The Progressive People’s Party (PPP) is demanding a national address from President Akufo-Addo over the gruesome murder of Senior Law Lecturer at the University of Ghana Prof. Emmanuel Yaw Benneh and the general sense of insecurity in the country.

Prof. Benneh was found dead at his Adjiriganor home on Saturday, September 14, 2020 with his hands tied to his back. Four workers at his residence, Christian Pobee, 32, cleaner; Isaac Botchwey, 41, houseboy; James Nana Womba, 26, cleaner; and Adams Mensah Mansur, 52, gardener have been provisionally charged with murder; two of whom are currently on bail.

Speaking on Starr FM’s “Analyses” with Albert Quashigah,  National Secretary of the PPP Paa Kow Ackon argued that the murder of legal luminary points to the general insecurity in the country.

“I have seen the house. This is not a house anybody can easily break into. It’s magnificent and it has all the security, the electric fencing around the house. From what I have heard it appears he was killed in the same way J.B Danquah, the MP was killed, in the same format in that same area, the East Legon area. And so probably there is something happening in the East Legon area that we don’t know.”

He continued “And that is why you have the national security….this is the first time we have National Security Minister or coordinator, you have the IGP, you have the Chief of Defence Staff, you have about five or so people responsible for our security. And it appears that they are not doing much”.

Mr. Akon argued that it was important for the president to assure the citizenry of their security

“And so I think that the president who is the commander in chief should provide some leadership. He (the president) should assure us that our security is guaranteed. Because that is the minimal thing he (the president) can do for us. He must address the nation because such a colossus cannot die without the president making a statement…this very one, just as it happened in the US, it took only one man, George Floyd. His case was an awakening. And so the president must use Prof. Benneh’s case to turn around things. At least there should be a public address, he should be serious about it and he should commission his people, i.e. the Police, BNI Military and all these security agencies, the president must put some fire in them. They must be seen to be working”. Mr. Akon said.

Attention to security in the country

Former UN Advisor on Governance Prof. Baffour Agyemang Duah who was also on the panel faulted successive governments for not paying the needed attention to security in the country

“Crime in the country must be given a more serious attention by our governments. Not just this government but any government because in the previous government we did witness similar gruesome atrocities in terms of murdering innocent people. So I think crime, even though in this (election) campaign for instance I haven’t heard a word, not a single word from any of the parties regarding fighting crime and security of citizens. We are promising left and right on things we know too well we can never deliver but we are not promising of security and safety of citizens. This is basic. You want our votes but you are not promising to protect us.”