Two primary schoolmates of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia have confirmed that the vice-president was a member of the Methodist Boys’ Brigade when he was young.
“We live in a society where a mother and some children could be Christians and a father and some children could be Muslims. As a young boy at Sakasaka Primary School in Tamale, I was a member of the Methodist Boys’ Brigade and I think I probably still hold the record as the only Muslim member of the Boys’ Brigade,” Bawumia said recently.
The comment sparked public uproar, especially on social media, with certain Ghanaians arguing that, as a Muslim, Bawumia was throwing dust in the eyes of the Christians to win possible future votes.
Confirmation
However, in two separate viral videos, Samuel Kwesi Ankamah and Rajah Ismael – Bawumia’s childhood friends – said they were members of the brigade with him at Sakasaka Primary School in the Northern Region.
“I want to confirm that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was a Boys’ Brigade member,” said Ankamah, who is now a retired public servant.
“When we were kids he joined us at the Methodist Church in Tamale. He was with the juniors. He is a unifier and does not discriminate among religions,” Ankamah said.
The genesis
For his part, Ismael said he was one of those who convinced Bawumia’s mother to pay the Brigade membership fee for her son.
“We were tight friends in primary school. I happened to be a Methodist and I joined the Boys’ Brigade. One time we were marching through town and he saw us and he was really excited,” Ismael recalled.
“So, he [Bawumia] expressed interest and asked me to talk to his mom. So, I came over and she had no reservations at all. She gave us the money for the uniform and the membership. Bawumia then got enrolled,” he said.
Watch the full video below:
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