Violence dent on Ghana’s hard-won reputation – Bernard Mornarh

Bernard Monna

The Inter-party Coalition for National Sovereignty (IPCNS), has described last Thursday shootings at the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election as a dent on the country’s hard-worn reputation of Ghana as a beacon of democracy in Africa.

Addressing the media in Accra yesterday, Mr Bernard Mornarh, the Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC) and the convener of the Coalition, reiterated the need to do “self-introspection of the current state of politics in the country”.

He bemoaned the growing insecurity and the creeping lawlessness in the country and said “steps must be taken to prevent the menace”.

Mr Mornarh said that the act was perpetrated by “a battalion of marauding goons masquerading as agents of the security services, a private army of hoodlums, criminals and traitors”.

He said the Electoral Commission, political party agents and observers were intimidated by the masked men, adding that security personnel who tried to intervene were not “spared from the bestial violence and utter impunity of its agents”.

The Chairman of PNC noted that the decision of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to withdraw from the election “was not an act of cowardice but to restrain caution”.

“They could have met the violence of boys with the violence of men but chose to place the stability of the nation over narrow political interests,” he emphasised.

He said the IPCNS would embark on a protest march on February 7 to voice out their anger and present petitions to the United Nations (UN), the African Union (AU)and other development agencies.

Mr Mornarh urged the Inspector General of Police to pursue and prosecute the culprits.

The Women Organiser of the Conventions People’s Party (CPP) Hajia Alima Futa called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the IGP David Asante Apeatu to ensure the perpetrators were brought to book, warning that women and children were the worst victims of violence.

The Coalition comprise of the NDC, PNC, Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Eagle Party, among others.

BY ALLIA NOSHIE

 

Read Full Story