READ: My voice was doctored – Mahama cries

• Posted on May 8, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Government is claiming that the tape recordings making rounds that President John Mahama has accused the people of the Ashanti Region of ingratitude is false and unfounded.

In a statement signed by the Deputy Minister of Information & Media Relations, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the tape has been ‘’doctored’’.

‘’Having listened to the tape in question and also listened to the original tape, we can state without fear of contradiction that the purported tape which has formed the basis for unjustified vilification of the President by detractors is doctored.

Nowhere in the President’s speech did he accuse Ashantis or residents of Kumasi of ingratitude. He only referred to detractors who have made it their stock in trade never to acknowledge the good works of this government but resort to deliberate cynicism, unfounded pessimism and outright calumny to create the impression of a collapsed state,’’ the statement said.

President Mahama has come under intense criticism for allegedly describing residents in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region as “unappreciative” people who have failed to acknowledge the good works by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.

He was heard on a tape recording saying, ”no matter how nice the dance of the fowl is, it never impresses the hawk – when the fowl dances for the hawk, the hawk never finds it beautiful. Don’t let this deter us because for you in Kumasi, even if we construct roads tarred with gold, you will still say we’ve done nothing.”

But the government is accusing detractors and political opponents of mischief.

‘’The mischievous elements behind the doctored tape cut out portions of this statement to make it appear as though the President said “…. as for you people, even if we cover all the ground with gold in Kumasi, you will not appreciate it”. This editing of the President’s speech creates the impression that he has singled out the people of Kumasi for criticism when in fact it can be clearly determined from the original recording that the President was making reference to cynics in general. There was also no tribal or ethnic undertone to the statement as has been claimed by the purveyors of this mischief,’’ the statement said.

Minister of Information, Mahama Ayariga in an earlier interview on the Citi Breakfast Show said the comment by the President was not meant for the residents in the Ashanti Region alone.

He pointed out that although people have not taken kindly to what the President said, “I don’t think there is really any problem with the way that the President put it out.”

“It is not about the Ashantis and it is not just about the people in Kumasi,” he said.

The statement from government below;

STATEMENT-ON-DOCTORED-TAPE-OF-PRESIDENT-MAHAMA-SPEECH