The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken a firm stance against election-related violence ahead of the country’s upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary election.
While condemning the recent attack on a student at the Christian Service University (CSU) in Kumasi, the party’s Director of Communications, Richard Ahiagba, emphasized the importance of ensuring a conducive environment where citizens can exercise their democratic rights freely without fear or intimidation.
The student, identified as a member of the NPP’s Tertiary Education Students’ Confederacy (TESCON), was allegedly assaulted during a public lecture to mark the school’s 50th anniversary delivered by former President and 2024 flagbearer of the NDC, John Mahama.
He is said to have been assaulted after retorting to a comment by Mr. Mahama while delivering his speech.
“This is not the democracy we are practicing in Ghana. He had done nothing wrong, but the NDC took advantage of him in the auditorium where we have police people, they slapped him and later beat him mercilessly outside the auditorium,” Richard Ahiagba said at a press briefing.
He urged law enforcement agencies, particularly the Ghana Police Service, to remain vigilant throughout the entire electoral process.
“Our determined position is that the police will investigate this issue and ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book. This morning, he went to the Police Regional Office to lodge an official complaint.
“This should have been done much earlier but he wasn’t well, he was completely devastated. Today he feels much better and has gone to lodge an official complaint on the matter. Now we are urging the police to investigate this expressly without delay to ensure that the perpetrators are punished according to law,” he stated.
Richard Ahiagba added that adequate measures should be put in place to ensure swift response to potential flashpoints and prevent situations from escalating out of control during and after the December polls.
Meanwhile, the management of the Christian Service University (CSU) has reached out to the student and are ready to provide him with the necessary psycho-social support.
In a press release signed by the Institutional Advancement Office/Public Relations Office, the University management said “it is taking the necessary steps to address the issue holistically”.
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