Three personalities who have publicly 'mocked' stammerers in the past six years

Many stammerers or stutterers around the world are stigmatized. As a result, October 22 has been designated International Stuttering Awareness Day as part of efforts to combat this. 

The day is designed to raise public awareness of the stuttering disorder, which affects millions of people, or one percent of the world's population. Stammering is a neurological ailment that causes physical difficulty in speaking. 

Someone who stammers will repeat, prolong, or get stuck on sounds or words. There might also be signs of visible tension as the person struggles to get the word out. 

Some prominent personalities have in the past made comments that have been viewed as offensive to persons who stutter and have been condemned by a section of the public. 

GhanaWeb takes a look at some respectable persons in society who have publicly derided stammerers in the past six years. 

Flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Mahama, is the latest to incur the wrath of stammerers. 

The former President, during his critique of a recent press engagement by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana and Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), reportedly stated that Dr. Bawumia, who is known for his fluent speaking, began to stammer during the media interaction. 

He went on to imply that stammering is a sign of dishonesty, suggesting that “any person who does that is a liar.” 

The Coalition of Concerned Persons with Disabilities (CCPWDs) is demanding an apology from John Dramani Mahama for mocking people who stammer. 

The Coalition expressed disappointment, calling the remark deeply offensive and an unfortunate misrepresentation of individuals who stammer. 

This was stated in a press release signed by Elias Kadeologo and 3 other individuals, issued on Friday, August 30, 2024. 

As an organization committed to the protection of the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities in Ghana, the Coalition of Concerned Persons with Disabilities (CCPWDs) expresses our deep concern and disappointment regarding recent comments made by Former President John Dramani Mahama, the Flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), when he was commenting on the press engagement of the Flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party-Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana,' the statement said.

According to the statement, John Mahama's remarks suggest that persons who stammer are liars not only perpetuate harmful stereotypes but also expose individuals with speech impairments to public abuse and ridicule. 

Gabby Otchere-Darko

On February 9, 2022, the Ghana Stammering Association (GSA) demanded a genuine apology from the Founder of Danquah Institute, Gabby Otchere-Darko, for what they said was a disparaging comment against Stammerers in Ghana. 

It followed his response to some comments made by former President John Mahama. 

Earlier, Mr. Mahama, in an article, had urged President Akufo-Addo to overlook his embarrassment for failing to address the country’s economic challenges and urgently engage stakeholders to revive the economy. 

But replying to the former President in a tweet on February 7, 2022, Mr. Otchere-Darko likened Mahama’s criticisms to a stammerer complaining about how musician Sarkodie raps in his music. 

“Listening to John Mahama preach on the economy is like hearing a stammerer (apologies to stammerers), not only boldly criticizing @sarkodie’s rap, but trying to convince music lovers that @sarkodie must learn to learn how to verbalize from him, the stutterer,” the tweet said. 

Although Gabby Otchere-Darko apologized in his tweet, the association said it finds the apology rather derisive to stammerers. 

"The GSA strongly condemns this act and deems it very disparaging and demeaning to Persons Who Stammer (PWS) and the disability community as a whole... We therefore entreat him to take down his tweet and offer a genuine apology to all PWS all over the nation, particularly the GSA,” the association said in a statement. 

According to the association, its aim is to remove the negativity and stigmatization that is stereotypically associated with stammering. 

The statement further urged citizens and non-citizens to assist the association to achieve its objectives of ensuring social equality and peaceful coexistence among all persons irrespective of disability, sex, race, and ethnicity. 

Alban Bagbin 

In 2018, persons with speech impairment pounced on then NDC presidential hopeful and now Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, for describing them as unfit to occupy certain positions in government. 

The second deputy speaker of Parliament slammed former president John Mahama for appointing Dr. Omane Boamah as Communications Minister despite being a stammerer. 

“I learned from tradition that it is not the chief that speaks; it is the linguist, and, so, when you are a leader, you must have a very good linguist. 

“When Prof. [Atta Mills] was in power, Haruna Iddrisu was our linguist in charge of communication; when my brother John [Mahama] came to power, he substituted him for Dr. Omane Boamah, who is a natural stammerer,” the Nadowli Kaleo MP said during his tour of the Volta Region. 

He added: “He is a very intelligent boy; he is smart, but when he is speaking, he wastes time in coming out, and Ghanaians do not have that much patience, so they are always looking for those that are rattling. 

“So, even though you might have a good message, you will not succeed in marketing that message because somebody is there from the other side rattling and they are listening to him, so we came down.” 

However, persons who stammer issued a statement demanding an apology from Alban Bagbin over such “disparaging comments. 

“We find his description of the former minister not only unguarded, reckless, and infantile, but an attack on all well-meaning stammerers in the communications industry,” the statement said. 

It added: “It’s against this backdrop that we demand a full apology on behalf of Dr. Omane Boamah from the Nadowli West constituency while cautioning him to desist from passing comments that have the potential of undermining the intellectual capacities of people with physical impairment.” 

KA

Hassan Ayariga is our guest on the latest edition of Election Desk on GhanaWeb TV with host, Etsey Atisu. Catch the full interview below: