The youth wing of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has cancelled an intended demonstration against the Akufo-Addo government to protest against alleged attacks on its members by some supporters of the New Patriotic Party.
This follows the condemnation of the post elections violence by President Akufo-Addo during the presentation of his maiden state of the nation address in Parliament on Tuesday February 21.
Some persons affiliated to the New Patriotic Party took over the administration of the recently constructed interchange at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle in the wake of the party’s victory in the 2016 polls. The supporters seized the keys to the offices for the staff and management of the €74 million interchange on December 10.
There were similar reports of NPP supporters arbitrarily taking over public installations across the country, reminiscent of scenes in the aftermath of the 2008 polls won by the NDC, which witnessed some of the triumphant party supporters taking over the running of public toilets, toll booths, community centres, among other structures.
The NDC threatened to retaliate if the NPP did not call its supporters to order. The youth wing of the party subsequently planned to organise a mammoth demonstration against the government.
But delivering his address on the floor of parliament, Mr Akufo-Addo said wrong was wrong regardless of political affiliation and called on the Inspector General of Police to bring lawbreakers to book.
“Mr Speaker, certain instances occurred during the transition period which are matters of concern to me and should be to every Ghanaian. Wrongdoing has no political colour and I do not subscribe to the lawlessness of political party supporters simply because their party has been elected into office,” he stated.
“Mr Speaker, when those incidences began, I instructed the then Inspector General of Police, John Kudalor, to apply the law irrespective of political affiliation to all law breakers. This instruction was also carried on to his successor David Asante-Apeatu to act upon it to bring such situation under control.”
In a statement signed by its General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the NDC said: “We intend to view this belated call by President Nana Akufo-Addo as a genuine effort on his part to rein in the rampaging and marauding members of his party and it is our expectation that his gesture will restore the peace Ghanaians enjoyed under the NDC. It is our hope that the president is not only paying lip service to his call for the IGP, Asante-Apeatu, and his men to crack the whip and deal mercilessly with all forms of lawlessness.
“In this regard, we wish to request the president to disband and demobilise his illegal vigilante group, the Invincible Forces, with immediate effect. On our part, we are calling off the planned demonstration of our Youth Wing against NPP violence scheduled for February 24 as a sign of good faith. We believe in peaceful coexistence and we see the president’s call as an important precondition for peace in Ghana. We, therefore, urge him to walk the talk.”
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