The British High Commissioner to Ghana has come under intense criticism from fuming Ghanaians over a joke gone wrong.

His Excellency Jon Benjamin, on social networking platform Twitter, where he has in the past gained popularity for his controversial posts, wrote on Tuesday: "Oh, that nasty air outside all of a sudden. Did someone inaugurate the Harmattan already?"

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Many Ghanaians saw the post as an attempt to mock outgoing President John Dramani Mahama, who Ghanaians have, through memes, humorously teased as excessively commissioning many projects in the last days of his tenure.

READ ALSO: British High Commissioner Jon Benjamin lauds Andre Ayew’s move to West Ham

The High Commissioner's was thus attacked for having made a joke in bad taste and one that could have diplomatic repercussions.

">https://twitter.com/niilexis/status/813811658904784896" data-iframe-title="Twitter Tweet" data-dt-full="%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}" data-dt-months="Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec" data-dt-am="AM" data-dt-pm="PM" data-dt-now="now" data-dt-s="s" data-dt-m="m" data-dt-h="h" data-dt-second="second" data-dt-seconds="seconds" data-dt-minute="minute" data-dt-minutes="minutes" data-dt-hour="hour" data-dt-hours="hours" data-dt-abbr="%{number}%{symbol}" data-dt-short="%{day} %{month}" data-dt-long="%{day} %{month} %{year}" data-scribe="page:tweet" data-twitter-event-id="12">

— (@niilexis) ">

">https://twitter.com/niilexis/status/813811658904784896" data-tweet-id="813811658904784896" data-scribe="section:subject">

— (@niilexis) ">

Lexis @niilexis

You may not like your president (for good reason) but don't take a diplomat publicly disrespecting your president with thinly-veiled jokes.

">https://twitter.com/niilexis/status/813811658904784896" data-datetime="2016-12-27T18:19:54+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp">

— (@niilexis)

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">https://twitter.com/paakoti/status/814021099742699520" data-iframe-title="Twitter Tweet" data-dt-full="%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}" data-dt-months="Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec" data-dt-am="AM" data-dt-pm="PM" data-dt-now="now" data-dt-s="s" data-dt-m="m" data-dt-h="h" data-dt-second="second" data-dt-seconds="seconds" data-dt-minute="minute" data-dt-minutes="minutes" data-dt-hour="hour" data-dt-hours="hours" data-dt-abbr="%{number}%{symbol}" data-dt-short="%{day} %{month}" data-dt-long="%{day} %{month} %{year}" data-scribe="page:tweet" data-twitter-event-id="9">

— (@paakoti) ">

">https://twitter.com/paakoti/status/814019423216533504" data-tweet-id="814019423216533504">

— (@paakoti) ">

">https://twitter.com/paakoti/status/814019423216533504" data-scribe="element:mini_timestamp">

— (@paakoti)

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paakotistheseason @paakoti

People's mentalities can't switch from being against a party to supporting the presidency.

U don't have to be for JM to respect the seat.

">https://twitter.com/paakoti/status/814021099742699520" data-tweet-id="814021099742699520" data-scribe="section:subject">

— (@paakoti) ">

paakotistheseason @paakoti

Jon Benjamin is only going to get brazen about his foolishness if no one checks him.

">https://twitter.com/paakoti/status/814021099742699520" data-datetime="2016-12-28T08:12:08+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp">

— (@paakoti)

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">https://twitter.com/kinnareads/status/813804841634041856" data-iframe-title="Twitter Tweet" data-dt-full="%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}" data-dt-months="Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec" data-dt-am="AM" data-dt-pm="PM" data-dt-now="now" data-dt-s="s" data-dt-m="m" data-dt-h="h" data-dt-second="second" data-dt-seconds="seconds" data-dt-minute="minute" data-dt-minutes="minutes" data-dt-hour="hour" data-dt-hours="hours" data-dt-abbr="%{number}%{symbol}" data-dt-short="%{day} %{month}" data-dt-long="%{day} %{month} %{year}" data-scribe="page:tweet" data-twitter-event-id="13">

— (@kinnareads) ">

">https://twitter.com/kinnareads/status/813804841634041856" data-tweet-id="813804841634041856" data-scribe="section:subject">

— (@kinnareads) ">

Kinna #GhanaDecides @kinnareads

We are colonized and that Diplomat understands it, uses it to great advantage. He insults our President and folks are "we are to blame.

">https://twitter.com/kinnareads/status/813804841634041856" data-datetime="2016-12-27T17:52:48+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp">

— (@kinnareads)

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">https://twitter.com/readJerome/status/813783983074983937" data-iframe-title="Twitter Tweet" data-dt-full="%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}" data-dt-months="Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec" data-dt-am="AM" data-dt-pm="PM" data-dt-now="now" data-dt-s="s" data-dt-m="m" data-dt-h="h" data-dt-second="second" data-dt-seconds="seconds" data-dt-minute="minute" data-dt-minutes="minutes" data-dt-hour="hour" data-dt-hours="hours" data-dt-abbr="%{number}%{symbol}" data-dt-short="%{day} %{month}" data-dt-long="%{day} %{month} %{year}" data-scribe="page:tweet" data-twitter-event-id="8">

— (@readJerome) ">

">https://twitter.com/readJerome/status/813783983074983937" data-tweet-id="813783983074983937" data-scribe="section:subject">

— (@readJerome) ">

jerome @readJerome

Ask yourself if any Ghanaian ambassador in a Western country will dare make these kind of comments publicly.

