MPs Weep For Adams Mahama- Condemn Acid Attack

Members of Parliament from both sides of the House yesterday condemned the acid attack on the Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Adams Mahama, by some assailants believed to have some ‘political grudge’ with him.

Leading the charge for political parties to eschew violence and such 'senseless attacks' in the body politic of the country – after the minority leader had paid a solemn tribute to the late NPP stalwart on the floor of the House – the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu, said the attack had created one of the darkest moments in the country’s democratic dispensation.

He noted that the attack should be a wake-up call for all political parties to vigorously clamour for zero tolerance for violence in any form.

“Mr speaker, this attack is barbaric, vicious and very wicked to be visited on anybody, irrespective of which party the one belongs to,” he said, stressing that personally he had known Adams Mahama as very respected and hardworking Muslim whose relationship cut across the political divide and that the inhumane attack must be condemned in no uncertain terms.

“It is time for all of us as politicians and Members of Parliament, to say never again must this attack happen in this country because we are decent people.”

The Tamale South MP said the attack on the NPP regional chairman also posed a challenge to the Forensic Unit of the Ghana Police Service, stressing that the unit must be properly equipped to be able to easily determine perpetrators of such heinous crimes.

The majority leader and NDC MP for Nadowli/Kaleo, Alban Bagbin, in his contribution, said the attack was completely un-Ghanaian, stressing that Ghanaians must know that right to life is a fundamental and basic human right enshrined in the Constitution.

He said according to Article 13 of the Constitution, no person shall be deprived of his life intentionally and that the life of any person is sacred.

He said the unfortunate death of Adams Mahama is not only a loss to the NPP, but also a great loss to the nation because he was an astute businessman who was contributing his quota to the development of the country.

The majority leader expressed the hope that the justice system would let justice prevail in the acid attack on the NPP regional chairman.

The minority leader, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who read the tribute on behalf of the minority MPs, said the attack was the height of man’s inhumanity against his fellow man.

He said the use of acid to settle scores is assuming alarming proportions of late and that no matter what offence one may have committed against his friend, resorting to the use of acid should not be justified because it is a devilish act.

“The people of this country by our upbringing, training, customs, traditions and usages, know what truthfulness is and by extension, know what justice is. The people are distressed because of these incidents. The people are calling for justice,” he said, stressing that justice must be administered as speedily as practicable to still the waters.

NPP MP for Manhyia South, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, said it is very bad for people to hide behind politics to murder fellow colleagues callously.

He said parliament must help agencies like the Environmental Protection Agency, Food and Drugs Authority and the Ghana Standard Authority to ensure that the importation of dangerous chemicals into the country is properly monitored.

He said it was time these agencies collaborated to check the storage and the use of these dangerous chemicals imported into the country.

The speaker, Edward Doe Adjaho, said the circumstances under which the NPP regional chairman was killed raises national concern that was why he allowed a tribute to be paid to him in parliament.

By Thomas Fosu Jnr