A political science professor at the University of Ghana, Ransford Gyampo has condemned the comments made by the New Patriotic Party’s Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh about Ghana’s first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, during his unveiling as Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s running mate in the Ashanti Region.
Mr Gyampo emphasised that it was unnecessary to speak about Dr Nkrumah, a global icon in that manner.
While addressing party supporters in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, Dr Opoku Prempeh praised President Akufo-Addo, claiming that, ‘Not even Kwame Nkrumah developed Ghana like him.’
In an interview on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show on Wednesday, Prof Gyampo said that commentary was unnecessary.
“We all heard what Nana Opoku Agyemang said, and we also heard Napo speak. In my view, the dismissive description of Kwame Nkrumah, a global icon who has been described as the president of the whole century, was unnecessary condescension.”
Mr Gyampo highlighted the importance of differentiating between being brutally frank and being tactful. He warned that without this distinction, party communicators would need to perform damage control after every public statement, using the current social media expression,“them go explain Taya”
He noted that one can be assertive and honest in a convincing manner without resorting to derogatory language, likening inappropriate communication to selling medicine or making altar calls at a church crusade in a simple community.
“Ultimately, the orientation and beliefs of the audience should guide the approach. I’m still wondering whether this aligns with the complementarity Dr Mahamudu Bawumia seeks. Yes, his running mate may complement him in terms of hard work and forthrightness, but is the manner in which he expresses this forthrightness truly complementary? It can be both advantageous and disadvantageous, depending on where one finds himself.”
Prof Gyampo illustrated his point with a personal anecdote: “When I was a student in the US, a student openly told our professor he was being stupid. To them, it was normal. I was very worried because, as an African, one cannot call a professor stupid, nor speak to elders in such a manner.”
He concluded by stressing the importance of considering the Ghanaian context when Dr Bawumia’s running mate speaks. “Otherwise, he will give his communicators a lot of work to do.”
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