Postpone March 6 March – Police

The Accra Regional Command of the Ghana Police Service on Friday advised the Committee for Joint Action, a political pressure group, to postpone its planned march on March 6 because the police would not be able to offer security protection to the members of the Committee.A release signed by the Greater Accra Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Douglas Akrofi Asiedu, said majority police officers and men would be detailed for the anniversary parade which falls on the same day.

"Foreign heads of state, dignitaries, VVIPs and visitors shall arrive in the country to witness the occasion and the police shall provide the necessary security. "All this indicates that the greater majority of police personnel shall be overburdened during the period." Mr Akrofi therefore advised the CJA to postpone their procession to any other date two weeks after the anniversary.

He said the decision of the police was in accordance with sub-section (4) of the Public Order Act of 1994, Act 491 which states that "where a police officer notified of a special event under sub-section (1) has reasonable grounds to believe that the special event if held may lead to violence or endanger public defence, public order, public safety, among others, he may request the organizers to postpone the special event to any other date or to relocate the event". The CJA on Tuesday said it was organising a "People's Jubilee Procession" in Accra on March 6, the day of the Golden Jubilee of Ghana's independence.

"This will be a procession for the ordinary people, who have been excluded from the official celebrations and who wish to commemorate independence as the popular revolutionary event that it really was," Mr Kyeretwie Opoku, spokesman, said at a press conference in Accra. Calling on Ghanaians from all walks of life to join the march in addition to true Nkrumaist and Pan-Africanists, he said the march would start at 0900 hours from the Kwame Nkrumah Circle and end at the Kwame Nkrumah Mausoleum where tributes and the laying of wreaths in honour of Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah and other fallen heroes of independence would be held.

Mr. Opoku, who was flanked by Mrs Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Mr Ato Ahwoi both of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Alhaji Ahmed Ramadan, Vice-Chairman of the People's National Congress (PNC), said the CJA was "distressed at the narrowness, emptiness and clumsiness of the unfolding official programme".