PRESS STATEMENT FROM NPP-USA – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PLEASE

NEXT STOP FOR FOOTSOLDIERS – THE CASTLE.

Who is the law in Ghana today – the Police or NDC foot soldiers? The very legitimacy of this question represents the alarming rate at which Ghana is descending into a state of anarchy. Forget about the fact that it has been proven that President Mill’s own appointees have repeatedly overruled his decisions on just about all fronts. Now the NDC foot soldiers are so emboldened by the impunity with which they have operated at the district and regional levels that they can venture at the national level by invading Parliament. What is next – The Castle?

Democracy is characterized by due process. Circumvent that due process, and one runs the risk of breaking the law, which the NDC foot soldiers have done with impunity for over two years under Mills-Mahama administration. Unless this out-of-control NDC government condones such lawless behavior, how long does it take to devise a plan to eliminate this menace to our national security?

These NDC foot soldiers began by illegally seizing public toilets; the government greeted their illegal acts with inaction. Next, they ventured into NHIS and NYEP offices beating up government employees, evicting them, and locking up the offices around the country. Still the government greeted their unruly behavior with inaction. The next NDC foot soldier targets were District Chief Executives they disliked. The modus operandi was the same – beat them up, and evict them from their government assigned offices. In this case, not only did the government greet their illegal acts with inaction, the Mills-Mahama administration actually rewarded them by firing those DCEs. What many thought had broken the Camel’s back was when the foot soldiers began to beat up police officers who are in fact the law – or supposedly so. Government’s reaction? Inaction.

Today the foot soldiers have taken their illegal and unruly behavior to Parliament. “On Thursday, during the President’s delivery of the 3rd State of the Nation Address, irate foot soldiers attacked ushers, waitresses and waiters attached to Parliament after they were prevented from taking snacks that had been prepared for the lawmakers.” (Ghanaweb, February 20, 2011) Shockingly, in a clear state of denial, Majority Chief Whip, Hon Gershon Gbediame reacted by stating, “what shows that they are NDC foot soldiers? Anybody at all can wear NDC T-shirt and say he or she is an NDC member” although some of the foot soldiers exhibited their ID cards. Apparently Mr.Gbediame will have the world believe that the NDC footsoldiers, after overrunning the entire country, ceded Parliament to someone else. The NDC is like the hopeless alcoholic who denying a drinking problem. Its is worth noting that this alarmingly irresponsible retort from the Majority Chief whip is very much symptomatic of the overall government approach to resolving indiscipline and applying the law. His question is as misplaced as the government’s inability and inertia to lead and manage the affairs of the country.

How this inept Mills-Mahama administration fails to see this menace as a threat to national security, is indicative of its hopelessness in dealing with important national issues. Rather than acting decisively, all President Mills does is pay lip service to important issues. At a meeting in the Castle with Former President Kufuor, he was at it again: “Those of us in leadership positions bear the heaviest burden in ensuring that our actions and utterances do not incite lawlessness and damage our sense of community.” Does the former law professor not see that his INACTION is inciting lawlessness? How much weaker can a president be?

NPP-USA calls on whoever is in charge of our government to arrest this menace with immediate effect. It is myopic to view the threat posed by the NDC foot soldiers as advantageous to the NDC; it is a threat to ALL of us without regard to party affiliations. We further take this opportunity to re-state our party’s commitment to meet this constant threat of the use of violence and intimidation with same, since it is becoming increasingly clear that our security agencies are powerless to defend peace loving Ghanaians when confronted with this breach of peace from NDC foot soldiers. This administration must come to the realization that it is not enough to only pay lip service to peace and discipline but must positively protect its citizenry at all times, affirm and apply the rule of law without fear or favor.