The arrest, detention and alleged torture of Honourable Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for the Assini North Constituency on April 18 2012 by the security forces marked a sad and tragic day for the rule of law, respect for fundamental human rights and a perversion of justice and democracy in our country.
This shameful and barbaric act perpetrated by the beleaguered and discredited Mills-Mahama administration flies in the face of all international human rights norms and conventions and falls short of accepted standard of behaviour. Such blatant and arbitrary abuse and misuse of power by an elected government is not just dangerous but more importantly threatens the essence and the very existence of Ghana as a country.
NPP-Germany is convinced that the arrest and detention of Honourable Kennedy Ohene Agyapong on that fateful day only goes to confirm our long-held position that the Mills-Mahama government is willing and determined to plunge our once stable and peaceful country into chaos and confusion just to retain power.
After nearly three and half years of misrule, characterised by incompetence, ineptitude and unprecedented corruption scandals, this visionless government have realised(albeit too late) that the only way they can avoid defeat at the polls is to resort to the politics of violence and intimidation. Indeed but for the vigilance and patriotism of Hon. Kennedy Agyapong the gagartuam crime committed against the people of Ghana by President Mills and his cronies would have gone undetected. As such Ghanaians should be proud and thankful that at least we can still boast of people with conscience who are ready and willing to put the national interests before and beyond personal gains.
NPP-Germany reminds Ghanaians that if anybody is to stand trial for treason, it should be President Mills who in 2008 declared that Ghana will be like Kenya if the election does not go HIS WAY. This reckless statement was re-echoed by the then Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NDC Mr Ohene Agyekum who is now Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America. An in case the President has lost track of his memory, we would want to remind him that in 2010 Mr Baba Jamal(the Togolese immigrant )who was Deputy Regional Minister did not only declare Jihad during the bye –elections at Akwatia he in fact carried it out as confirmed by subsequent attacks on leading members of the NPP. Recently the President’s own Aide Nii Lamptey Vaderpujee called for non-GA speaking Ghanaians to be ethnically cleansed and the subsequent attacks on non-Ga speaking Ghanaians attest to this call for ethnic cleansing which is still very fresh in our memories
More worrying is the persistent and systematic acts of violence being perpetrated against women since the NDC took over the reins of government . In 2009 a pregnant woman was shot dead in broad day light by security forces and as we speak no body has been charged for this heinous crime. In 2012 a female Photo Journalist Ms Gifty Lawson was brutally assaulted and stripped naked by operatives of the BNI while covering a story at the high court in Accra. Ms Ursula Owusu NPP Parliamentary Candidate for Ablekuma South was set upon and assaulted by tugs hired by the ruling the NDC.
NPP –Germany considers these as acts of state sponsored terrorism for which President Mills must be personally held accountable and liable. This is because these unfortunate and deplorable incidents are taking place with the tacit support, encouragement and approval of a President who calls himself “Asomdwehene”(king of peace).To us this smacks of double standards and hypocrisy which unfortunately have become the hall marks of our President.
Clearly, the President’s inability to rein in his unruly appointees coupled with his apparent lack of leadership at this crucial moment in our nation’s history, NPP Germany calls on the President to resign within two weeks or be forced to do so by Parlaiment. This is because the President through his actions and inactions has demonstrated that he is incapable of overseeing a peaceful, free, fair and transparent election.
Secondly, we are calling on the International Community, particularly our development partners to review their relations with the Mills-Mahama administration in view of its abysmal human rights record, violence against women and the crack down on Press freedom. As a first step we urge the European Union to impose an EU-wide ban on all Ghanaian government officials to send a clear signal that Europe will not support vicious tyrants and brutal dictators.
Signed
Kwaku Anane-Gyinde
Director of Communications
NPP-Germany