OccupyGhana Condemns NPP Chairman's Murder

OccupyGhana (OG), a pressure group, has condemned the killing of the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alhaji Adams Mahama.

The group has therefore added its voice to the numerous calls to the police to fish out the killers and punish them.

On Wednesday, May 20, 2015, Ghanaians were hit with the shocking news of acid attack on the dynamic NPP regional chairman in Bolgatanga, leading to his death a few hours later on Thursday.

Two people who are suspected to be involved in the pouring of the acid have been identified and one of them, younger brother of the NPP National Chairman, has been remanded into police custody by an Accra court.

Countless institutions and powerful individuals as well as security experts have all condemned the dastardly act and asked the law enforcement agencies to conduct thorough investigations and bring the perpetrators to book without fear or favour.

OccupyGhana said in a statement yesterday that 'no person deserves to die in the manner Mr. Adams Mahama did and no person has the right to take another’s life in the circumstances Mr. Adams Mahama’s life was taken.'

It continued, 'For the rest of us, the death of Mr. Adams Mahama, if indeed truly occurred because of political instigation, should not be seen as just another 'partisan' occurrence but rather a signal that our politics is at the cusp of a trajectory of self-destruction. It is a criminal act that should be abhorred without reservation.'

Fault Lines
According to the pressure group, 'The origin of the fault line of physical violence in Ghana’s politics could be traced to British colonialist policies and practices, under which those who demanded independence were hounded, imprisoned and sometimes, killed.

'Unfortunately, with the advent of independence a more vicious form of political violence was to be introduced: the phenomenon of 'machoism,' feeding on the unfortunate mentality that the only way to handle political differences is to visit physical violence on one’s opponents.'

'It is unfortunate that nearly six decades after independence, we are yet to fully rid our politics of 'machoism.' Political parties have nurtured and fed this ‘beast’ and given it room to transmogrify and mutate into a clear and present national danger, the latest form of which is the unjustified attack that has resulted in the assassination of Mr. Adams Mahama.'

OccupyGhana said indiscipline and machoism had increasingly taken 'the spearhead of political activism in the country' adding, 'Our airwaves and newspapers are replete with vitriolic language and unacceptably unpalatable reportage.'

Volunteer Information
OccupyGhana called on all persons who may have any knowledge of the circumstances surrounding and leading to the killing of the NPP regional chairman, to step forward and pass on any such information to the appropriate authorities.

Call To Order
OccupyGhana asked the leadership, members and supporters of all political parties to work hard to eliminate and eschew all forms of violence and indiscipline in their intra- and inter-party engagements.

'Politics is nothing more than a contest of ideas and tolerance of divergent views, in spite of vigorous contests for control and leadership at various levels. Occupy Ghana commits to engaging with and working with the leadership of all political parties and groupings to develop and sustain workable programmes aimed at stamping out violence in the activities of all such groups,' the statement underscored.

By William Yaw Owusu