The United Kingdom’s High Commissioner to Ghana, Mr Jon Benjamin has stated that he has huge admiration and respect for Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama.
Mr Benjamin’s statement followed an earlier tweet from him on Wednesday about the hazy harmattan weather that has engulfed Ghana and resulted in the temporal grounding of domestic and international flights.
“Oh, that nasty air outside all of a sudden. Did someone inaugurate the Harmattan already?
See the tweet below
However, some Ghanaians on Twitter concluded that Mr Benjamin’s tweet was an attempt at making fun of President Mahama’s commissioning of projects across the country ahead of the elections, which was mocked by some Ghanaians.
Some said Mr Benjamin deliberately took a jab at the president by asking if the harmattan had been inaugurated.
After a number of responses to the tweet, with some attacking him and others defending the tweet, the tweet was later deleted.
Some did not take the tweet lightly although the High Commissioner is noted for his veiled sarcastic comments on trending and topical issues in the country.
They criticised him for dishonouring the highest office in the land and called on him to apologise for the comment.
Some have however sprung to his defence describing the tweet as purely a joke.
“No doubt, High Commissioner. What we are telling you is simple: act like a DIPLOMAT repping the UK.Some jokes can’t be “just banter” sir,” Sports Journalist Gary Al Smith tweeted.
In response to Al Smith, Mr Benjamin said he had worked closely with the president on several issues and his tweet about the harmattan cannot be concluded as a troll of the president.
The commissioner responded to Garry’s tweet by stating ” That’s not a correct assertion. I have huge respect for President Mahama having worked closely with him on several issues.”
Source: Graphic.com.gh
