The Constituency Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Tema West, Dennis Amfo-Sefah, has broken ranks with popular opinion that President Akufo-Addo portrayed pettiness in his half-hearted handshake with former President Mahama, saying the President did not snub anybody as is being claimed.
Speaking on a range of issues in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra, Mr. Amfo-Sefah, who is popularly called Nana Boakye, explained that the President appeared to have been a bit snobbish with the former President because the President was in a hurry to cater for other dignitaries.
“It is not true as people are saying that President Akufo-Addo deliberately snubbed the former President….the President is a perfect gentleman and will not do that. If you watch the video that has gone viral carefully, you will realize that there were so many dignitaries that were waiting for the President to exchange pleasantries with and he gave the former President a quick handshake, not a snub as is being virally reported, and moved on to attend to others” Nana Boakye said.
According to him, the backlash against the President was not fair, adding that he was confident that in the coming days, the seat of Government would release a statement to clear the misunderstanding.
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has come under public heat after a video that captured him seemingly snubbing former President John Dramani Mahama at a high-profile meeting on Wednesday went viral.
In the video, the President is seen exchanging hearty and warm handshakes with dignitaries at the maiden edition of the Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum in Accra until he reached former President Mahama and then gave him an awkwardly quick handshake that gave the impression that he was not on good terms with his predecessor.
Both President Akufo-Addo and former President Mahama attended the programme as invited guests at the maiden edition of the Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum with the President as the Guest Speaker and the Former President, a panel member.
Along with public furor, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) described the President’s action as petty.
But Nana Boakye has punched back at the NDC, accusing the opposition party of trying to raise a storm in a tea cup.
“The NDC are only doing what is expected of them – ride on this none issue to make some political capital, but it won’t wash. President Akufo-Addo is not a disrespectful man and nothing will change that. I look forward to Jubilee House releasing an official statement to dispel the misconceptions,” Nana Boakye said.
The Tema West NPP Chairman advised the NDC to stop wasting its time in attempt to make political capital out of the issue and rather concentrate its energies on coming up with viable governance alternatives to sell to Ghanaians.
