Former New Juaben New Patriotic Party (NPP) chairman, Kwadwo Agyemang-Boateng, has stated it is his wish that President Nana Akufo-Addo will not assent to the death penalty.
Chairman Agyemang-Boateng on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen said he was worried about the repeal.
“What happens to the criminals who kill people? They attack innocent people then when you get them, you talk about amnesty and expect that they go to prison and reform when lives have been lost? I just wish the President will not assent to it,” he said.
The death penalty was on Tuesday officially repealed from Ghana’s statute books after parliament approved an amendment to the Criminal and Other Offences Act.
The amendment bill was sponsored by Madina MP Francis Xavier Sosu, pending the president’s assent.
However, many including MPs have expressed varied opinions on the matter, with some in support of the repeal while others have vehemently expressed their disapproval.
In the former Chairman’s view, the repeal should have been done based on statistics and not just emotional appeals.
“This repeal will not help us because these criminals will go to prison and we will have to use taxpayers’ money to feed them. Some of them are not even afraid to go back to prison so it will not help us.
“The fact that they are in prison and no president has given assent to their sentence doesn’t mean it is not helping us. We need to reconsider this debate and reform the laws,” he added.
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