NPP youth has character of repeatedly disrespecting presidential staffers during demo — Shamima Muslim

Deputy Government Spokesperson Shamima Muslim has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) youth wing of repeatedly displaying disrespect during engagements with the Presidency, following its latest demonstration over the government's evacuation exercise in South Africa.

Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, Ms Muslim said the protesters were received courteously and given the opportunity to present their petition but disrupted proceedings when she attempted to address them.

She explained that she had intended to acknowledge receipt of the petition and inform the demonstrators that it would be forwarded to the Office of the Chief of Staff for onward submission to the President.

“I received it, and I was supposed to now make a very final comment about accepting the petition and assuring them that the petition will be submitted to the Chief of Staff’s Office for onward referral to the President’s attention,” she said.

However, she alleged that some of the protesters immediately resorted to singing and chanting when she took the microphone, preventing her from delivering her response.

Ms Muslim described the incident as part of what she considered a pattern of behaviour by the NPP youth wing during previous engagements with officials at the Presidency.

She cited similar incidents involving former government officials and presidential staff members, including Nana Yaa Jantua and Sammy Ayeh.

“They did it to Nana Yaa Jantua, they did it to Sammy Ayeh, a presidential staffer, when they refused to hand over their petition because they said they wanted a senior person from the Presidency,” she said.

She called on the NPP leadership to caution its supporters, arguing that the conduct was not an isolated occurrence.

“It’s a character thing, and they should look at it and try to advise themselves before they set out. You know, it’s a character thing. It’s not a one-off thing,” she said.

The Deputy Government Spokesperson also dismissed attempts to excuse the behaviour because of the heightened emotions often associated with political demonstrations, insisting that protesters must respect established engagement procedures.

Despite her criticism, Ms Muslim maintained that the government would continue to accommodate opposition groups and allow them to present their concerns without interference.

“They can protest as many times as they want. As you have seen, we have not arrested anybody. We did not manhandle anybody,” she said.

She further confirmed that the petition presented by the NPP youth wing had been forwarded to the Office of the Chief of Staff for consideration.

According to her, the government would assess the demands and take the necessary action if the issues raised were found to have merit.