Former President John Dramani Mahama was not present in Parliament House for the SONA. Today, he was absent from the 63rd Independence Day Anniversary Celebrations in Kumasi. The absence of the former president from the programme took some shine out if it. Instead of the NPP activists focusing and discussing Nana Addo’s message, the focus was on the empty chair reserved for former President Mahama. Images attached are some of the Facebook updates from NPP activists ‘expressing pain’ at the absence of JDM.
There is an adage in Akan that says s3 aboa no nnka wo a, onwen nese nkyer3 wo’, to wit, “if the animal won’t bite you, it won’t bear it’s teeth at you’.
NANA ADDO SNUBS JOHN MAHAMA
On September 4, 2019, Former President Mahama was invited to Kofi Annan Peace and Security Forum and when Nana Addo arrived, he had to shake hands with the dignitaries who had lined up to welcome him. He warmly greeted one person after the other and exchanged pleasantries with some of them till he got to where John Mahama was. Strangely enough, he gave Mahama the briefest handshake ever recorded in Ghana’s history. It was as if he was greeting a crab or somebody who was infected with the deadly coronavirus! Ironically, his handshakes with the person before John Mahama and the person immediately after him were so warm and soothing.
This handshake was nothing less than a snub! Nana showed publicly and sadly before an international community, and in the full glare of the cameras of international media, that he doesn’t want to see the face of John Mahama. It was a very big embarrassment to the nation.
Any objective minded person could tell that Nana Addo abjures the presence of JDM. Based on the above snub, l am sure the former president took a decision that he will never again go through such an embarrassment in the hands of his main contender again.
John Mahama doesn’t need anything from Nana Addo. His presence or absence from national programmes won’t change his destiny in any way. The need to avoid such embarrassments and scorn as poured on him by Nana Addo is what he seeks to prevent from now and l fully endorse his decision.
Source: Ernest Arthur
