The 2016 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has bemoaned the selectivity in the application of the law under President Mahama, describing it as a recipe for chaos.
He is, thus, appealing to the Ghanaian electorate to vote out the Mahama-led NDC government on December 7.
According to Nana Akufo-Addo, having sworn to uphold the Constitution of the land, and ensure that the laws governing the country are applied on the principle of equality before the law for all persons, President Mahama, through his actions and inactions, is superintending over the perpetration of lawlessness in the country.
The NPP flagbearer also added that it was unfortunate that the Ghana Police Service and the security agencies, who are to maintain the peace and guarantee security for all in every part of the country, have turned a blind eye to occurrences of violence in certain parts of the country, especially in some areas of the Brong Ahafo Region.
Nana Akufo-Addo was addressing a mini-rally at Sankore, in the Asunafo South constituency, on Friday, November 11, 2016, on the 2nd day of his 4-day tour of the Brong Ahafo Region, when he made this known.
Sankore, which, in recent years under President Mahama, has become a hotbed of violence and lawlessness, with the maiming and killing of members and sympathisers of the NPP, with none of the perpetrators brought to book, largely due to their affiliations with the NDC MP for the constituency, Hon. Eric Opoku, who happens also to be the Regional Minister for Brong Ahafo.
This development, according to Nana Akufo-Addo, who was visibly saddened by the situation, does not augur well for the peace and stability of any nation, particularly a burgeoning democracy like Ghana’s.
Sankore, the NPP flagbearer stressed, is now associated with violence and lawlessness, explaining that “it is not a good thing.” He, thus, appealed to residents of the town to help banish this stigma by voting out the Mahama-led government in December.
“If it happens that NDC members attack NPP members in Sakore, he (the President) should be able to ask the Inspector General of Police (IGP) if he has heard of the matter, what he is doing about it, and if the perpetrators of such actions have been dealt with according to the law? When that is done, then the peace of the nation can be guaranteed,” the NPP flagbearer said.
He assured the people of Sankore and residents of Asunafo South that “when I come into office, God-willing, the law will work in Ghana without fear or favour, ill-will or malice. The law will work on my ministers, members of my party, and on all Ghanaians equally.
“If as a member of the NPP, you perpetrate violence against a member of the NDC, the law will deal with you. If you’re an NDC member and you commit any unlawful acts against an NPP member, the law will equally deal with you. The law will not discriminate against anybody under my government. That is the best way of ensuring the security of all Ghanaians.”
With 25 days to the holding of the December 7 elections, Nana Akufo-Addo appealed to the government of President Mahama to allow the laws of the land to work.
“President Mahama swore to uphold the Constitution of the country, and ensure that its laws work without fear or favour. In Sankore, unfortunately, the law does not work. NDC thugs go about maiming and killing NPP members and nothing is said about it. When you’re an NPP member and you’re attacked, the police do nothing about it. This must stop,” he added.
Nana Akufo-Addo stressed that the only way to preserve the peace of Ghanaians and guarantee the safety of all citizens is through the ousting of the Mahama government on December 7.
“If we are looking for a government that will protect all Ghanaians, then we must vote out the Mahama government. The Mahama government cannot do the job. They are a discriminatory government. The law does not apply to NDC members,” he added.
Nana Akufo-Addo urged NPP members to remain resolute, with the knowledge that the masses are not on the side of President Mahama or his NDC government, the reason why they are employing the use of thugs, guns and machetes to instill fear into residents to maintain their grip on power.
Before leaving Sankore, the NPP flagbearer visited and consoled the family of an NPP member killed by NDC thugs. The police, till date, have not brought the perpetrators of these criminal acts to book, the family told Nana Akufo-Addo.