A Non-governmental Organization, Right Alliance-Ghana, has called on the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government, to work to end the incessant violent attacks by members of some vigilante groups known to be affiliated to the party.
According to the group, it feels particularly scandalized by the attacks carried out by members of the pro-NPP group, Delta Force, on the Kumasi Circuit Court.
It argued that, the statements by the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), Judicial Council, and other stakeholders on the matter were rather weak, as they expected strong-worded statements as a result of the severity of the crime committed.
The Right Alliance-Ghana noted that, it believed some elements within the New Patriotic Party and the police command were encouraging such illegal acts, adding that members of the major political parties, the NPP and the NDC, must refrain from accusing each other over the incidence, since such developments have the tendency of trivializing the attack.
It further called on President Akufo-Addo, the IGP and the appropriate Ministries, to deal firmly with the problem, which they believe undermined the integrity of the country’s judiciary.
Following the dastardly attack on the Kumasi Circuit Court by some members of the ‘Delta Force’, a militant group of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in reaction to the ruling by the presiding judge, Her Honour Mary Senkyire, remanding them in prison custody, the Right Alliance-Ghana has carefully monitored reactions from the public and statements by organized groups and civil society organisations including the Ghana Bar Association (GBA), the Judicial Council and Coalition of Domestic Elections Observers (CODEO), and wishes to add its voice to the condemnation of the act and reiterate its calls on the President and relevant authorities to deal with such militant groups firmly and conclusively.
We feel particularly scandalized by the fact that this latest insurrection took place in the court room leading to threats on the person of the presiding judge, freeing of accused persons in lawful custody and destruction of court property. This, we consider, as a serious case of judicial contempt and attack on both the independence of the judiciary and rule of law and therefore find statements by the GBA and Judicial Council as rather half-hearted and insipid.
In equal measure, the Right Alliance-Ghana finds the action of the Police before, during and after the court proceedings as most unprofessional, inept and suspicious considering that they provided only two truncheon-wielding police officers to guard the court in such an explosive hearing, a situation the Regional Police PRO, ASP Yaw Nketia Yeboah, tried to play down in a media interview.
Public pronouncements by the NPP Member of Parliament for Assin North, Hon Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, in the aftermath of the Delta Force assault on the Ashanti Regional Security Liaison Officer, Mr George Agyei, appointed by the President, daring anyone to attempt prosecuting the brigands, make him complicit in the recent attacks.
Above all, the Right Alliance-Ghana has enough cause to believe that the whole saga was an orchestration masterminded by elements within both the NPP and the Regional Police Command. We also find attempts by some media houses and public commentators at lumping these miscreants calling themselves vigilante groups with the active youth wings of some other political parties, particularly the National Democratic Congress (NDC) as most hypocritical and unfortunate. Such attempts at equalization only end up diluting the enormity of the situation and pushing the matter under the rug.
The Right Alliance-Ghana therefore calls on the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, and all relevant security operatives including the Inspector-General of Police, COP David Asante Apeatu, to put their foot down and deal emphatically with this group of hoodlums called the Delta Force as well as all their counterparts in other regions. Hon Kennedy Agyapong must also be arrested immediately for interrogation.
We also call on both the GBA and Judicial Council to go beyond calling for an investigation and actually constitute a panel to try the members of the group for criminal contempt. Finally, we call on all other civil society organisations to stop the pretentious oblivion and raise their voices in condemnation of such reprehensible acts because if care is not taken, things could get worse. Indeed, we fear for the future security of this country with the signals we are seeing now. God Bless Our Homeland Ghana.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
