Keep Ghana safe for citizens – NDC to Government

The main opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) wants the ruling New Patriotic Party(NPP) government to arrest the impunity and the seeming lawlessness in the country following the attack on NDC Member of Parliament for Asunafo South and former regional minister for Brong Ahafo, Eric Opoku.

In a statement released by the party signed by its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah said the NPP government must be reminded “for the umpteenth time, about its cardinal responsibility to keep Ghana, all its citizens and their property safe at all times and without any form of discrimination, be it ethnic, political, gender or religious.”

Some unknown assailants Sunday dawn attacked Mr Opoku at his residence at Sankore in the Brong-Ahafo Region.

The attackers, believed to be sympathisers of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), also attacked and injured three other persons, all members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in their various homes that same night.

The incident happened at about 2 am on Sunday, April 1, 2018, making it the second time such an incident has happened in Mr Opoku’s house.

The names of the three injured persons have been given as Thomas Amponsah, Adams Seidu alias Red and Apostle Timothy.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Asunafo South Constituency of the Brong Ahafo Region, has condemned the attack on Eric Opoku, and urged the police to bring the perpetrators to book regardless of their party affiliation.

But the NDC in its statement said both the Ghana police service and the NPP Government must deliver on their respective mandates of eliminating impunity and restoring law and order in our dear country.

Below is the full statement

NDC CONDEMN ATTACK ON MP AND PEOPLE OF SAKORE

The leadership of NDC has taken notice of the brutal and barbaric attacks on our member of Parliament for Asonafo South and former regional minister for Brong Ahafo Hon. Eric Opoku and many other innocent citizens of Sakore by a group of persons described variously as “armed robbers’ by sections of the media, “criminals” by the Ghana police service and “known members of NPP vigilante group” by the victims and all eyewitnesses.

The NDC has also taken notice of the hurriedly issued reaction of the NPP condemning the attacks and calling on the police to treat the incident as a pure criminality.

The regrettable attempt by an officer of the Ghana police service to engage in “Victim blaming” by alleging publicly that Hon. Eric Opoku denied himself police protection, however gives us a deep course to worry about official complicity in the matter. We hope we are wrong in this belief.

Whilst condemning this heinous attack we wish to urge the Ghana police service to approach this case with all the seriousness and the professionalism it can command in order to help redeem its rather sinking image under this NPP administration.

We also wish to remind the NPP government, for the umpteenth time, about its cardinal responsibility to keep Ghana, all it citizens and their property safe at all times and without any form of discrimination, be it ethnic, political, gender or religious.

Information reaching us indicate that the situation in Sankore remains volatile and has the potential to escalate, unless a quick and decisive action is taken to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book. We hope Ghanaians can count on the Ghana police service and the NPP Government to deliver on their respective mandates of eliminating impunity and restoring law and order in our dear country.

Meanwhile the party has constituted a high powered delegation ready to move to Sankore to visit the victims, and ascertain the facts of the incident as soon as the necessary security clearances are obtained.

We wish to take this opportunity to express our deepest sympathy and solidarity to our Hon member of Parliament, all the victims and their families urging them to exercise maximum restraint in this difficult times, with the assurance that they can count on the support of the National Democratic Congress to see to it that they obtain justice in this matter.

……Signed……

Johnson Asiedu Nketiah
General secretary