The National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Ashanti Region has condemned the actions of some mourners who heckled President John Mahama at the one-week celebration of the passing of the queen-mother of the Ashanti Kingdom, Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa Ampem II on Thursday at the Manhyia Palace.
In an interview with Citi News, an NDC Communications Officer, Samed Akalilu, recounted that “some members of the NPP begun making ugly noises there, booing and saying all sort of unthinkable things” to the President.
“Yesterday, President Mahama had the loudest cheers in terms of the support base of the people who were around but there were pockets of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) members who obviously are not happy that president Mahama gets too much support in the region anytime he come here that even Nana Akufo-Addo who belongs to the NPP.”
“We in the NDC condemn such acts. They must apologise to Ghanaians and retract some of the unsavory comments passed by members of the New Patriotic Party,” Mr. Akalilu stated.
Reports indicate that confusion nearly broke out at the Manhyia Palace between President John Mahama’s security detail and some of the mourners.
The heckling mourners were seen making the NPP change sign when President John Mahama arrived. That reportedly prompted the President’s security detail to step in to protect him.
But some of the mourners claimed one of the President’s security officials drew a gun at the crowd and the action angered some of them.
Heckling acts of desperation
Mr. Akalilu held that the actions of hecklers smacked of desperation because the President has a strong support base in the region and will not prevent them from achieving their agenda of garnering 1.5 million votes for the President on December 7.
“We are very aware that these acts are just acts of desperation because of the kind of developmental projects president Mahama has provided for the region,” he stated.
–
By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana