The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) continues to face strong criticisms following the discharging of a firearm by the Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East and Minister of Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson.

One of the latest critics, is the Member of Parliament for Ketu South, Fifi Kwetey who believes the action of his colleague legislator shows how the President, Nana Akufo-Addo and members of governing New Patriotic Party intend to use violence to hold on to power.

“We have a government that is in power and is simply desperate to continue to be in power at every cost. What Hawa Koomson did, is simply a reflection of that same mentality. It is a desperate mentality. It is a mentality that believes that I need to do anything I can to remain in power”, he said on the Big Issue on Citi FM/TV.

Impunity

For Fifi Kwetey, the Minister had the leeway to fire the shots at the registration centre over what he describes as the high level of impunity superintended over by the Akufo-Addo led government after recent happenings in the country’s political space.

He cited among others, the failure of the government to take action against persons who perpetrated acts of violence and vigilantism during the Ayawaso West Wougon by-elections.

“She also did so because right from the word go, what we have seen under this regime is nothing too short of impunity. Right from the very seat at the Presidency, hoodlums of the NPP attacked a senior police officer in January 2017, what was done to any of them? Absolutely Nothing! Similar incidents have happened in different parts of the country and nothing has been done. With the by-election in Ayawaso West Wougoun, what did we not see? What was done about it? Nothing!”

“What has the President done about the recommendation that came out of it? Nothing! So of course, if Hawa Koomson sees that this level of impunity is prevailing in the country, why would she not believe that she is capable of going to the registration centre and be firing guns because she believes that nothing is going to happen”, Fiifi Kwetey continued to argue.

Commenting on the police’s invitation of the MP and the retrieval of the said firearm, Fifi Kwetey was convinced that nothing concrete will come out of the findings to be used to punish Hawa Koomson for the crime committed.

“All this talk about the police doing investigations, you and I know where this is going to end. It is going to end nowhere. The President himself can whitewash a whole report that he himself commissioned to be done…the party [NPP] itself has set a motion that nothing is going to happen. So for me, it is not coming to me as a surprise. Zero is going to be done.”

Parties for or against her resignation or dismissal

So far, neither the President nor Parliament has commented on the conduct of the legislator who represents the Awutu Senya East constituency.

Calls from Mrs. Hawa Koomson’s sacking or resignation have come from political stakeholders like the National Democratic Congress and neutral observers like the National Peace Council.

At a press briefing at the NDC’s headquarters in Accra, the Director of Elections of the NDC, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah said Hawa Koomsom and her accomplices should be made to face the law with immediate effect.

The NDC has also served notice that it will prosecute Hawa Koomson should John Mahama emerge victorious in the December 2020 general elections if President Akufo-Addo fails to act.

A security analyst, Colonel Festus Aboagye also says he is hopeful that eventually, the Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye will follow the necessary procedures and grant access to the Awutu Senya MP so she can be made to face the law like any other Ghanaian.

This statement comes on the back of theories indicating that Hawa Koomson cannot be arrested because of privileges that come with holding a parliamentary position.

It is believed that, but for the permission of the Speaker of Parliament, members of the House cannot be picked up by the police for offences committed.

Some individuals, including some members of the NPP, however, disagree to these thoughts and calls,

The National Chairman of the party, Freddie Blay, has described these calls as “absolutely needless”.

In a statement, he said such calls should be “totally disregarded.”

A deputy General Secretary of the party, Nana Obiri Boahen, also insists that the MP was justified in discharging a firearm because it was in self-defence.

As far as he is concerned, the MP “has not committed any offence.”