At a press conference on Wednesday addressed by the NDC Chairman, Kofi Portuphy, he recalled that a number of these groups hitherto “found it necessary to condemn every action of the previous NDC government” but have been silent in the past months.

[contextly_sidebar id=”9tFf0sxNAptZTzScySSQ1X1rYFOtLyuA”]He intimated that, these groups were basically betraying their standing as the public and moral conscience of Ghanaian society.

“All of a sudden, they have abandoned their neutral outlook. They have ceased being the conscience of the nation. We don’t want to believe the attitude of some clergy and civil society towards the disturbing developments in the political scene in Ghana is borne out of political or ethnic prejudice or is arousing out of hypocrisy and double standards,” he said.

Mr. Poturphy noted that, it was only in the wake of the recent fracas at a Kumasi Court, leading to the escape of 13 Delta Force members on trial, that a number of these groups rose up in condemnation.

The NDC Chairman questioned why they did not see it fit to condemn other egregious and lawless incidents prior to the mayhem at the Kumasi Court.

“Where was the Ghana Bar Association, CODEO, Peace Council when the NPP brought in mercenaries from South Africa to train these terrorist elements. Where was the Peace Council, when after the elections, these NPP elements attacked, burned down and a took over operations of toll booths at Tiafre in the Brong Ahafo Region and in Tema at the Motorway?”

“Where was the GBA when those goons beat up police officers and chased them out of their offices? Where was the peace council when NPP-sponsored goons murdered four NDC activists in different parts in the country in the Western, Central and Upper East Regions?” he alleged.

A responsible leader would have been outraged

President Nana Akufo-Addo has since spoken on the Delta Force incidents in Kumasi, where assured that the confusion was being addressed, and that he was committed working under the Rule of Law.

But the NDC rubbished the President’s response with Mr. Poturphy saying he “said practically nothing.”

According to him, 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 because violence should never be condoned under any circumstance,” Mr. Poturphy stressed.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post NDC blasts clergy, CSOs for ‘silence’ on post-election violence appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

The Director of Public Affairs of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Cephas Arthur, said enough measures had been put in place to avoid any serious incidents.

“As elections were being called and results were being declared, the police had already rolled out the third phase security arrangements and we believe very strongly that, but for the preparedness for the police the situation would have been worse,” he said.

Superintendent Arthur, however, admitted that some of the disturbances being witnessed happened on the blindside of the police.

The police have since arrested three people connected to the recent wave of post-election violence in some parts of the country.

Superintendent Arthur confirmed that one of the arrests was in connection with a toll both arson at Fiapre, one other arrest was at Sankore following some politically motivated attacks and the third arrest was effected in the Central Region.

He added that if there was any difficulty in effecting more arrests, “it may only be that they are on the run. They are on the run so we have to look for them.”

“The rest, we are on their heels looking for them to bring them also to book,” Superintendent Arthur assured.

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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post Security measures averted escalation of post-election violence – Police appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.