We can’t trust the Police to protect us during Akwatia by-election – NPP Deputy General Secretary
The Deputy General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Haruna Mohammed, has stated that the party cannot rely on the Ghana Police Service to provide protection to its members during the upcoming Akwatia by-election scheduled for September 2.
According to him, many incidents of electoral violence have happened on the watch of the police, therefore relying on the Service to provide security and protect the interest of the party during the by-election is a risk the NPP is not ready to take.
During an appearance on Channel 1 TV’s Point of View, Haruna Mohammed explained that instead of relying on the police for protection, the NPP is going resort to self-protection as captured in the 1992 Constitution, but will not engage in violence as a party that believes in the rule of law.
“Per the background that we had, I think we were being very honest with the police because it is the police that is supposed to provide security, and looking at what has happened just recently and the outlook, the attitude and the demeanor of the police cannot make us trust them,” he stated.
On the chances of recording incidents of violent clashes in the upcoming by-election similar to what was witnessed on July 11during the Ablekuma North rerun, the Deputy Secretary emphasized that the New Patriotic Party did not emerge from a revolution and as such violence is not a part of its solutions to issues but will protect its interest by any means necessary if the need arises.
“We are a political party that does not unleash violence, we are not the kingpins of violence, and we are not the paramount chiefs of violence. We are a political party that believes in the rule of law, and when you believe in the rule of law you must apply the law to the letter and ensure that the law remains the protector of you as a citizen, and that is why self-protection is found in the constitution and the NPP is going to use that self-protection,” he emphasized.
Haruna Mohammed further highlighted that the party’s lack of trust in the police force comes on the back of its alleged inability to control violent incidents during the Ablekuma North rerun although security personnel allegedly watched on as these incidents unfolded.
“We don’t trust them because something that has happened in Ablekuma North, videos that have come out from that, these events happened in front of the police, the police were there themselves, they watched, the saw what happened,” he claimed
Earlier on Wednesday, the Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, disclosed that about 600 police personnel and drones have been deployed to the Akwatia Constituency ahead of the by-election scheduled for September 2, following the death of the Member of Parliament, Ernest Kumi.
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