The morning of January 31, 2019, in Accra was calm, with people going about their normal duties.
But, in the Ayawaso West Wougon Constituency, the atmosphere was quite different; it was charged and euphoric. The constituents were gearing up to elect a new MP after the death of then-MP Emmanuel Kyeremanteng Agyarko.
The wife of the late MP, Lydia Seyeram Alhassan, was chosen to contest on the ticket of the incumbent NPP, the party through which her late husband entered parliament. The largest opposition party, NDC also presented Delali Brempong as their candidate. Elections involving these two major political parties are fiercely contested.
The process which began peacefully, soon took an unexpected turn. A misunderstanding broke out at one of the polling stations. Soon, men clad in black were seen brandishing guns. The armed men, who claimed to be personnel from the National security then instructed some men believed to be supporters of the opposition NDC to leave the voting grounds.
They began firing warning live bullets. Panic set in, and everyone started for running their lives. But, not everyone could make it to safety without a scratch. In the heat of the moment, more than 10 persons got injured. The ensuing violence compelled the opposition NDC to pull out of the race. A committee was set up by President Akufo-Addo to investigate the violence that characterised the by-elections.
Among the recommendations by the committee was the payment of compensation to the victims, but that has yet to happen. Ishawu Yaro was one of the victims who survived the gunshots fired that day. Mr Yaro said he was one of the observers delegated by his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to monitor the by-elections.
He was ordered to leave the voting grounds by the armed men who claimed to be national security operatives. Ishawu was hit in the right leg by sporadic gunshots when he attempted to run. Today, he is paralysed in his right leg and aided by crutches. His dream of pursuing his professional football career was cut short the day he was shot.
Unable to work again due to mobility issues, Mr Yaro’s wife has now shouldered the responsibility of being the breadwinner of the house. He spent 11 months at the hospital, needing several surgeries to survive. He said no financial support has come from government during that period to date.
His wife was pregnant when he was shot. With four kids together, the couple formally married 3 months before Mr Yaro was shot. Ishawu’s wife says life has been extremely difficult for them, and they sometimes depend on the benevolent gestures of family, friends and members of the National Democratic Congress.
“I do not want to put my husband to shame, so I work more than twice as hard as I used to, to provide for the family” Mrs Yaro tearfully.
Five years after the incident, the Yaros are still hoping that someday, government will pay the compensation recommended by the committee led by the former commissioner of the Commission on human rights and Administrative Justice, Emile Short.
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