Government says the controversial tape in which President John Mahama is heard accusing residents in the Ashanti Region has been doctored.

A statement by the Deputy Information Minister Felix Kwakye Ofosu says having listened to the entire tape recording it is clear the president neither mentioned Ashantis nor residents in Kumasi in his critique.

President John Mahama on a recent tour of the Ashanti Region was accused of describing residents in Kumasi as ungrateful and unappreciative of the good works by the NDC government.

He was heard on a tape recording repeating an Akan adage that said no matter how nice the chicken dances, the hawk will never be impressed.

He also added that for people in Kumasi even when their roads are coated with gold they will still not appreciate it.

The president has since come under a barrage of criticisms after the recording came public.

The Minister of Information and Media Relations Mahama Ayariga in an interview with Joy News justified the comments by the President, saying he was on point.

Just a day after the justification, his deputy released a statement saying the president's comments have been doctored.

The statement transcribed the president comments as saying: "Akans have a

saying that, no matter how well the chicken dances, it will never please the hawk.

"No matter how well the chicken dances, it will never please the hawk. Therefore,

we need not be discouraged by that. Because for some people, even if we

cover all the ground with gold in Kumasi, they will not appreciate," the statement paraphrased what it claims to be the president's original comments in Kumasi.

Click here for the full statement