Why Dr. Bawumia was booed during Hogbetsotso Za

He became the latest victim of a booing incident when he was addressing a packed gathering of celebrants at the 2022 Hogbetsotso Za of the Anlo people of the Volta Region on Saturday, November 5. In videos and other reports that emerged thereafter, it was unclear what exactly was the reason for the booing incident on the vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. However, a member of the Hogbetsotso Planning Committee, Agbotadua Kumasah, has explained that it was inspired after the vice president started talking about the economy. He said that Dr. Mahamudu actually began his address by reiterating the need for unity among the Asantes and the Anlo State. “When he arrived, there was general calmness on the whole assembly ground. When the Asantehene spoke, people applauded him, when the Kwahuhene also spoke, people applauded him. “And then when he started speaking, he spoke drawing attention to what the Asantehene said about unity between the Asantes and the Anlo State that people are enjoying and then they were clapping for him,” he said in an interview with JoyNews and monitored by GhanaWeb. Agbotadua Kumasah however explained that it was when the vice president got to talking about the economy that the people began to agitate. He added that the people gathered there, being aware that some of the things he was saying were false, then started to boo at him. “When he entered the economic situation, that is when the problem started. He mentioned among others that they built more airports than any other government, they built more roads than any other government and the people who were there did not see the roads, the airports, the roads he was referring to. “So, that brought some agitation and it became very difficult to control the people because what he was saying, none of them happened in the area. He also said that when Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia started talking about the government’s work in the digitization field, the people were calm until again, he started talking about things that were strange to them. “But when he started talk of digitization, those areas were true…but those came late, if he were to start with those ones, things we are all aware that they really happened, then the people will accommodate. “But he started with things that were strange to the people who were there, I think that is what brought the booing by the youth,” he explained. The booing of the vice president comes only weeks after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was booed at two separate events within a spate of two weeks; the Global Citizens Concert at the Independence Square, and while he was driving through a town in the Eastern Region. In the last few months, Ghanaians have been expressing their anger with the government’s handling of the economy, a situation that has plunged many sectors into disarray. Many calls have been made to the government to do something about the situation, which includes the unprecedented poor performance of the Ghana cedi against foreign currencies such as the US dollar. AE/BB

He became the latest victim of a booing incident when he was addressing a packed gathering of celebrants at the 2022 Hogbetsotso Za of the Anlo people of the Volta Region on Saturday, November 5. In videos and other reports that emerged thereafter, it was unclear what exactly was the reason for the booing incident on the vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. However, a member of the Hogbetsotso Planning Committee, Agbotadua Kumasah, has explained that it was inspired after the vice president started talking about the economy. He said that Dr. Mahamudu actually began his address by reiterating the need for unity among the Asantes and the Anlo State. “When he arrived, there was general calmness on the whole assembly ground. When the Asantehene spoke, people applauded him, when the Kwahuhene also spoke, people applauded him. “And then when he started speaking, he spoke drawing attention to what the Asantehene said about unity between the Asantes and the Anlo State that people are enjoying and then they were clapping for him,” he said in an interview with JoyNews and monitored by GhanaWeb. Agbotadua Kumasah however explained that it was when the vice president got to talking about the economy that the people began to agitate. He added that the people gathered there, being aware that some of the things he was saying were false, then started to boo at him. “When he entered the economic situation, that is when the problem started. He mentioned among others that they built more airports than any other government, they built more roads than any other government and the people who were there did not see the roads, the airports, the roads he was referring to. “So, that brought some agitation and it became very difficult to control the people because what he was saying, none of them happened in the area. He also said that when Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia started talking about the government’s work in the digitization field, the people were calm until again, he started talking about things that were strange to them. “But when he started talk of digitization, those areas were true…but those came late, if he were to start with those ones, things we are all aware that they really happened, then the people will accommodate. “But he started with things that were strange to the people who were there, I think that is what brought the booing by the youth,” he explained. The booing of the vice president comes only weeks after President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was booed at two separate events within a spate of two weeks; the Global Citizens Concert at the Independence Square, and while he was driving through a town in the Eastern Region. In the last few months, Ghanaians have been expressing their anger with the government’s handling of the economy, a situation that has plunged many sectors into disarray. Many calls have been made to the government to do something about the situation, which includes the unprecedented poor performance of the Ghana cedi against foreign currencies such as the US dollar. AE/BB