Viral Mahama GH¢150m remark referred to flood mitigation funds – Gov’t clarifies

The Government of Ghana has dismissed claims circulating on social media regarding a viral video featuring President John Dramani Mahama, insisting that the President's remarks have been deliberately taken out of context for partisan political purposes.

The clarification was issued by the Minister of State in Charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, in a Facebook post on Monday, July 27, following the widespread circulation of the video across multiple social media platforms.

According to Mr. Kwakye Ofosu, individuals with political motives have distorted the President's comments to create a false narrative and mislead the public.

"Some misguided elements have sought to distort the President's words in this video to achieve narrow partisan ends," he stated.

Explaining the context of the video, Mr. Kwakye Ofosu said President Mahama was discussing the government's release of GH¢150 million for post-flood mitigation efforts during a meeting with the National Security Coordinator.

He stressed that the President's comments related specifically to the disbursement of funds intended to support emergency response and mitigation measures following recent flooding incidents.

"The President clearly speaks of the 'release' of GHS 150 million, which was in direct reference to funds for post-flood mitigation works. That is what he was discussing with the National Security Coordinator and nothing more," the Minister explained.

According to the government, any interpretation suggesting otherwise is inaccurate and does not reflect the context in which the President made the remarks.

Mr. Kwakye Ofosu called on Ghanaians to exercise caution when consuming political content on social media and to verify information before sharing it.

He urged the public not to be influenced by what he described as misinformation designed to create unnecessary controversy around the President's statement.

"Disregard the mischievous lies!" he wrote.

The video has generated significant discussion on social media, with various users offering differing interpretations of President Mahama's remarks. However, the government maintains that the footage has been selectively edited or presented without its full context, resulting in misleading claims.

Government officials have reiterated that the President's statement was solely about the release of funding for post-flood mitigation and disaster response and was not connected to any other issue being suggested online.

The clarification forms part of the government's efforts to address misinformation and provide the public with the full context surrounding official statements made by the President.