Claim: Social media users are accusing former President John Mahama of playing the ethnic card over President Akufo-Addo’s response to the victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage.
Verdict: DUBAWA Ghana finds no evidence to support the claim.
Full Text
A quote card that has gone viral on social media claims former President John Mahama has accused President Akufo-Addo of refusing to visit the Akosombo Dam spillage victims because of their ethnic affiliation.
The card which Daily Insight Online created quotes John Mahama as saying:
“Akufo-Addo does not want to come to the Volta Region to inspect the havoc of the spillage. If it was Ashanti Region, he would have rushed there. Are Ewes not human beings, too? Are Asante more human beings than Ewes?”
Several online users across various social media platforms have also shared the card. Some of these can be found here, here, and here.
The quote card did not indicate when or where the ex-president commented. Several attempts by DUBAWA to at least get the Daily Insight to provide the source have been futile.
Verification
Because there was no indication of when and where the comment was made, DUBAWA decided to review all the interviews the ex-president gave whilst on his visit to the Volta Region to commiserate with the victims of the spillage.
On Friday, Oct. 13, John Mahama visited some communities in the Volta Region affected by the Akosombo Dam spillage. The visit was to assess the impact of the spillage.
During the visit, he interacted with victims displaced by the incident.
He called on the Volta River Authority and the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to hasten efforts in providing relief items and support to affected communities.
A footage highlighting the former President’s visit to the Volta Region has been published on YouTube, and we found no evidence of Mr Mahama making such a statement.
We have also monitored and reviewed various reports from leading news outlets about Mr Mahama’s visit, and none of such reports have him playing the tribal card. The reports we reviewed are from Citinewsroom.com, Myjoyonline.com, and Ghanaweb.com.
Meanwhile, the former President has debunked the claim.
Daily Insight Online and misinformation
This is not the first time Daily Insight Online has created a news card that has emerged to be containing false information.
Barely two months ago, the online news outlet created a news card suggesting that Mahama was calling for a ban on sports betting instead of imposing a tax on the activity. A DUBAWA Ghana investigation found the claim to be misleading.
There are no contact details on their website, and the inbox feature on their Twitter account has been deactivated, making it difficult to ask for clarification. That in itself is a red flag.
Conclusion
The claim is false. There is no evidence of John Mahama making such a statement.
