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Press Release
Accra, February 10
Nana Akufo Addo comments on NDC's
violence and intimidation are justified
The NPP UK and Ireland supports the call by our presidential
candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo to party members in
the Eastern Region and elsewhere in Ghana and the diaspora
not to be intimidated or feel threatened by despicable acts
of violence and abuse by members of the National Democratic
Congress , their paramilitary groups and their agents . Nana
Akufo Addo is also right to ask party members to remain
steadfast, disciplined and focused, as well as prepare to
sacrifice, and work hard for the party to come to power in
2012.
Nana Akufo Addo comments raises serious concerns about the
attitude and the machinations of the National Democratic
Congress and its leadership under President John Evans Atta
Mills and the current attempts to undermine the peace and
security of Ghana without honoring its numerous promises to
the Ghanaian people, as well as the seeming lack of
political will from civic society to address this menace.
Here are examples of how the NDC has being carrying out
violent gestapo acts against political opponents especially
the NPP.
a. NPP sympathaisers and traders at the Kokomba Yam Market
in Accra were beaten viciously and two members lost their
lives. Till date the Police in Greater Accra led by Madam
Rose Atinga, Regional Commander for Greater Accra and a
staunch member of the NDC since 1994 have done nothing to
prosecute the offenders.
b. NPP members were threatened with death and beatings when
Baba Jamal, current Deputy Eastern Regional Minister, became
the first Ghanaian politician since Ex President Rawlings in
December 1981 to declare a holy war and the first politician
since the restoration of constitutional rule in 1992 to call
for Islamic Jihad against a political party and its members
at a Bye Election at Akwatia. Azorka boys and their allies
descended on Akwatia led by Sofo Azorka, the 1st vice
chairman of the Northern Region branch of the NDC, wearing
raffia skirts and cowbells round their waists. The Akwatia
NPP constituency Chairman was arrested by police on the
orders of Mr Baba Jamal, beaten up and locked up in cells
for 48 hours before being released .Some observers likened
the Akwatia Bye election to Beirut in Lebanon in the 80s. No
action has been taken against the police, Mr Baaba Jamal and
Mr Sofo Azorka till date.
c. At a bye Election in chereponi in the Northern Region,
NPP members were prevented by police and NDC polling agents
to observe the counting of the ballot. Ghana Air force
planes were used by the government to move ballot boxes from
an area called overseas to Tamale for counting without the
knowledge of the Electoral commission.
d. In the most violent bye election in history of Ghana
which occurred at Atiwa in the Eastern Region, NDC members
led by its National Organiser Yaw Boateng Gyan and its
Women’s Organiser Miss Anita De Sosoo and Major Dawuni of
the Ghana Armed Forces, who bused macho men from NDC
headquarters at Kokomemle in Accra, supervised NDC foot
soldiers to prevent people from voting and beat up NPP party
members. In one of the most cruel acts by a woman. Miss
Anita De Sosoo and her driver drove a car into a crowd of
NPP members and youth including children. 7 members
sustained severe injuries and they had to be hospitalized.
The NPP UK and Ireland is currently petitioning the United
Kingdom Government, The European Union and the United States
Government to freeze the assets and impose travel
restrictions on Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan and Miss Anita De Sosoo.
e. The National Democratic Congress currently have 1500
party members recruited from constituencies in the Northern,
Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Eastern and Greater Accra Regions
undertaking paramilitary training at the Achiase Jungle
Warfare Training school and the Asutuare Military Training
camp in preparation to be used as polling agents and
disruptive elements in certain constituencies in 2012.
f. The NPP UK and Ireland has also previously complained
about the presence of Mr Larry Gbevlo Lartey, the National
Security Co-ordinator being selected as the Head of Security
and strategy for the NDC Campaign team for 2012. We have
received alleged reports of Mr Gbevlo Lartey together with
his deputy Mr Kosivi Degbor working closely with the IGP Mr
Paul Tawiah Quaye to recruit at least 9,500 of the 16,000
Police Officers to be recruited from the NDC membership in
Greater Accra, Ashanti ,Central and Volta Regions.
g. The Use of certain journalists from a particular tribe on
the south coast to fan ethnic sentiments and run a tribal
campaign to generate support for President John Evans Atta
Mills similar to the use of Krahn intelligentsia in Liberia
to support Samuel Doe in the late 1980s and early 90s before
his death the price of which our Liberian brothers and
sisters are paying today.
h. The National Chairman of the NDC has called for the
extermination of all members of the Judiciary and that there
were many ways to kill a cat. Judges in Ghana today under so
much pressure and fearing for their lives, since a similar
threat by a former military ruler and one of Africa most
brutal dictators Flt Lt (rtd) Jerry John Rawlings whose
bloodthirsty regime was compared to other African leaders
like Mobutu, Doe, Idi Amin ,Menghistu, Abacha and Siad Barre
in brutality, led to three of their colleagues being
exterminated like Jews in the Holocaust in 1982 under the
PNDC regime, the mother of NDC.
The struggle for constitutional rule and democratic freedom
cannot be sacrificed on the altar of political expediency
and backdoor dictatorship. The NPP is committed to
supporting the government build a democratic, peaceful,
transparent, fair and just political environment but it also
believes that its commitment to these principles should not
be compromised, abused or seen as a weakness.
Nana Yaw Sarpong
Tel:
07983302369
Communications Officer-NPP UK and Ireland
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