Ardent followers of mainstream and social media can testify to the war of words between former President John Dramani Mahama and the Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC).
The two distinguished political figures have been engaging in exchanges emanating from Mr. Mahama’s promise to scrap the controversial ex-gratia when elected as president of the country again in 2024.
This political promise of the 2024 flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has generated a heated debate dominating most political discussions on television, radio, and social media for some time now.
Sharing his views on Mr. Mahama’s promise which happened to be the genesis of this feud, the Managing Director of STC indicated for the former president to demonstrate his commitment to his promise, he should stop accepting the ex-gratia payments that he continues to receive as a former president.
Nana Akomea stated that Mr. Mahama must learn from the principle of Togbe Afede.
Speaking on Accra-based Peace FM two weeks ago, Nana Akomea said, “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 throwing to him is that the ones 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.”
But Mr. Mahama who seemed not too happy with the interpretation of Nana Akomea in a Twitter post called out the MD of STC. He attributed the reasoning of Nana Akomea to partisan politics.
Clarifying the payments he receives, the former President noted that he only receives a monthly pension but not ex-gratia as claimed by Nana Akomea.
“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,” John Mahama tweeted.
But the MD of STC took a strong exception to the comment of the NDC flagbearer. He stressed that a former President and now a flagbearer cannot be infusing derogatory remarks in his public utterances.
“Even if President Mahama disagrees with me, I am sad that he chose to lace his disagreement with insults to my person, by implying politics had caused me to lose my “fine mind”. The last time other citizens commented on this same sentiment of President Mahama, he met them with similar insults, calling them “Silly”. I urge President Mahama, that if he wants to be President of Ghana again, he should refrain from insulting citizens,” Nana Akomea indicated
He added that “I assure him I am still his friend and I still have a fine mind.”
However, in a tweet on Monday afternoon, Mr. Mahama replied Nana Akomea insisting that he has not insulted a man he calls his friend.
“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 posted on Twitter Monday afternoon.
