General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia has chastised the Akufo-Addo government for dragging Major Boakye-Djan (rtd) before the Police CID for purportedly inciting the public to mutiny.

According to him, Boakye-Djan rather deserves commendation for warning against a possible insurrection, since being an experienced former military officer, he is able to envisage activities that can lead to such acts of revolt.

If They Want It, They Will Get It!

The Major (rtd) accused the EC of gradually leading the country into a civil war with its bull-headedness, particularly regarding the decision to compile a new voters register, and subsequently warned of impending doom should the Electoral Commission connive with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to rig the upcoming December polls

Sounding a note of caution, he pointed out that most electoral disputes in Africa have resulted in civil wars and Ghana is not immune to it, and warned that "should the EC continue to toe the line of their paymasters, it will certainly spell doom for this country."

" . . it is political motivation that led to the dismissal of Madam Jean Mensah as the EC Chairperson by the current administration. They want to beef up the numbers so they can win simply because they don't have confidence in their winning numbers, otherwise they won't tamper with it...But more importantly...post-independence Africa, all crises and civil wars have been on the back of disputed electoral results. What they are doing now, they are driving us into a civil war and if they want it, they will get it," he screamed.

CID Invite

Days after his remarks, four personnel drawn from the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, on Tuesday, 19th May, 2020, arrested and questioned him.

Mr. Boakye-Djan was made to write his statement at the police station in the Bono Region where his lawyers joined him at the police station.

He was later granted bail and asked to make himself available at the station at least once in a week.



Statesman

But the NDC General Secretary, who was speaking in an interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikesie on Okay FM’s 'Ade Akye Abia' Morning Show, described Osahene Boakye Gyan as a statesman for his prewarn remarks.

“Any Ghanaian who wants the best for the country will do as he (Boakye-Djan) did . . . and so I will commend Boakye-Djan for not keeping silent as a statesman . . . per his pedigree, in matters of such nature he could have kept quiet and allow something bad to happen but he chose to warn the EC about their things which can spark civil war,” he argued.

“Has he not orchestrated a coup d’état before? If he is therefore warning you against something that can result in an uprising, what wrong has he done? He is rather doing you a great good . . . He knows the conditions which can lead to a coup d’état and as a security expert, we should welcome his admonition rather than seeking to arrest him.

“If the EC and NPP's wish is for Ghanaians to turn a blind eye to their actions, then they should be prepared to arrest all of us . . . and when no-one is left, they can go ahead and govern an empty country. Everyone will rise up against this blatant intimidation and manipulation which can mar the democracy,” he charged.

Be careful EC

Asiedu Nketia further cautioned the Electoral Commission (EC) not to take for granted the country's stable state and ensure that every action they take, especially regarding this year's polls, is in the best interest of all.

“Some people in the past fought with their blood for the democratic dispensation we are currently enjoying, and so if someone is doing something which will mar the beauty of that democracy and out of fear for our lives we decide not to do anything about it, then we have greatly disappointed those who fought for our democracy. The EC should be careful because they are on dangerous grounds,” he warned.