The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has urged the Ghana Police Service to stop harassing its party’s activists.
This follows the search for a suspect by the police suggesting that a young man was caught in a viral video calling on NDC supporters to attack persons of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the run-up to the 2024 General Elections.
According to a statement signed by the National Communications Officer of the NDC, Sammy Gyamfi,
“this innocent NDC activist, who clearly spoke out of the pain he and other NDC supporters have suffered in the hands of NPP thugs in the Ashanti Region over the years and rather, focus on arresting NPP bandits and terrorists who have attacked a Court of competent jurisdiction in Kumasi and have actually maimed and killed several innocent Ghanaians”.
The statement adds that though the young man misspoke, as the message he sought to convey did not come out as intended, it is an indisputable fact that state-sponsored violence and thuggery has been the modus operandi of the Akufo-Addo Bawumia/NPP government.
“The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government have benefitted and continues to profit from violence as we witnessed in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Bye-election, the 2020 Voter Registration Exercise and the 2020 General Election during which eight (8) innocent Ghanaians were murdered by state-sponsored bandits belonging to the ruling NPP”.
“Again, it is the height of hypocrisy to hear people in the Akufo-Addo Bawumia government and the New Patriotic Party pretend to condemn the statement of this constituency youth leader, when not too long ago, NPP Presidential Candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo and other NPP national leaders threatened fire and brimstone at a time when this nation had not experienced anything close to the barbarity seen during the Ayawaso West Wuogon and 2020 general elections. We have not forgotten about the infamous “All die be die” mantra of the current President, neither have we forgotten about Kennedy Agyapong’s call for the murder of people of certain ethnic extraction in Ghana, a comment that was celebrated by the NPP. Sammi Awuku’s call for NPP supporters to inflict pain and injury on their opponents with pestles is still fresh on our minds, and so is Anthony Karbo’s call for Afghanistan to be visited on Ghana. We have also not forgotten about Wontumi’s call for an Arab Spring-styled violence in Ghana”, it explained.
Whilst we do not subscribe to violence as a party, except in cases of self defense, we cannot overlook the genuine sentiment and frustration of people who feel helpless in the face of incessant and unprovoked attacks and killings under this Akufo-Addo Bawumia government. In the circumstances, we reiterate that the young man misspoke and must be pardoned.
“It is hypocritical that the Ghana Police Service which failed to even comment on or take action against the NPP bandits who perpetuated these heinous crimes against innocent Ghanaians, most of whom are NDC members, will turn around to swiftly call for the arrest of a young man for misspeaking”, it stated.
“We urge the millions of our young supporters to continue to exercise restraint and not allow the fact that President Akufo Addo rode to power on the back of so much bloodshed and barbarity to make them want to mimic Nana Akufo Addo and his very violent political party”, the statement concluded.
Here is the statement by the NDC:
