Malik Bansintale, Deputy National Communications Officer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has weighed in on the public’s reactions to the health status of Nana Bediatuo Asante, Executive Secretary to President Akufo-Addo. Bansintale’s comments suggest that the reactions reveal how Ghanaians feel about the president and his extended family.
In response to Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s Facebook post, in which Gabby criticized the “devilish” reactions of some individuals who were disappointed by the news that Nana Bediatuo Asante is recovering, Bansintale argued that the discontent is a reflection of public sentiment toward the president’s relatives.
“Sir, I hope you now get a sense of how Ghanaians feel about your ‘Mafia’ Family. I mean the Dankwa, Kuntunkununku, and Ofori Panyin Family,” Bansintale wrote. “Well, we don’t wish you all dead. We wish you all jailed and the stolen monies returned!”
This remark followed news that Nana Bediatuo Asante, who was admitted to a hospital in the United States after feeling unwell following the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, is currently responding well to treatment. The Office of the President issued a statement confirming his condition and expressing optimism for a full recovery.
Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, cousin to President Akufo-Addo, had condemned the public disappointment over Nana Bediatuo’s recovery, calling it “devilishly debased.” He pointed out that the reactions demonstrate a deep and unsettling level of hatred toward his family, stating, “To wish a fellow human being dead and be disappointed he is still alive is devilishly debased. Anger, says Aristotle, can be cured by time; but hatred cannot.”
