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Friday, March 29, 2024

Prosecute political criminals; CDD tells security agencies

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A Senior Programmes Officer at the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD) says the security agencies must prosecute people committing crimes in the name of politics.

Nana Kwabena Abrampah says the security agencies should have positioned themselves to contain the outrage and violent protestations that greeted the release of the list of nominees for the positions of Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives. 

He said he had sounded that note of caution in one of his earlier interviews regarding the release of the list of appointees adding since this is not the first time it is happening, their intelligence should have informed them of the likely violence. 

According to him, just as a change of government comes with some people positioning themselves to take over certain state institutions, the appointment to the office of the DCE has also been characterised in much the same way.

“It becomes a contest of indigense versus none indigenes,” he said citing some aggrieved supporters saying they do not know one of the nominees and that he did not contribute anything when the party was seeking power. 

Nana Abrampah attributed the occurrences to the winner takes all system of governance and the perception that if one’s party is not in power then the individual amounts to nothing. 

His comment comes in the wake of more agitations against the choices of President Nana Akufo-Addo for District Chief Executives (DCEs) as angry residents, mostly New Patriotic Party (NPP) sympathisers kick against the nominees announced.

Local Government Minister Hajia Alima Mahama on Wednesday announced the names of some 212 nominees as DCEs. Although many have gone without controversy, a few districts such as Tolon and Zebilla have been staging protests against the candidates.

The agitations continued Thursday with reports from South Dayi in the Volta region indicating the residents were unhappy with the choice of Ella Boateng as DCE for the area. 

Some party executives who spoke to Joy News alleged the nominee’s “buoyant romantic relationship with our national communications director” got here the appointment. 

They say they have added this issue and many others as a caution against her appointment but obviously, their concerns were not adhered to.

“We are protesting her appointment because she is not a loyal and committed member of the NPP. She is a rejected person from the NDC. 

“Also, she is not qualified as she was voted out as an assembly member when seeking re-election due to incompetence and non-performance. If she could not manage one electoral area, how on earth can she manage 21 electoral areas?” they quizzed at their press conference.

They threatened to resign from the party if her appointment is not reversed.  

In Zebilla in the Upper East region a joint police and military team there has stepped up patrols to curb a further outbreak of violent disturbances by youth there. The residents are protesting the choice of Victoria Ayamba as DCE for the area.

In the Ashanti region residents of Ejisu were scheduled to hit the streets to protest the choice of Beatrice Serwaa Derkyi as DCE. We understand the demonstration was called off after intervention by the party executives there.

Meanwhile, in the Northern region calm has returned to Tolon where angry youth burnt tyres and vandalised NPP offices to register their displeasure at the nomination of Hajia Amama.

Northern regional Police Commander ACP Patrick Sarpong says police have increased their presence on the ground but need the assistance of NPP party leadership there to avert calm tempers. 

 

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