Claim: Joyce Bawah Mogtari, an aide to Ghana’s Ex-President John Mahama has described the Asantehene as a chief and not a King, an X user has alleged.
Verdict: This is false. The private legal practitioner has told DUBAWA that she did not make the comment attributed to her. Reacting to the allegation on X (formerly Twitter), Joyce cautioned those behind the “fake news” to desist from such practices since “crime has no expiry date.”
Full Text
The monarch of the Ashanti region of Ghana, Asantehene Otumfuo Osei Tutu II has marked his Silver Jubilee Anniversary since ascending to the Golden Stool in 1999.
Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo joined other dignitaries to participate in the Akwasidaekese, a sacred festival in the Ashanti region.
Hours after the much-talked-about celebration, during which the culture and tradition of the people of Ashanti were displayed, Mr Mahama’s Spokesperson, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, was reported to have insulted the Asantehene.
“Asantehene is not a King, but a chief,” she reportedly said.
The claim was contained in a flyer published on X (formerly Twitter) by a Ghanaian online news portal, NEWSGH360 on May 12, 2024
Other X users have subsequently shared the flyer. See here and here.
An X user who has described himself as a fact-checker wrote about the claim:
“Initially I thought it’s fake, so has she deleted it? Why on earth do these folks keep on disrespecting the Asantehene? You people hate Asantes with passion. No matter how you people hate [the] Asantes, Ashanti is a kingdom with a KING.”
DUBAWA decided to probe the claim because of the interest it has generated on social media in Ghana.
Verification
DUBAWA first contacted the online news portal, NEWSGH360 that first published the flyer to find out the source of the claim, but they have not responded to the inquiry as of the publication of the report.
The researcher then contacted the private legal practitioner, who told DUBAWA that she had not made the comment attributed to her.
Reacting to the allegation on X (formerly Twitter), Joyce cautioned those behind the “fake news” to desist from such practices since “crime has no expiry date.”
“To all those sharing fake news: crime has no expiry date. There are digital footprints that are permanent. You will be dealt with as you continue to peddle these maliciously fake stories. Take note,” Joyce wrote on X on May 12, 2024.
The Asantehene is considered the most powerful and visible monarch in Ghana because of the reach of his authority and the number of people he leads.
Considering its controversial nature and the political climate in the West African country, Joyce would have made headlines if the comment attributed to her was true.
However, a Google keyword search conducted by DUBAWA showed no reputable media organisation in Ghana has published news reports about the claim.
There is no evidence online to support the claim that Joyce described the ruler of the people of Asante as a chief and not a King.
Conclusion
It is, therefore, not true that Joyce Bawah Mogtari, an aide to Ghana’s Ex-President John Mahama, has described the Asantehene as a chief and not a King as alleged. Joyce has disputed the claim and there is no evidence online or in Ghana’s mainstream media that she made the comment attributed to her.
