ALIENS INVADE BIOMETRIC REGISTRATION

HON. DAN BOTWE: MP FOR OKERE

As part of its grand Agenda 2012 to ensure that the President Mills-led NDC wins the December 2, 1012 elections by any foul means possible, the NDC has resorted to importing aliens to register in the ongoing biometric registration exercise. The ploy is intended to pack constituencies identified as NPP strongholds, with aliens who will most likely vote for the NDC in December, thereby weakening the NPP's representation in parliament.

In pursuing this agendum, the NDC has targeted NPP flagbearer Nana Akufo-Addo's home-region, the Eastern Region where led by the DCE for Akuapim North George Opare-Addo, the NDC has been transporting aliens to a number of polling centers, to register and vote against the NPP in December.

According to reports received from the Okere constituency, Mr. Opare-Addo who also happens to be the NDC parliamentary candidate for Okere has arranged for these aliens to be transported into the region in a Mitsubishi pick-up with registration number GS 6744-11. The aliens, upon their arrival are sent to the DCE's official residence where they are refreshed and then given some honorarium for the illegality they've been hired to engage in. They are then transported in taxis and on motor-bikes, to the various polling centers, to register.

Narrating one of such acts of illegality clearly sponsored by DCE Opare-Addo, the NPP Member of Parliament for Okere, Hon. Dan Kwaku Botwe said the party's constituency youth organiser chanced upon some five boys he suspected to be aliens being transported to polling centers in a car with registration number ER 1890 Y, which happens to belong to the father of DCE Opare-Addo, Mr. Addo-Tetteh. When the suspected aliens were confronted, to ascertain their eligibility, they took to their heels. Two of them were however arrested and they gave their names as Vincent Baba from Akatsi and Mustapha Sherriff from Tamale. Further quizzed to ascertain their qualification to register, it was discovered that not only could they not speak or understand any of the local dialects, but were also at a total loss as to their surroundings. They were subsequently sent to the police station. Within 30 minutes of this, DCE Opare-Addo with his entourage stormed the police station to bail the aliens. The existing tension at the time however disallowed them from carrying out their bid.

According to Hon. Dan Botwe, at around 10pm, DCE Opare-Addo again returned to the police station, this time around, with the Divisional Crime Officer to seek bail for the aliens. Again the youth of the town disallowed him from carrying out the act. Not satisfied, and determined to do whatever was necessary to cover up his illegalities DCE Opare-Addo again returned to the Police Station around 1.30am in the company of the Regional Police Commander, and took the aliens away. As at the time of filing this report, the whereabouts of the said aliens are unknown.

The question being asked by Hon. Dan Botwe and other like-minded people is that: why would the DCE and for that matter head of the District Security Council (DISEC) be keen on assisting aliens who seek to break our electoral laws, to escape? Unless of course he has some interest in the matter and is certain that those aliens will be sympathetic to his and for that matter the NDC's cause of rigging the 2012 elections.

The Hon. MP for Okere urged all Ghanaians of voting age to participate in the on-going biometric registration exercise so that they can exercise their franchise on December 7, 2012. He also advised aliens who are especially being courted by NDC bigwigs to register in the electoral exercise to desist from the practice as their safety could not be guaranteed if they are caught.

He also warned DCE Opare-Addo not to hide behind the title of “Head of DISEC, to commit acts of illegality, by sponsoring the registration of aliens in the on-going biometric exercise.

BY YAW P. K. MANU