The youth wing of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called off an intended demonstration against the Akufo-Addo government to protest against alleged attacks on its members by some supporters of the New Patriotic Party.
The cancellation of the demonstration follows President Akufo-Addo’s condemnation of post-election violence during the presentation of his maiden State of the Nation Address on Tuesday February 21.
Persons suspected to be supporters of the governing NPP, especially those belonging to the party’s private security arm, Invincible Forces, shortly after the president was sworn into office, attacked state institutions and seized some state assets while harassing persons they suspected were appointees of the Mahama administration.
The NDC threatened to retaliate if the NPP did not call its supporters to order. The youth wing of the party subsequently planned to organise a mammoth demonstration against the government.
But delivering his address on the floor of parliament, Mr Akufo-Addo said wrong was wrong regardless of political affiliation and called on the Inspector General of Police to bring lawbreakers to book.
“Mr Speaker, certain instances occurred during the transition period which are matters of concern to me and should be to every Ghanaian. Wrongdoing has no political colour and I do not subscribe to the lawlessness of political party supporters simply because their party has been elected into office,” he stated.
“Mr Speaker, when those incidences began, I instructed the then Inspector General of Police, John Kudalor, to apply the law irrespective of political affiliation to all law breakers. This instruction was also carried on to his successor David Asante-Apeatu to act upon it to bring such situation under control.”
Following these statements by the president, the NDC, in a statement signed by its General Secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia, said: “We intend to view this belated call by President Nana Akufo-Addo as a genuine effort on his part to rein in the rampaging and marauding members of his party and it is our expectation that his gesture will restore the peace Ghanaians enjoyed under the NDC. It is our hope that the president is not only paying lip service to his call for the IGP, Asante-Apeatu, and his men to crack the whip and deal mercilessly with all forms of lawlessness.
“In this regard, we wish to request the president to disband and demobilise his illegal vigilante group, the Invincible Forces, with immediate effect. On our part, we are calling off the planned demonstration of our Youth Wing against NPP violence scheduled for February 24 as a sign of good faith. We believe in peaceful coexistence and we see the president's call as an important precondition for peace in Ghana. We, therefore, urge him to walk the talk.”
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