Speaker Oquaye Condemns Police Attack On Collins Dauda

Professor Aaron Mike Ocquaye, the Speaker of Parliament has condemned the raid on Member of Parliament for Asutifi South, Collins Dauda's home by the police.

He said such guerrilla tactics by the police shouldn't be entertained in our democracy.

Collins Dauda's home was raided on Tuesday dawn by armed policemen in his constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region.

"We want the security agencies to be mindful, in fact, the police should not invade the premises of a member or appear to be doing so in a manner that will raise difficulties for us. Members of Parliament are not above the law but that the privileges given to us by the constitution that we have all agreed to be ruled by, should at all material times, be respected and protected,' Ocquaye said.

He said, "The privileges of this honorable House have been clearly set out in the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana. It applies to all members upon whatever side and at all times and all circumstances'.

Prof. Ocquaye the police administration should respect MPs' privileges and the law by following due process in their investigations involving legislators.

'We will want to put on record that in the future, the leadership of the House, the Speaker of the House should be informed of all such needs so that it can be done with the appropriate decency. In fact, there have been occasions during my tenure that I have provided the police access to my conference room and even on some occasions in my presence and the presence of leadership as the security agencies ask whatever they want to ask so that we will not be seen to be shielding any wrongdoing and at the same time, keeping to the honour that must be given to the institution,' he stated.

Collins Dauda
Confirming the incident, the General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia said Dauda was ordered to report himself to the police when he gets to Accra.

'The Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander has directed him to hand himself to the IGP when he arrives in Accra. The violence in the area is as a result of the NPP bussing non-indigenes to register in the area which has consistently been resisted by the NDC', Nketia said