Member of Parliament for Tamale Central, Murtala Mohammed, has pointed out that the controversial ‘do-or-die’ statement by former President John Dramani Mahama is absolutely harmless to be construed otherwise.
He said it is preposterous for people to compare Mr Mahama’s controversial statement with that of the ‘All Die Be Die’ comment by President Akufo-Addo in the lead up to the 2012 elections.
Mr Mohammed posited that President Akufo-Addo’s ‘All Die Be Die’ statement have no semblance in meaning to that of ex-President Mahama’s, which the ‘market woman in Makola’ and the ‘Kayayei on the streets’ understands clearly not to have any association with violence.
He said the ‘Do or Die’ mantra is used by Kumasi Asante Kotoko and Accra Hearts of Oak all the time when they have their tightly contested duel of soccer matches in the country.
And that according to him, when these soccer clubs use a controversial term like ‘Do or Die’, what they simply mean is that they will be doing everything in their power to win the contest at all cost and effort with sheer grit and persistence.
The former Deputy Minister of Trade further said that when Mr Mahama made that statement on Akina FM, he explained what he meant on the radio station but it is unfortunate that a section of the media have tried to compare it to that of the ‘All Die Be Die’ dictum by President Akufo-Addo in 2012.
Mr Mohammed said in the instance where Mr Mahama didn’t clarify his controversial statement right on the same programme but had to go home in order to reflect on what he said, there would have been justification for the attempt to equate that statement to that of President Akufo-Addo’s in 2012.
He accused President Akufo-Addo for being the one who “directed the violence that was perpetrated on Ghanaians” in the election of 2020, leading to the death of nine individuals that is why there haven’t been any closure on the subject.
Mr Mohammed said the President has not condemned the unfortunate killing of nine individuals in the last election, which has precipitated the controversial ‘Do or Die’ dictum by former President Mahama.
He said this in an interview with Berla Mundi on the New Day show on TV3, Thursday, September 9.
Mr Mohammed was commenting on the back of the controversial ‘Do or Die’ comment uttered by Mr John Dramani Mahama on Akina FM in Techiman on Tuesday, September 7, which has received a lot of opprobrium and flak from all quarters of the country and political divides.
“When you begin to juxtapose the ‘Do or Die’, which is absolutely harmless with ‘All Die Be Die’, it is absolutely preposterous. And I have realized that a section of the public, especially a section of the media, that is the first basis for them to have a justification of condemning ex-President Mahama, they must put the ‘Do or Die’ with that irresponsible, violent-driven ‘All Die Be Die’ at par. And the moment you do that, once you are able to establish that wrong footing then they go ahead to say ex-President Mahama made a mistake”, he said on the New Day.
By Barima Kwabena Yeboah|3news.com|Ghana