His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama, had a torrid experience yesterday at the Manhyia Palace when he was met with tumultuous chant of ‘change’ from some NPP supporters.
The president and his entourage were there to commiserate with the Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II during the one week celebration of the Queen mother of the Ashanti stool Asantehemaa Nana Afia Kobi Serwaa, Ampem II.
The event which was supposed to be solemn one, turned out to be raucous when some of the mourners deliberately shouted and gestured ‘change’ towards the president as he arrived at the funeral grounds.
The security details of the President had difficulties paving way for him. The boisterous act in the Ashanti Region makes it the second time within this year that President Mahama has been hooted at.
During the funeral ceremony of the late Bantamahene, Baffour Asare Owusu Amankwatiah V in March, 2016, some members of the NPP reportedly hooted at the President John Dramani Mahama and his entourage at the funeral grounds.
The mourners - clad in black, carried the flag of the NPP - started hooting at the President after the arrival of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo at the funeral grounds.
The mourners claimed President Mahama had declared himself a persona non-grata at the funeral grounds as according to them, the President had previously spoken ill of the people of Kumasi.
“What are you doing, you claim we are ungrateful beings who would never appreciate whatever you do for us, even if you tar our roads with gold, we would never appreciate your efforts, so what are you doing here….,” some of the angry mourners were reported to have said.
However yesterday’s incident nearly caused chaos as the president's security and sympathizers of the ruling party also attempted to reply their opponents in equal measure.
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