PRESS STATEMENT: THE ARREST OF HON. KENNEDY AGYAPONG

Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen of the press. We have invited you here this morning at a rather very short notice. But this has been so because of the political development within the last twenty four hours in our dear country. To refresh your memories; the Member of Parliament for Assin North, Hon Kennedy Agyapong, who also doubles as the NPP parliamentary candidate, since 10.30 am Monday 16th April 2012 when he honoured an invitation by the CID of the Ghana Police for questioning on an alleged or purported statement he made has been detained first at the Police headquarters and currently at the BNI headquarters. This development is worrying and only goes to heighten the political tension in our country which in our view does not bode well especially in this crucial election year.

Our position as a party is not against the police carrying out their legitimate duty. We are however extremely disturbed by the obvious selective application of the law. That a section of our society are treated as if they are above the law. This might be the basis for the breach of the peace and could disturb the stability of our country.

That, a special aide of the president could declare a part of our country a no-go area and further swear to spill the last drop of his blood to defend this height of lawlessness and violence-ridden action without an invitation from the police is a grave development that all well-meaning Ghanaians must speak against and rise up to be counted.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the point where we are is undoubtedly traced to the chaotic scenes which have characterized the biometric registration exercise, where NDC goons and hoodlums have taken the law into their own hands and are terrorizing innocent and peaceful Ghanaians with all the impunity provided them by this government. Is it not amazing that the President of our country who is clothed with executive power to secure this country and its citizens could publicly declare that he is not a law enforcer and a prosecutor and hence the country must stop bothering him with the calls to stop the violence and the brutalization of innocent Ghanaians by NDC hirelings.

If we may also remind you, in 2009 in an election at six (6) polling centres in Akwatia in the Eastern region, a deputy minister of state, then parliamentary candidate of the NDC, in the person of Baba Jamal declared a JIHAD which is an Islamic religious term for war. True to his word, he with the support of the state machinery carried out the declaration through and through in which many innocent citizens of Akwatia had mayhem and violence visited on them. He walked and is still walking a free man. Not a finger was raised by the police against him. When the law in all these stated instances was so much abused, the police were in this country and not a whisper was heard from them.

These times are very strange and difficult times where you must belong to the NDC to enjoy state protection and possibly be above the law. We wish to seize this opportunity to call on the thousands and thousands of NPP members and sympathizers across the length and breadth of our country to remain calm as the Party's National headquarters and the party's able lawyers employ the due process of the law to secure the freedom of the detained member of parliament for Assin North, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong. We wish also to call on the sleeping president Prof. Atta Mills to give meat to his oft-touted promise of ensuring peace before (which is now) during and after the December 7, 2012 general elections that will sweep him off the shoulders of Ghanaians who are impatiently seeking for an effective, competent, incorruptible and performing government epitomized by Nana Addo and the New Patriotic Party.

Long live Kennedy Agyapong
Long live Nana Addo
Long live NPP
Long live Ghana.
Singed
Kwamena Duncan
(Regional Secretary)
Tel:0244659520