Former President Jerry John Rawlings has condemned youth groups who threatened former President John Mahama, following his office’s denial that he was advised to accept the 2016 election results.
According to former President John Rawlings, “it is utterly inappropriate for a youth group, and other politically blinded persons” to have insulted the former President.
Mr. Rawlings also called on Mr. Mahama to find a way of sorting out his differences between his camp and the Asantehene.
“Fellow citizens, when the dust settles on the issue of President Mahama and Otumfuo, I hope we finally recognise how utterly inappropriate it is for a youth group and other politically blinded persons to send threats to a former president of the nation.”
“I trust our loyalty to party colours has not blighted our traditional reverence for leadership. Let us also hope that President Mahama will find a way of sorting this out with the Asantehene as he has offered to.”
He futher called on the appropriate institutions to ensure the youth involved in sending threats to former President Mahama are reprimanded.
“And I hope the youth will receive the appropriate reprimand at the end of it all.”
Background
President John Mahama and his close confidante and former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah last week, were criticised by some youth groups in the Ashanti Region for denying the Asantehene’s involvement in then President Mahama’s decision to concede defeat in the 2016 polls.
Mr. Mahama said the statement by his former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah clarifying Asantehene’s comments were “intended to simply clarify that I never had the slightest intention of seeking to hang on to power unconstitutionally, as some media houses sought to infer from Otumfuo’s speech at the UN.”
The Asantehene while addressing the UN meeting said, “At the conclusion of the last Presidential and Parliamentary elections the country stood on the edge of disaster. The UN Representatives and the Diplomatic community were aghast alarmed that Ghana was about to slip down the slope of electoral violviolence
Fortunately, the moral authority of the Palace was at hand. We were able to intervene to persuade the losing candidate to accept his fate and fly both candidates for a quiet encounter to pave way for a smooth handover.”
The comment went viral with many taking a swipe at former President Mahama for reportedly trying to hold on to power despite the massive loss in the 2016 general elections.
Mr. Debrah and the opposition National Democratic Congress incurred the wrath of the Asante Youth Association over the statement claiming it was aimed at destroying the Asante Kingdom.
The Director of Operations for the Association, Nana Oppong Boadu called on former President John Mahama to dissociate himself from the press statement released by Mr. Debrah or face the consequence.
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