'Obey common sense' – 'Disgusted' Gabby reacts to Police brutality against law students

A cousin to President Nana Akufo-Addo, Mr Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has condemned the police brutality of law students who demonstrated at the seat of government on Monday, 7 October 2019.

The police sprayed the students with water cannons and rubber bullets in the heat of the peaceful demonstration which turned violent.

In a Facebook post following the incident, the founder of think tank Danquah Institute said: “Deputy Chief of Staff, Abu Jinapor, just said that he was sent by the Chief of Staff to meet the protestors to collect their petition on behalf of the President. Simple matter. So, really, what called for the use of water cannons, rubber bullets, etc? Granted the protestors did not ‘obey orders’. Should the Police not also ‘obey common sense?’”

“The demonstration was about students protesting against the difficulties in getting to the Law School. Nothing directly to do with the Presidency. But they are simply asking for the President’s intervention.

“Harmful over-reaction against harmless but aggrieved students. I’m disgusted!”

The students were part of hordes of demonstrators who hit the streets of the capital city, Accra, to vent out their spleen against the government over the mass disqualification of some 1,600 law students who sat for the last entrance exam for admission to the Ghana School of Law.

Only 128 out of the 1,820 students who sat for the exam passed – just seven percent.

This sparked national outrage amidst claims that the mass failure is a deliberate attempt by the General Legal Council to deny people access to legal education and make it a preserve of a few.

During the morning protest, the demonstrators mobbed the vehicle of a Deputy Attorney General, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame and temporarily blocked him from moving.

They wanted to exact an assurance from him that the government would listen to their concerns and fix the problem immediately.