An activist of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Stan Dogbe has responded to the New Patriotic Party (NPP)’s claim that the heckling of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at the Global Citizens Festival on Saturday September 24 was orchestrated by the NDC.
Mr Akufo-Addo during the event delivered a keynote address amidst jeering from the crowd.
He spoke about the government of Ghana’s involvement in eradicating poverty and upholding national unity.
“Together we can achieve gender equality, empower the women & girls and achieve the global needs and goals of the Sustainable Development Goals, and one day, we are going to have a female President of Ghana.” President – @NAkufoAddo #GlobalCitizenFestival#BouncingBackTogether pic.twitter.com/xDMmEYuxK8
— Ghana Presidency (@GhanaPresidency) September 26, 2022
“Ladies and gentlemen, I extend a hearty Akwaaba, our word of welcome, from a very hospitable people. To all of you, who have come from afar and wide, to our vibrant city of Accra, Ghana’s capital, to join us on this great occasion,” the President said at the event amidst the heckling.
But the NPP accused the NDC of being behind the embarrassment the President suffered.
A statement issued by a Deputy Director of Communications of the NPP Ernest Owusu Bempah said “Quite frankly, in a normal sporting or entertainment events, fans boo. It might not be printed on the ticket, but fans believe the price of admission includes a right to express themselves about pretty much anything that goes on at the ballpark, stadium or arena. They whistle, jeer and taunt, and no one – players, coaches, other fans, even mascots is immune.
“To think President Akufo-Addo would be spared that kind of reception, or be outraged that he wasn’t, is either naïve or sanctimonious.
“Truly, politicians don’t expect to be popular all the time. Getting on with running the country is a job where you have to take difficult decisions a lot of the time. There’s nothing wrong if President Akufo-Addo goes to an event and receives cold reception. That’s a normal occurrence.
‘Non-Living Thing’ by Sarkodie has always been a jam. It's obvious that the crowd enjoyed the performance in equal measure. ? #GlobalCitizenFestival pic.twitter.com/avMAD1qNXl
— Urban Lifestyle Radio? (@3fm927) September 24, 2022
“But then, to allow politics to take centre stage at such an event and single out the President unfairly for political point scoring raises serious concerns. To put it more bluntly, it is pure evil and utter disgrace for the NDC to organize its supporters to go and shout down the President the manner it happened.
“As a matter of fact, the mean-spirited treatment of President Akufo-Addo, the fact that the president’s appearance prompted loud and sustained boos and jeers from partisan NDC crowd at the global citizen event crossed some bright line.”
But in a response to the NPP, Mr Stan Dogbe said “This our Ghanaian economy is in tatters, as my brother Edward Omane Boamah puts it. Stop the foolhardiness, mates. The hardship is real, and it can only increase. Nana Akufo-Addo, Bawumia and their government have absolutely no clue.
“The resounding reaction of ordinary Ghanaians- not the fake and real middle class- who are feeling the brunt of the hopelessness being forced on us by a completely clueless, useless and incompetent administration, is just what it is!!!
“The booing of the President off the stage, a global stage, is just a tip of the iceberg of the frustration and disappointment of the people of Ghana.”
Below is his full statement published on Facebook…
When it first came from some of their usual noisemakers, it wasn’t worth that attention.
I cannot believe, though not surprised, that a whole ruling party will put ‘pen to paper’ and make such claims!
There’s a certain reality that escapes you because of the seeming comfort one finds him/herself, and for many within the high echelons of the NPP and Government, they may not have started experiencing directly what the teeming majority are facing.
And that is because, they are all living in denial. Your own financiers, genuine business people with investments in their businesses, your relatives who do not live with you, or hardly see you, are feeling it.
This our Ghanaian economy is in tatters, as my brother Edward Omane Boamah puts it.
Stop the foolhardiness, mates. The hardship is real, and it can only increase. Nana Akufo-Addo, Bawumia and their government have absolutely no clue.
The resounding reaction of ordinary Ghanaians- not the fake and real middle class- who are feeling the brunt of the hopelessness being forced on us by a completely clueless, useless and incompetent administration, is just what it is!!!
The booing of the President off the stage, a global stage, is just a tip of the iceberg of the frustration and disappointment of the people of Ghana.
You will be ‘fooling’ yourself if you think that Saturday’s global embarrassment of Nana Addo was a political masterpiece! Check well, and you will find that the spontaneity of it, means some of your card bearing members who are now openly expressing their disgust, were the loudest.
Instead of comforting the gullible among your supporters that this was an NDC and John Mahama controlled reaction, think, think and think out of the box!
Ghana must be saved. John Mahama and the NDC will save Ghana, but it must not be crumbled to the ground before the redemption work starts. Get thinking and start a process to resolve the challenges Nana Addo and Bawumia have brought upon this country.
If there was no crisis management meeting on Sunday to discuss and begin to finally find ways towards salvaging the little that is left of the President’s Image because of the poverty he has plunged our people into, then it further tells why we are here.
If all you have done as a government is to send out loud mouths with a message to bleat all over and blame the NDC and John Dramani Mahama, then I can only tell the people of Ghana that, there is no solution in sight over the remaining months of this clueless and incompetent administration.
Even at the Global Concert the Nana Addo family created their usual ‘we and them’ society. Did you see the party in the enclosed circle where together with their children and family, it was a wild party?
Before you send out noisemakers with these irritating messages, please pause to think, think, and think about the state of the people you pretend to be leading, and caring for.
Another example of just how not to respond to Crisis!!!
I thought Crisis Communications Management is taught?
By Laud Nartey|3news.com|Ghana