The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is dealing with miscreants affiliated to the party, unlike the National Democratic Congress (NDC) which has often condoned the acts of such elements, and shielded them from prosecution, the acting General Secretary of the NPP has said.
According to John Boadu, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), does not have the moral right to suggest that the NPP is promoting lawlessness in the country.
[contextly_sidebar id=”6e1lPQcGENhPZyYdt2TOru17UMKrefOS”]The NDC at a press conference addressed by its Chairman, Kofi Portuphy on Wednesday, accused the President, Nana Akufo-Addo, of promoting lawlessness for not forcefully condemning acts of violence carried out by some groups affiliated to the party.
He said following the declaration of the NPP as winners of the December 2016 Presidential elections, some youth groups went on rampage and committed various crimes including vandalizing state property and taking over operations at some state facilities which was not condemned by the President.
“[President Akufo-Addo] shied away from expressing outrage or total condemnation, and chose rather cynically to pontificate on the rule of law… When responsible world leaders express outrage at violence in their countries, it is not because they do not believe in the rule of law. It’s because violence should never be condoned under any circumstance,” Mr. Poturphy stressed.
But John Boadu, in an interview on Eyewitness News on Wednesday said the NPP on the contrary, has sought to ensure that group or individual who breaks the law goes through the laid down legal procedures to be prosecuted.
“This is a new government that has decided to depart from allowing citizens especially party members from taking the law into their own hands. It is a departure from that culture of impunity where party people decide to take the laws of this country into their own hands and government looks on. Government does not act… [This] government is working on those things… Nana Akufo-Addo has taken the bull by the horn and has allowed the due process to go on. This is their [NDC] problem because they couldn’t do that,” he said.
Members of the Delta Force group manhandled the Ashanti Regional Security Coordinator, because they disagreed with his appointment.
Some of the group’s members also stormed the premises of the Kumasi Circuit court last week, destroying court property and forcefully freeing their colleagues who were facing trial for their involvement in the attack on the security coordinator.
That incident has been condemned by bodies such as the Ghana Bar Association, UN, Judicial Council, the National Peace Council and the NDC.
The thirteen suspects, who are now on bail awaiting the substantive matter of the assault on the security coordinator, have already been sentenced for fleeing from the court.
They were each fined Ghc2,400, and made to sign a bond of good behaviour. Meanwhile, the eight other members of the group who carried out the raid on the court, have been remanded awaiting prosecution.
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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana