PUNISH NPP CHAIRMAN’S ATTACKERS

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Monday, May 25, 2015

In what can pass as a rare occurrence in the political history of the country, there appear to be a public consensus that the killers of Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Alhaji Adams Mahama should be fished out and punished without delay.

Last week, Ghanaians were hit with the shocking news of the pouring of acid on the dynamic NPP regional chairman in Bolgatanga leading to his death a few hours later.

Two people who are suspected to have been involved in the pouring of the acid have been identified and one is currently detained by the police.

Countless institutions and powerful individuals as well as security experts have all condemned the ‘dastardly act’ and asked the law enforcement agencies to conduct thorough investigations and bring the perpetrators to book without fear or favour.

CDD Response

The Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) issued a statement calling on the police to treat everyone arrested in connection with the murder of the NPP Chairman as a criminal.

The statement issued in Accra and signed by Mina Okuru, Communications Officer of the CDD said they are “concerned that in the past, perpetrators of election-related violence have gone unpunished, and in many instances are condoned (and not reprimanded) by political party leadership.”

It said it was gratifying to note that the leadership of both the NPP and NDC had condemned this latest incident. CDD-Ghana hoped that those who perpetrated the heinous crime were apprehended, treated as criminals, prosecuted and punished to serve as a deterrent to future perpetrators of similar acts.

“The Centre is thus encouraged by the fact that the Ghana Police Service is investigating what appears to be a politically motivated crime, and is confident the criminals will be apprehended.”

“CDD-Ghana condemns without reservation all acts of political violence, be it intra or inter party. Acts such as these, which may have resulted in the death of the NPP Upper East Regional Chairman, have no place in a democracy,” they said.

According to the CDD, past election observation/monitoring reports, including those by CDD-Ghana and the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers (CODEO), since 1992, was replete with conflicts and violence in the political and electioneering environment saying “CDD-Ghana holds the view that such acts undermine current efforts to promote peace, stability, good governance and the consolidation of democracy in Ghana.”

The statement urged leaderships of political parties to denounce members who carry out criminal activities, treat all such persons as criminals, and allow the law to take its course.

NPP Council of Elders

The NPP Council of Elders, the highest advisory body within the opposition party also condemned the gruesome killing of Alhaji Adams.

A statement signed by C.K. Tedam, Chairman, Council of Elders said “the loss of Alhaji Adams Mahama is a kind of gruesome incident that has never been known in the NPP tradition and the Council condemns this act of unbelievable cruelty and criminality without reservation.”

“The Council considers it the duty of all Party officials and members as well as the general public to lend full cooperation and support to law enforcement agencies in the search for the criminals responsible and for the dispensation of justice,” it said.

“In this hour of grief and bewilderment, some may find opportunity to make conjectures and pass innuendos that are aimed at individuals and groups within and without the party. The council strongly advises that all true party members should desist from using the airwaves and the print media to generate diversions which could not contribute to the fact finding efforts of the investigators in the case nor to the peace and calm that is necessary at this time in the Party and the country at large.”

The council said what the NPP needed now was “the sober atmosphere that allows for contemplation designed to enhance our search to salvage the harm that has been done by the murder of Alhaji Adams Mahama.”

It further said it was emphasizing the fact that the NPP “has given a pledge to the people of this country to take over the reins of administration after the 2016 election in order to stave off this Republic from the current slide into socio-economic doom.”

They eulogized the late Alhaji Adams Mahama as “an example of the new breed in the party – reasonably young, energetic, committed and hard working,” saying “he was an inspiration to all those young people who see or have found the NPP to be the avenue to genuinely serve their country.”

“The Council of Elders would want all of us to use the death of this wonderful countryman as the NPP’s obelisk of unity and peace and the staff for the march towards victory in the 2016 election.”

The council stressed its concern for the maintenance of peace, responsibility and discipline in the party and said it will “avail itself of all existing avenues to ensure that all members act with discipline and in the best interest of the party and nation,” adding “this is the fitting memorial to the comrade we have tragically lost and for the respect of our party’s traditions and objectives.”