That was not a place to joke - Prof Agyekum on Akufo-Addo's 'Voltarians don’t vote for me' comment

The Head of Languages Department at the University of Ghana, Professor Kofi Agyekum has faulted President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over lack of discretion in his recent address to victims affected by the spilling of excess water in the Akosombo Dam.

According to the language expert, the president failed to read the situation when he sought to use humour while addressing the flood victims.

“There are some statements that ought to be said by the servants, there are others that are to be made by the linguist and there is what ought to be said by the king himself.

"What that means is that, it is not every statement that is to be made by the king. The statement that has been attributed to Nana Akufo-Addo, which is said to be humour, wouldn’t have been an issue if it was said by one of his subordinates. He is the president and these are serious times.

“I have read a transcript of his statement and the first few paragraphs he made the point that as president it is his duty to serve every Ghanaian in accordance with his oath of office, that was perfect.

"Then came in the issue of election. I know less about politics and may not understand him, the issue is he may have been engaging in humour but the question remains that was that the time right for humour?

"How were people going to receive the humour? Those looking for you to falter and berate you were not dead, so, maybe there was the need to exercise a bit of restraint.

"It's not everyone that has a sense of humour,” Prof Agyekum stated on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo morning show hosted by Kwame Sefa Kayi.

President Akufo-Addo has come under criticism for his statement during a recent visit to the Volta Region and other areas affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage.

The president while noting his duty to respond to the plight of the flood victims noted that he would have made the trip if his presence was to be counted on votes obtained from the area alone.

But according to Prof Agyekum, he would have scored the President and F if he were to score his statement.

“He did not take the moment and the issue at hand into consideration, the people are in grief,” he noted.

GA/SARA

Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.

You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: