<<Print>>"Is this how you want to be President? With insults?" Nana Akomea fires Mahama again over ex-gratia
Akomea's 1st Salvo
It may be recalled that the Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC) dared former President John Mahama to reject his May ex-gratia payment.
Speaking on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo on May 21, 2023, said: “Let me give him one challenge, just one challenge; Togbe Afede said that for him, he doesn’t believe in ex-gratia as a Council of State member, so what did he do? The ex-gratia that they gave him, he returned them to the government…after returning the money to the government, President Mahama praised him for doing that, saying he is a man of principle…so it means that Togbe Afede has principles by returning the ex-gratia.
“So, you, President Mahama, today if you claim you don’t believe in the ex-gratia, the ones that you have taken, we know that you have spent it already, so we can’t say that go and bring it…but the challenge I am giving to him is that the ones that he will be taking from this month May, he shouldn’t take it, he should stop taking the ex-gratia, the same way Togbe Afede stopped and returned his own, he should follow the same principle,” he added
Mahama replies
In response, Mahama clarified on Twitter that he does not get ex-gratia but instead receives a monthly pension.
He tweeted: “My friend Nana Akomea. Really sad what politics can do to a fine mind! I don’t take ex-gratia. I receive a monthly pension.”
Nana Akomea throws one again
However, the STC boss disagreed with the former President insisting he still have a "fine mind".
“The last time other citizens commented on this same sentiments of former President Mahama, he met them with similar insults, calling them “Silly. I urge ex-President Mahama, that if he wants to be President of Ghana again, he should refrain from insulting citizens. I assure him I am still his friend and I still have a fine mind"
Mahama hits back
Former President Mahama in a tweet on Monday, 29th May, 2023 fired back saying he didn't insult Nana Akomea.
“My friend Nana Akomea. I did not insult you. I know you know the difference between a lump sum ex-gratia payment and a monthly pension. Why you chose to misinform the public was because of politics,” he tweeted.
Akomea's final blow
Nana Akomea, however insists, Mahama's comment is an insult.
"What pained me is that if (Former) President Mahama disagrees with me, I dont have a problem but to say that politics has destroyed my mind is an insult; a big insult".
"I know he claims he didn't insult me but that's how I see it; to say politics have destroyed my mind is a big insult. There's a pattern; clearly there's a pattern that if you disagree with him (Mahama) he'll insult you. If this is how you want to be President, it won't help you..." he reiterated.