Revisiting the “terror” unleashed on Ghanaians by this NPP government

As we delve into the deep waters of the 2024 general elections, every well-meaning Ghanaian is concerned about preserving the peace in the country, before, during and after the elections. There is no justification for any form of electoral violent. However justice must prevail to avoid any anarchy or upheaval.

For a peaceful and violent-free election to be achieved, the Electoral Commission (EC) has a crucial role to play in this. It is vital for the EC to play a very fair and just arbiter role in order to avert any reaction from other stakeholders. For every action, there is equal and opposite reaction.

It does not lie in the mouth of the EC to admonish political parties to accept the results if they lose, that is not the duty of the EC, the duty of the EC is to organise, a credible, free and fair elections that will satisfy all stakeholders involved. These stakeholders are Ghanaians and all the political parties in the country. However, there are two major political parties whose attitudes and actions will largely affect the peace and stability in this country. These are the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Since the inception of the Fourth Republic, Ghana has largely enjoyed peaceful democratic system. However, since the current Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government was sworn into office, Ghanaians have learnt “a bitter lesson of leadership” which goes on to suggest that, the NPP is willing to do anything to cling onto power, even if they have to kill innocent Ghanaians. there are some incidents that have affected the image of this country as far as our democratic dispensation is concerned. Even though, there have been an attempt to brand the NDC as a violent party due to the party’s root, but the evidence suggests otherwise. Almost all the memorable violent incidents that happened in this country were perpetrated by the NPP. It is important to revisit some of these incidents in order to remind Ghanaians who the NPP are. These are presented below.

The Ayawaso By-election violence:
The Ayawaso West by-election took place on 31 January 2019 after the death of the incumbent MP Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko on 21 November 2018.

Violence erupted in the constituency two hours after the election had started, though there was no death recorded there were casualties. A sitting Member of Parliament for the Ningo-Prampram constituency Sam George was assaulted and 18 people were wounded by members of the NPP who claimed to be security personnel. In February 2020, a 3-member commission was established by the government to investigate the violence during the by-election, but the recommendations of the commission were ignored by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government. Till date the perpetrators are walking freely.

Techiman South Massacre:
During the 2020 general elections, under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo and his Vice, Dr. Bawumia, a total of eight innocent Ghanaian lives, including three minors were lost. The unarmed citizens were shot point blank by security forces. They are Zakaria Samira, 12, Musah Fuseini, 14 Botwe Tackie, 16, Abdallah Ayarek, 18; Tajudeen Mohammed, 41, Dompreh Emmanuel, 36, and Abass Ibrahim whose age was not stated.

Almost four years after this massacre, no single person has been held responsible for these heinous and unprecedented violent under the Fourth republic.

NPP Delta Force storms court:
Members of a vigilante group affiliated to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Delta Force, stormed the Kumasi Circuit Court, and freed their colleagues who were under trial for causing disturbances at the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council. The group vandalized some court properties, and almost assaulted the Judge, Mary Senkyire.

This was after some thirteen members of the group were detained in connection with their raiding of the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council on March 24, 2017, where they were alleged to have assaulted the newly appointed Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, George Adjei.

After the judge’s decision to remand the suspects, the members said they were not going to allow the ruling to stand, and demanded that the 13 leave the court with them.

All these happened under the government which prides itself with rule of law, human right and equality. Clearly the NPP is the most violent political party in this country, the earlier they are told this bitter truth the better for this country. It is an irony for the NPP to turn around and accuse the NDC of violence when in actual fact; the NPP has unleashed the most heinous, mayhem and anarchy on the citizenry.

If we dare vote for the NPP (perish the thought), it will be an endorsement of their violence, nepotism, cronyism, state capture, corruption and arrogance, which will ultimately deny Ghanaians any opportunity for accountability for plundering the limited resources of the state.