First Vice Chairman of opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) F. F. Antoh, has apologised to President John Mahama for suggesting that the Ghanaian leader deserved to die for daring to run for a second term.
The NPP firebrand, on a Kumasi-based radio station, said: “Acheampong embarked on massive infrastructural development: he built Kumasi Sports Stadium, Komfo Anokye Polyclinic. But when he mismanaged the economy and inflation shot up, he was overthrown. Do you remember what happened to him? He was shot to death. The way and manner Mahama has mismanaged the economy, if not for civilisation and democracy, he should have been killed by now.”
But the government condemned the comment as “despicable”.
A statement signed by Communication Minister, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, said on Friday September 9 that: “Government takes a serious view of the NPP Vice Chairman’s comments on Abusua FM and wishes to condemn the opposition party’s constant resort to hate speech. Hate speech, plotting violence, and calls for murder must not have a place in our politics.”
It added: “We believe elections are about counting heads and not cutting heads. Government is, therefore, advising the NPP and all political actors to engage in progressive and 21st century politicking and not what divides and inculcates the resort to violence in our people.
“Government is calling on the National Peace Council and the security agencies to increase their alertness and vigilance in order to ensure the early identification and isolation of such backward incidents likely to be perpetrated by men and women who should know better as we have observed in this index case to forestall an escalation of tensions in our beloved country particularly as we inch closer to the December 7 general elections.”
Speaking on Accra-based 3FM on Friday 9 September, Mr Antoh said: “If people feel bad about it, I apologise. …People are saying that it is hate speech, but I don’t see it that way. I never asked people that if they see President Mahama, because he has mismanaged the economy, they should throw sticks at him. I was just referring to a situation that has happened in the past.”
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