'Will this dog become the new dead goat'? Mahama cautions Akufo-Addo on idioms

Enoch Darfah Frimpong Politics Aug - 03 - 2018 , 07:07 3 minutes read

A tweet by former President John Dramani Mahama on Thursday has generated discussions on social media with some commending the sense of humour of the former President.

In the tweet, Mr Mahama posted a picture of a goat and a dog with the caption, “Lessons in Ghanaian politics - don’t use idioms in relation to yourself. They'll stick”.

Lessons in Ghanaian politics- don’t use idioms in relation to yourself. They'll stick. pic.twitter.com/HRfp9r2VRL

— John Dramani Mahama (@JDMahama) August 2, 2018

The post has been suggested to be aimed at drawing comparisons between his use of the ‘dead goat syndrome’ at a time when labour groups were threatening to go on strike during his administration and President Akufo-Addo's reference to himself as a dog - "this dog will not be hanged."

The ‘dead goat’ comment in March, 2015 made it into BBC’s Africa’s best quotes of 2015.

The remark by Mr Mahama generated lots of discussions in Ghana with many condemning him for his failure to empathise with the plight of Ghanaians.

President Akufo-Addo on Wednesday whilst renewing his vow to protect the public purse at the Internal Audit Conference in Accra, said desperate efforts by his political opponents will not wash because he and his family members were not involved in anything untoward.

President Akufo-Addo declared that his family is not corrupt despite a conspiracy by some of his political opponents to portray them as such.

According to him, he did not come into public service to enrich himself, adding that members of his family are not involved in anything untoward.

"I came to reiterate that I need your help in the fight against corruption. I came to renew publicly the sacred vow that I took to protect the public purse. I came also to acknowledge that this is not a battle I can wage or win alone," President Akufo-Addo said.

"There are many layers to the protection of the public purse and internal auditors are its primary defenders. I want to say that the stringent and desperate efforts being made by my political opponents to tarnish me and members of my family with corruption will simply not wash."

"I did not come into public life to make money out of public service and members of my family know fully well that they have to behave and are not involved in anything untoward."

“I am aware that you give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, but this dog will not be hanged,” the President said.