Another Organization Condemn Thursday's Bye-Election Violence

The SMJ is appalled and outraged at the violence that was perpetrated against some people on Thursday, 31^st January 2019 during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections.

We cannot understand why the perpetrators of these acts did not arrest the bystanders if they suspected that they were going to cause any problem and subject them to proper investigations to establish their true identity. To the best of our knowledge, so far, no arrest has been made to ascertain which group or vigilante was going to cause any problems with the elections.

That is why we vehemently condemn the violence in Ayawaso West Wuogon and call on all peace loving Ghanaians to do the same.

The SMJ is no doubt that the by-elections like all the other elections that have taken place in the country are not going to bring about any meaningful or fundamental change in the lives of the people. We believe that the essence of voting is about governments that will fundamentally bring change in the lives of the people through access to food, shelter, clothing, etc. and this would never be realised as long as the neo-colonial capitalist system remains the dominant mode of production.

This will be the case in spite of the drudgery of standing in the sun to vote, the beatings and the blood that has been spilled. Notwithstanding, the SMJ denounces these dastardly and cowardly acts and call on the security and law enforcement agencies to investigate the horrific incident at Ayawaso, unmasked the unseen faces behind it and punish the culprits to serves as a strong deterrent against the repetition of such acts in the future.

The masterminds behind these mindless brutalities are the only ones who stand to gain from the mayhem. They seek to take over the levers of state power and use it to loot and plunder the resources of the country with the support of foreign parasitic interest. Profits and only profits is the driving force behind these politicians and their counterparts in the economic sector in Ghana and abroad.

It is for this reason that the SJM would not stop at condemning the politicians but appeal to members of working people to refuse to be used in the power games of the NPP and NDC, who are essentially representatives of international capital.

On this score, the SJM is appealing to our progressive and revolutionary groups and individuals to unite on a common platform to oppose capitalism or the free enterprise system, that does not guarantee better lives for working people; knowing fully well that the capitalist social environment is the root cause of violence. Our dependent capitalism generates competition and insecurity that produces a variety of violent acts.

Unless and until progress forces come together and work towards a socialist society, our country will continually be exploited for the benefit of foreign capital and their local collaborators and this would perpetually breed violence because of economic deprivation.

Once again the SJM calls on all progressive forces to come together to form an alternative political party and send one clear and unmistakable message that the neo-colonial system and violence of any kind have no place in Ghana.

It is important to state that instead of condemning the violent act, the NPP and NDC are involved in a blame game that does not contribute to the resolution of such violent acts.

Richard Asueme & Aidan Adongo (Convenors)