The Ghana Police Service says it will not permit any demonstration or protest at the Flagstaff House or anywhere close to the seat of government.
According to the police administration, contrary to reports that it has granted permission for a group of Ghanaians to picket at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday, the Public Relations Officer of the Greater Accra Police Command, DSP Freeman Tettey noted that ‘’they can do it but not at the Flagstaff House’’.
‘’We’ve agreed that they can do it [demonstrate or picket] but not at the Flagstaff House;… [we] agreed that they converge at the Efua Sutherland Park do whatever they want to do, express themselves and if they want to present a petition to the authorities, two or three of them will be escorted to do that,’’ DSP Tettey said.
Explaining why the protestors cannot demonstrate at the Flagstaff House as planned, he said the seat of government is a security zone and the laws do not permit them or any other person to demonstrate there or anywhere around.
‘’It [Flagstaff House] is a security zone; aside from that there are other facilities there that are very delicate, that are very sensitive facilities. So we cannot allow them to demonstrate,’’ he added.
DSP Tettey also said the police had a frank discourse with the organizers of the ‘Occupy Flag Staff House’ protest and the police made it clear to them that the group cannot picket at the Flagstaff House on Tuesday.
He stated that nobody will be allowed to demonstrate close to the seat of government.
The group in a statement stated that “the Ghana Police Service and Concerned Ghanaians for Responsible Governance (CGRG) have agreed that come tomorrow, July 1, 2014 the protest dubbed #occupyflagstaffhouse or #occupyflagstaff and the presentation of a petition to H.E. John Dramani Mahama will take place as planned. “
The group further indicated that the only alteration to the event is that Ghanaians will converge on the Efua Sutherland Children’s Park at 6am instead of the Flag Staff House.
“The Ghana Police Service has graciously assured us of protection for the entire duration of the protest. Let us however, stress again that we shall not condone any form of violence, hooliganism or lawlessness,” it warned.
By: Evans Effah/citifmonline.com/Ghana