Sammi Awuku, the Member of Parliament for Akuapim North, weigh in on the ongoing public reaction over President John Dramani Mahama’s “side chick” comment.
According to Sammi Awuku, the issue surrounding Mahama’s remark is more about where it was made.
It will be recalled, President John Dramani Mahama got the crowd roaring with laughter at the Kwahu Business Forum as he described what he said is how government contract payments boost the economy.
He highlighted that government contract payments boost the economy, usually through the contractors’ side chicks.
Speaking at the Kwahu Business Forum on March 4, 2026, the president said, “When the contractors get paid, they go and buy a Land Cruiser for themselves, and car dealers also benefit. And even their spouses, their wives, and their side chicks also benefit,” he said.
“It’s painful, Christ’s birthplace is now an epicentre of war. President Mahama went further, explaining that once the side chicks are sorted out, they too become economic boosters in their own right.
“When the spouses and the side chicks too get, hairdressers get, dressmakers get, jewellery shops get, handbags sellers get. So, don’t discount that one at all,” Mahama added, drawing laughter from the audience.
However, Sammi Awuku suggested that while the comment may have been intended in a light-hearted or informal way, it did not suit the setting.
He argued that comments of that nature are typically reserved for private or informal conversations, not public platforms where the President’s words carry significant meaning.
Sammi Awuku noted that every statement made by a sitting President is often interpreted as an official position.
He highlighted that the matter should not be seen as a personal attack but rather as a question of appropriateness and responsibility, especially given the influence that comes with the highest office in the land.
“In all fairness, the ‘side chick’ comment was a boys-boys remark, but it was made on the wrong platform,” he stated.
In related news, A video has surfaced of a man staging a protest during President John Dramani Mahama’s keynote address during the Kwahu Business Forum.
In the viral video, the man staged a protest with a placard during the Kwahu Business Forum as John Dramani Mahama delivered his keynote address.
The man was captured on camera displaying a message that read, “Dear Prez Mahama, please intervene. ADB Bank has failed to honour its commitment to me.”
In the viral video, a police officer was initially seen engaging him, but the protester remained unmoved, holding up his placard.
President Mahama later acknowledged the situation, calling on someone to read the placard as he could not see what was written.
Mahama, during his speech, stated, “Can somebody read what is on that placard there? I can’t see what he has written. Somebody is raising a placard. I think he wants to draw my attention to something”.
“Ghana is a land of free speech, and I’m sure he has some beef with somebody. So, whoever he has an beef with, I beg you, go ahead and engage him.”
The man with the placard was later calmly escorted out of the venue to address the matter.
Watch the video below:
🇬🇭 Wives and 'sidechicks' benefit from 'big push' project
— CDR AFRICA (@cdrafrica) April 4, 2026
— President Mahama pic.twitter.com/fiZKH7KbEw