There was drama at a stakeholders conference organised by the Peace Council of Ghana on the upcoming December 7, 2024 election, held in Accra on Wednesday, February 21, 2024.

The National Women's Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Hanna Louisa Bissiw, could not hold her displeasure on calls by the Peace Council for stakeholders in the upcoming election to ensure that peace prevails, based on the back of the issues that came up during the 2020 elections.

Dr Bissiw indicated that the council has sat aloof and has done nothing to force the government to ensure that the persons who were responsible for the assaults and murders of at least 18 people during the 2020 elections and the 2019 Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections are punished.

She pointed out that peace is not a surety if gangs who attack people needlessly and are linked to the government are not punished.

"… what do you do when it is the system that comes after you? What did you do when I got to my polling centre at 04:00 a.m. and saw these masked Azugu men in Tundras? What do you do when the police officer is helpless? What do you do when you had government-sponsored vigilantes holding guns armed to the teeth, being led by a police commander to beat Members of Parliament, to go into a candidate's house and shoot people?

"A commission was set up. What was it for? They finished and gave a white paper. What was the government's comment? How do you expect that there should be peace in this nation? How do you tell me who was beaten, who was dragged out? I didn't go to the commission because I felt I wouldn't. But what about those who went and relived their pain? What happened? Has a Peace Council tackled that issue? No, it hasn't."

The displeased NDC Women Organiser added, "In Election 2020, people died. A 14-year-old girl was shot dead. A man who just went to serve as part and parcel of a civil responsibility as a citizen of this country was shot dead. Women were shot; some survived, and some did not. Young ones were killed. What did the Peace Council do? Were you able to talk to the president? Those in charge of security? We want to know?"

The women's organiser added that until the violence that was seen in the previous elections is addressed and the victims get justice, the Peace Council should stop talking about peace because, without justice, there is no peace.

Watch her remarks in the video below:

The National Democratic Congress is demanding closure on the violence during the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-election, 2020 elections and Ejura which resulted in the death and maiming of some persons.#GHOneNews #GHOneTV pic.twitter.com/IAildUx0o5

— GHOne TV (@ghonetv) February 21, 2024