On Tuesday, October 17, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo set social media ablaze when he sent a tweet wishing dancehall artiste Shatta Wale happy birthday.
What made that tweet unique was that the President addressed the dancehall artiste in pidgin.
It started as a simple request from dancehall artiste Shatta Wale on Twitter on October 13 to President Akufo-Addo. He asked the President, “Your Excellency, Tuesday is my birthday ..what are you giving me ..@NAkufoAddo ”
President Akufo-Addo wished the ‘Taking Over’ hit singer “Happy birthday @shattawalegh!”
Shatta Wale would have been satisfied with the fact that the President recognized him on his birthday but the First Gentleman was not done yet.
Taking things a notch higher and in pidgin, the President added that, “You for come visit me for Flagstaff House o!”
Overwhelmed by the message from President Akufo-Addo, the dancehall artiste swiftly responded, “ah! but @NAkufoAddo U be guy oo!! pidgin reply paaa…i feel you ruff..lol”
Shatta Wale thanked the President for the birthday message and noted that he will pay him a visit soon. “Thank you, your Excellency. I will follow the necessary procedures and pay a visit soon Mr President. I hope my land cruiser will be ready”
Speaking at the National Cyber Security Week at the Accra International Conference Centre (AICC) on Monday, the President highlighted the tweet he sent noting that, social media is far more powerful than the computers that landed the first man on the moon.
“I’m no less intrigued that I have over 400,000 friends [and] followers and a recent tweet wishing Shatta Wale happy birthday in pidgin would go viral,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He added that “the cars that we drive today are more computers on wheels that the mechanical beasts we used to drive.”
