President John Mahama yesterday blamed the police for the attack on the Nima private residence of the leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, by NDC hoodlums on Sunday.
The president put the blame squarely at the doorsteps of the police for waiting for the violence to erupt, when he met agitating labour unions at the presidency.
“I think that the police at Nima should have been better briefed, knowing that this group was passing through and then we should have taken the appropriate safeguards so that there would have been no opportunity for that to happen,” he said.
His comment was coming at the time the United States government had accused the NDC administration of perpetrating the unprovoked attack.
“Only last Saturday we almost had a clash which was unfortunate. If any of those firearms had been fired and someone had dropped dead, it would have been a completely different story. I think we should be preventive enough in our actions to prevent such things. …,” he claimed.
President Mahama said, “By my nature, I’m not a person who encourages violence and I’ll never encourage violence. If any such thing will happen, it will not be because I have provoked it.”
“We will avoid the flashpoints that create that kind of situation.” He charged the country’s law enforcers to be proactive in preventing any violence or misconduct from party supporters in the build-up to the December 7 polls, adding, “When we (politicians) ratchet up the political rhetoric, you should feel free and confident to call us to order.”
The government of the United States on Monday officially commented on the upsurge of political violence in Ghana, specifically condemning the ruling NDC supporters for attacking the NPP flag bearer, Nana Akufo-Addo’s private residence in Accra on Sunday.
A White House spokeswoman at the weekly press briefing, expressed concern about the upsurge in violence in Ghana saying, “The United States is deeply disappointed by the targeting of the home and family of the primary opposition presidential candidate (Nana Akufo-Addo).”
The condemnation is coming at a time when the US Embassy and the British High Commission both in Accra, are threatening to refuse or cancel already issued visas for politicians in Ghana who are inciting violence as the country goes to the polls on December 7.
The White House Spokeswoman said on Monday that “We condemn all violence in Ghana including political violence in the period leading to, during and immediately following Ghana’s elections scheduled for December 7.”
She said, “Ghanaians from across the political spectrum have worked hard to build one of the leading democracies in Africa. We call on all Ghanaians to remain peaceful and respect the democratic process. We specifically call on candidates, their parties and their supporters to re-affirm their pledges to renounce violence and settle any dispute through the judicial process.”
The NPP has said utterances and actions of the NDC as a party showed clearly that the attack on Nana Akufo-Addo’s residence was premeditated.
For instance, when the NDC issued a statement to condemn the attack, it created the impression that it was Nana Akufo-Addo’s bodyguards who started the melee.
It was in the process that hundreds of the NDC T-shirt-clad youth started hurling bottles of alcoholic beverages and stones into the house without any provocation.
Their bid to invade the house was said to have been aborted by two private security men at the gate who reportedly fired warning shots into the air.
Nana Akufo-Addo was in the Brong-Ahafo Region campaigning towards the December 7 polls at the time of the incident.
In their own announcement released by the Greater Accra Regional NDC ahead of the walk dubbed ‘Greater Accra NDC Walk for Victory’ scheduled for November 13 at 5:30 am, the party said they were starting from La T-Junction through La township to Osu Oxford Street, Danquah Circle, Police Headquarters, Nima Traffic Light through the Nima township to Kawukudi Park, with President John Mahama as the special guest of honour.
The president indeed attended the event at Kawukudi where he said nobody could force power sharing on him, with some Ghanaians wondering where that one was coming from.
It however, came as a surprise when the NDC said they were using the Nima Police Station area, where Nana Akufo-Addo’s residence is located, as a converging point, according to the NPP.
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(Via: NewsGhana)
