presbytery in Kumasi over the weekend, where he observed that the economic difficulties Ghanaians were experiencing were not unique to Ghana.

But that over-politicization has become the norm, hence opposition parties are always acting in ways that shame the government so that they can boost their chances of winning power.

“Ghana has become very difficult. But I also know that the whole world has become very difficult. I know that things have become very difficult and in Ghana, many people are not educated to know that there is a serious world crisis.

“If you say it, many don’t believe because everything is politicized, so the opposition is interested in doing what will shame the ruling government so that he can be voted for. That kind of politics must be shunned, it is not nice. It doesn’t convince those of us who are educated,” he stressed.

What Akufo-Addo said about Ghana being in a crisis

Amid an economic downturn, calls for Akufo-Addo to resign has heightened with a November 5, 2022 protest dubbed ‘Kume Preko Reloaded’ making the loudest call as activists and politicians marched in Accra to press home that demand.

The government is meanwhile, grappling with an economic crisis, which along with the galamsey scourge and corruption are the major drivers for the call on Akufo-Addo to resign along with his Vice President, Mahamadu Bawumia.

Akufo-Addo in his October 30 address on the economy blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causes for the country’s economic woes.

While admitting that the country was in crisis and rallying support for various government interventions to stem the tide, he said the situation was not peculiar to the country as many nations across the world were also experiencing difficulties.

“We are in a crisis, I do not exaggerate when I say so. I cannot find an example in history when so many malevolent forces have come together at the same time.

“But, as we have shown in other circumstances, we shall turn this crisis into an opportunity to resolve not just the short-term, urgent problems, but the long-term structural problems that have bedevilled our economy,” he said.

But like before, President Akufo-Addo blamed the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war as causative factors for the economic woes.

SARA/PEN