A pressure group, Citizens Charter-Ghana is urging the Director-General of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service to “conduct professional, analytical and fair assessment of the statement” of Mr. Bernard Mornah “devoid of partisanship and vindictiveness as has been exhibited by some top security officers”.
In a petition addressed to the CID Boss and sighted by Awake News, the Founding President of the group, Mr. David Jawara Banye said “We urge you to carefully playback his concise and well-intended statement unmutilated, and conduct professional, analytical and fair assessment of the statement devoid of partisanship and vindictiveness as has been exhibited by some top security officers— mostly against their own appreciation or judgement—essentially to ensure regime security at the expense of fundamental human rights of nationals and national security. The Citizens Charter-Ghana”
The petition of the group is following invitation of the CID to Mr. Mornah over media reports that Mr. Mornah and the Inter-Party Resistance Against New Register have threatened to disrupt the intended compilation of the new voters register by the Electoral Commission.
However, Mr. Mornah maintain that he only cautioned the EC and said they will resists the exercise.
This the “Citizens Charter-Ghana is accordingly imploring your high and esteem office to conduct a fair, impartial and professional investigation, taking into consideration the freedom, rights and liberties of citizens in respect of free speech; devoid of any political influence or the usual conspiratorial relationship between the security and government.”
“We of Citizens Charter-Ghana are of the view that the EC and/or the ruling government are treading where angels fear to tread. The consequences of their resolute decision to use only the NIA cards which many Ghanaians including Mr. Mornah believe would lead to disenfranchisement and subsequent/obvious violence has been expressed or supported by many worried security experts.” – Mr. Banye emphasized
Read the full Petition:
P. O. Box 65
Kaleo-UWR
Mob: 0559876767
Email: citizenscharter@gmail.com
30th May 2020
THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL
CID HQS
ACCRA
Dear Sir,
PETITION TO CONDUCT PROFESSIONAL, ANALYTICAL AND IMPARTIAL INVESTIGATION INTO BERNARD MORNAH’S STATEMENT PURPORTED OR ALLEGED TO POSE INSECURITY OF THE STATE
We the members of Citizens Charter-Ghana send you greetings and compliments for your strenuous efforts towards the maintenance and sustenance of the security and stability of the nation. Indeed, your enormous achievements and consistent efforts at handling and resolving/diffusing security challenges and looming dangers across the country are well appreciated.
We the members of Citizens Charter-Ghana have known Mr. Bernard Mornah for decades as a brilliant student, leader, patriotic citizen and a fine gentleman imbued with democratic principles. It is not surprising that he rose to become the General-Secretary and subsequently the Chairman of the Peoples National Convention Party (PNC) that seeks to shape and deepen democracy in Ghana for the betterment of posterity.
Mr. Mornah has worked assiduously to protect and defend the interests of ordinary citizens, sometimes at the peril of his life. He has consistently endured very stressful situations to ensure that our democracy thrives and entrenches for peace and development of the nation; he should be accordingly acknowledged with deep appreciation.
Citizens Charter-Ghana is conscious of the fact that Mr. Mornah possesses strong democratic principles and has exhibited such on critical national issues without due regard to likely fatal consequences. We have listened to, digested and appreciated the statement made by the PNC Chairman cautioning the Electoral Commission (EC) against imminent violence if citizens are disenfranchised —for which you have invited him for questioning.
We urge you to carefully playback his concise and well-intended statement unmutilated, and conduct professional, analytical and fair assessment of the statement devoid of partisanship and vindictiveness as has been exhibited by some top security officers— mostly against their own appreciation or judgement—essentially to ensure regime security at the expense of fundamental human rights of nationals and national security.
We are indeed grateful that Mr. Mornah has confirmed that he did make a fair and unthreatening statement and would duly honour your invitation for which he believes is even delayed. Citizens Charter-Ghana is accordingly imploring your high and esteem office to conduct a fair, impartial and professional investigation, taking into consideration the freedom, rights and liberties of citizens in respect of free speech; devoid of any political influence or the usual conspiratorial relationship between the security and government.
It is worth noting that Mr. Mornah’s statement cautioning the EC against disenfranchising many citizens which he believes may lead to violence during elections as a result of the obvious failings and/or the intransigence of the EC of using only the NIA cards for the 2020 elections when indeed majority of Ghanaians are either not registered or have not yet received their ID cards is shared by many citizens. Mr. Mornah has precisely cited the lapses of the NIA during the registration exercise, noting in particular the shortfalls of people/numbers registered in his own community– Sankana in the Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency.
We of Citizens Charter-Ghana are of the view that the EC and/or the ruling government are treading where angels fear to tread. The consequences of their resolute decision to use only the NIA cards which many Ghanaians including Mr. Mornah believe would lead to disenfranchisement and subsequent/obvious violence has been expressed or supported by many worried security experts.
We therefore expect a high level of circumspection, professionalism and firm fairness as far as Mornah’s investigation is concerned.
When politicians are so determined to retain power at all cost to protect and perpetuate their parochial interest against the welfare of citizens who elected them, it is a critical time and a desperate call for the security community, especially the police to rise up and defend the larger interest of ordinary citizens.
Accordingly, we candidly expect the cream of highly professional security officers to justify their inclusion in the Ghana Police Service, display their conscience, morality and good sense of judgment by handling Mr. Mornah with sheer political neutrality and fairness. Your examiner is neither the President nor the EC but Ghanaians. And they are watching with their ear’s eye!
Thank you
Yours faithfully
David Jawara Banye
Founding President—Citizens Charter-Ghana
By: Efo Korsi Senyo / awakenewsroom.com