">https://twitter.com/readJerome/status/813783983074983937" data-datetime="2016-12-27T16:29:55+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp">

— (@readJerome)

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">https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/813839469291905024" data-iframe-title="Twitter Tweet" data-dt-full="%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}" data-dt-months="Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec" data-dt-am="AM" data-dt-pm="PM" data-dt-now="now" data-dt-s="s" data-dt-m="m" data-dt-h="h" data-dt-second="second" data-dt-seconds="seconds" data-dt-minute="minute" data-dt-minutes="minutes" data-dt-hour="hour" data-dt-hours="hours" data-dt-abbr="%{number}%{symbol}" data-dt-short="%{day} %{month}" data-dt-long="%{day} %{month} %{year}" data-scribe="page:tweet" data-twitter-event-id="7">

— (@garyalsmith) ">

">https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/813839469291905024" data-tweet-id="813839469291905024" data-scribe="section:subject">

— (@garyalsmith) ">

Gary Al-Smith ?@garyalsmith

This is all I've been asking UK HC to Ghana @JonBenjamin19 to do for 2 yrs. He simply knows no boundaries. Apparently, it's "humour".

https://twitter.com/readJerome/status/813783590647562241 …

">https://twitter.com/readJerome/status/813783590647562241" href="https://t.co/Zlx2wiD3dp" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-expanded-url="https://twitter.com/readJerome/status/813783590647562241" data-scribe="element:url">https://twitter.com/readJerome/status/813783590647562241 …

— (@readJerome) https://twitter.com/readJerome/status/813783590647562241 …

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">https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/813839469291905024" data-datetime="2016-12-27T20:10:24+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp">

— (@garyalsmith)

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However, when accosted by Sports Journalist Gary Al-Smith, Mr Benjamin claimed the tweet was not in anyway meant to ridicule President John Mahama.

">https://twitter.com/JonBenjamin19/status/813840415573102593" data-iframe-title="Twitter Tweet" data-dt-full="%{hours12}:%{minutes} %{amPm} - %{day} %{month} %{year}" data-dt-months="Jan|Feb|Mar|Apr|May|Jun|Jul|Aug|Sep|Oct|Nov|Dec" data-dt-am="AM" data-dt-pm="PM" data-dt-now="now" data-dt-s="s" data-dt-m="m" data-dt-h="h" data-dt-second="second" data-dt-seconds="seconds" data-dt-minute="minute" data-dt-minutes="minutes" data-dt-hour="hour" data-dt-hours="hours" data-dt-abbr="%{number}%{symbol}" data-dt-short="%{day} %{month}" data-dt-long="%{day} %{month} %{year}" data-scribe="page:tweet" data-twitter-event-id="10">

— (@JonBenjamin19) ">

">https://twitter.com/JonBenjamin19/status/813840415573102593" data-tweet-id="813840415573102593" data-scribe="section:subject">

— (@JonBenjamin19) ">

Jon Benjamin ?@JonBenjamin19

Sorry Gary, that's not a correct assertion. I have huge respect for President @JDMahama, having worked closely with him on several issues.

https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/813839789279629314 …

">https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/813839789279629314" href="https://t.co/koD1kwouvp" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-expanded-url="https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/813839789279629314" data-scribe="element:url">https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/813839789279629314 …

— (@garyalsmith) https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/813839789279629314 …

">

">https://twitter.com/JonBenjamin19/status/813840415573102593" data-datetime="2016-12-27T20:14:10+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp">

— (@JonBenjamin19)

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Gary-Al Smith, who works for Multimedia Group, had had an exchange with the High Commissioner two months ago, tagging him as someone who "talks too much".

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— (@garyalsmith) ">

">https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/765634431772229636" data-tweet-id="765634431772229636" data-scribe="section:subject">

— (@garyalsmith) ">

Gary Al-Smith ?@garyalsmith

Mr British High Commissioner, yes, I did say you talk too much. That was last YEAR. Are you THAT petty, too?

https://twitter.com/JonBenjamin19/status/765608253153767425 …

">https://twitter.com/JonBenjamin19/status/765608253153767425" href="https://t.co/qxEbYO4Awc" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" data-expanded-url="https://twitter.com/JonBenjamin19/status/765608253153767425" data-scribe="element:url">https://twitter.com/JonBenjamin19/status/765608253153767425 …

— (@JonBenjamin19) https://twitter.com/JonBenjamin19/status/765608253153767425 …

">

">https://twitter.com/garyalsmith/status/765634431772229636" data-datetime="2016-08-16T19:40:47+0000" data-scribe="element:full_timestamp">

— (@garyalsmith)

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HE Jon Benjamin is the 18th British High Commissioner to Ghana. He assumed office in 2014 and will see his tenure end by the first quarter of next year.