The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has expressed their utmost disgust against violent attacks meted out to the peaceful people of Weijakrom in the Asunafo South district in the Ahafo Region by armed thugs suspected to be members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
According to the party, these acts of violence are purposefully targeted at NDC supporters in the area to suppress their votes in the Asunafo South Constituency come election 2020.
Portions of a release cited by Happy 98.9 FM and signed by Apraku Lartey Regional Communication Officer of the NDC in the Ahafo Region read, “The NDC is totally appalled by the persistent violence being meted to our supporters and other innocent Ghanaians by NPP thugs in communities which are our known strongholds in the Asunafo South Constituency.”
“It’s very disgusting how the NPP and it functionaries seem to find violence as their only tool in their attempt to disenfranchise eligible citizens of this country and rig the upcoming elections.”
It has been alleged that from the beginning of the voter registration exercise, the NPP Parliamentary Candidate of the Asunafo South, Kobby Amoah Mensah, has unleashed violence on the good people of the Asunafo South Constituency, without any provocation whatsoever. And that most of these criminal acts have been reported to the Police but no actions have been taken.
Mr. Apraku Lartey reported that the only crime of these people who suffered serious beatings at the hands of the NPP thugs is that, “they are northerners who have settled in the area for ages and were waiting in queue to be registered.”
On his authority, It took the military’s intervention, to restore calm, whereupon, three of these NPP hoodlums were arrested and handed over to Goaso police for further action. “Unsurprisingly and as has been the stock in trade of the NPP/Akufo Addo government, these thugs were immediately released upon instructions from above and left off the hook to go continue their brutalities and criminal acts,” he said.
He added that after the release of these thugs, the proceeded to other towns in the region, all of which are known NDC strongholds, to brutalize NDC supporters and other innocent citizens.
The Communication Officer pointed out that after these incidents became frequent and the people could not take it anymore, they joined forces to defeat these thugs. “Unfortunately, these acts of violence escalated to uncontainable levels yesterday at Weijakrom, where a gang of NPP thugs led by the NPP’s Constituency Vice Chairman started firing gunshots sporadically at people who were around the registration center in the community.”
“Soon after this incident, some men on four motorbikes unknowingly arrived at the center to register. Again these thugs, upon seeing them started firing at them. This infuriated the people and united them to resist the unwarranted and criminal attacks of the NPP thugs. Upon seeing the people massed up in self-defense, the NPP bandits took to their heels, leaving their Nissan pickup behind. In retaliation, the people who have had enough of the brutalities of these NPP hooligans burnt the vehicle belonging to the NPP PC, which was being used by the thugs.”
The NDC has condemned these violent acts but is highly concerned about the actions and inactions of the police and other security agencies who have become onlookers to these thugs terrorizing the people in the region.