The Ghana Police Service says it will be forced to seek a court injunction against the Alliance for Accountable Governance (AFAG) should it go ahead with its intended demonstration on April 18.
According to the police, the only option left for AFAG is to reschedule the demonstration to a later date to enable it assemble enough personnel to supervise the protest.
Greater Accra Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Freeman Tetteh disclosed this on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme, Thursday.
The leaders of AFAG who are feverishly planning towards the ‘Mieku’ demonstration are angry with the police’s new position.
The group says it will go ahead with the demonstration with or without police presence.
Mieku, an Ewe word which means we are dying is a protest against government over what what the organisers say are the unbearable hardships in the country.
However, DSP Freeman Tetteh on Ekosii Sen said AFAG will be in contravention of the law if it defies the police’s orders.
He noted that the police will use legitimate means as stipulated in the Public Order ACT 491 to stop the demonstration.
“We need to prioritize the protection at the Supreme Court to other issues; protection at the court is of more importance to us than AFAG demo”.
DSP Tetteh maintained that the Election Petition at the Supreme Court is of topmost priority to the police therefore it will leave no stone unturned in terms of providing security.
He said their attention was drawn to CI 74 which states that if the Supreme Court begins the substantive case, it will sit everyday including weekends and public holidays and so police presence will be required.
“The Election Petition is a land mark case; the International Community is watching and the whole country is looking up to the police to maintain solid security”.
He said considering the number of expectant people waiting to join the demonstration, the onus lies with the police to provide adequate security to ensure law and other.
The Greater Accra PRO stated that even though AFAG doesn’t seem to understand their position, they are left with no other choice than to apply the law.
DSP Freeman Tetteh they cannot take chances and believes every discerning Ghanaian including the executives of AFAG will understand the difficulty of the police.