The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Yohane Amarh Ashitey, is laughing off a recent visit to his metropolis by former president John Dramani Mahama, the 2024 flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In a post on social media, Amarh Ashitey said Mr. Mahama’s tour of Tema on Tuesday was snubbed by the residents of the Harbour City.
“This was truly a forlorn outing by Mr. Mahama here in Tema on Tuesday; only very few people turned up to listen to him,” the MCE wrote.
According to him, even the few people who turned out to meet him are NDC members and supporters, “as for the regular indigenes and residents of Tema, they totally ignored the NDC flagbearer.”
The MCE’s reaction is to Mr. Mahama’s stop-over in Tema on Tuesday as part of the Greater Accra stretch of his “Building Ghana Tour.”
The former President is said to have visited the Assemblies of God church at Tema Community 4, before leaving to meet clearing agents at Tema Community 1.
According to reports, Mr. Mahama had met the clergy to discuss the anti-gay Bill and had also met the clearing agents to make promises about bringing improvement in their work. However, it is said that the clearing agents had virtually snubbed him, with some cat-calling humorously that they prefer the paperless system that the current government has put in place.
Yohane Amarh Ashitey speculated that the reason why Mr. Mahama was snubbed is that Ghanaians have woken up to his now rather formulaic propaganda tours.
“I believe it is not only in Tema here that this snub will happen; Ghanaians all over the country are now awake to the pattern – in 2018, Mr. Mahama sold the idea of “Unity Walk” to campaign for votes; in 2020, it was called the “Listening Tour” and now in 2024, it is the “Building Ghana Tour.”
But people are fed up with fanciful political campaign rhetoric; what they want is real development and productive policy-making that can transform their lives. If you come short on these essentials, they will snub you,” the Tema MCE wrote.
Johane Amarh Ashitey also offered Mr. Mahama unsolicited advice, saying his 24-hour Economy is not selling and so he should quickly come up with something new before it’s too late.