Government communicators over the past few weeks partly blamed the fast-depreciating local currency on speculations.
This critique found expression in President Akufo-Addo’s speech on Sunday night.
According to him, negative speculation about the cedi has an attendant effect on how the forex market reacts.
At a time when the government is struggling to restore confidence in an economy in crisis, the president says such conversations are pointless.
“Fellow Ghanaians, as the French would say, l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mmpɛ dede. Where there is chaos, where there is noise, where there is unrest, you will not find money. If you talk down your money, it will go down. If you allow some unidentifiable person to talk down your money, it will go down,” he said in his address.
He was speaking on the state of the economy and measures taken to salvage the situation as talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) continue.
The country is in an economic crisis leaving a dire impact on all sectors.
Ghana is currently at the doors of the Fund seeking a possible $3 billion support amid intensifying hardship, skyrocketing fuel prices, a rising cost of living and a depreciating cedi.
The reactions from social media to this comment are not even about the ‘what’ but rather, the manner in which he said it.
Essentially, this will not be the first time the multi-lingual President has used a different tongue to articulate his point, especially regarding finances.
Between his ‘y3te sika su, nanso 3kom di y3n’ comment in 2016 as a presidential candidate and today’s ‘Sika mp3 dede’ as President, something has to give, according to Ghanaians on social media.
It is trending on the microblogging website, Twitter with nearly 3,000 tweets garnered so far.
Here are some of the reactions:
The president, Nana Addo says: Sika mp3 dede, we’re talking so much about the cedi. That is why it is dropping.
— Samuel Sesah
(@Dr_Sesah) October 30, 2022
“Sika mp3 dede…” – Nana Addo, 2022.
Meaning you pple dey make noise that is why the economy is what it is.
— Paul (@kojoayitey) October 30, 2022
So I learnt the meaning of “sika mp3 dede” to wit means the noise y’all making about the economy and hardship in the country ain’t gonna solve our problems but rather worsen it. So lass lass y’all should shut up and suffer..herhh! Na so we dey for this country? Ei
— Crystal
(@_thecrystal_) October 30, 2022
NADAA says “sika mp3 d3d3” to wit, the noise y’all making about the economy been hard ain’t gonna solve shit! It’s rather gonna worsen everything
eeeeiiii GHANA
!!! https://t.co/mTVAfF5qiq
— Fantse Girl Sika (@SikaWarmann) October 30, 2022
The whole country is about to be silent because the president said Sika mp3 Dede
If you call me and I don’t talk… here’s my reason
— Candace
(@adwoa_lotty) October 30, 2022
Nana Addo simply translated @stonebwoy‘s bawasaba lyrics “Sika mp3 rough, me mp3 dede” into French as “l’argent n’aime pas le bruit, to wit, money does not like noise, sika mpe dede.
— AmpauPrince_ (@AmpauP) October 30, 2022
“Sika mp3 Dede” this man really nor Dey take Ghanaians do anything
— Ara Maestro
(@_MukadasMaestro) October 30, 2022