Akufo-Addo booed: ‘Show respect, you can’t govern this country’ – KT Hammond slams youth

Kobina Tahir Hammond, Member of Parliament for Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region has riled young people on Twitter with comments suggesting that they are ‘coconut heads’ that cannot govern the country even if it is handed over to them.

The former deputy Energy Minister while speaking to journalists on the September 24 booing of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo at a musical concert at the Black Star Square; tasked the youth to be patient, to show respect and not abuse the elderly for political reasons.

“Let it even be a political rally, but it is not a political rally … you must be patient, when you meet and are doing your things, accord respect to the elderly. Not that because of politics you go abusing people.

“It is not possible for governance to be left to the youth, you cannot do it, you won’t understand. You have all left your beards and have been roaming town but there is nothing in your head,” he said in the interview.

The comments have attracted some strong reaction from young tweeps, many of whom are calling him out as part of the problem that the nation is facing.

“KT Hammond is quoting some 12th century proverb to impugn that young people are empty-headed. Some of these old men think the youth are just aimless and thus parliament and other offices must be occupied by grey-hairs. Yet they’d go and kneel before Emmanuel Macron for loans,” sports journalist Saddick Adams tweeted.

Journalist with Citi FM, Philip Ashon also weighed in stating: “It’s the look on his face when he joins the traveling herd to beg for money that I am picturing now. The face of ‘wisdom’. Wisdom so far removed from common sense to notice when you time is past!”

The booing incident: Exactly what happened?

Thousands of patrons were at the Black Star Square to witness the concert that had a number of local and international artistes performing.

As host of the event, the president was called upon to give his remarks, which happened to be a prepared speech that lasted over six minutes.

The booing happened when he started his speech saying: “The whole world is in Ghana today.”

What started initially as people showing their disapproval of his presence on the stage, turned into loud clapping and chanting of the words: “away, away…,” the president, however, stayed the course and delivered his full speech.

As if that was not enough, people on social media latched on to the development to mock the president.

Watch how the booing started:

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