Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the violence that erupted in Ayawaso West Wugon during a by election in 2019. The by election was to find a replacement for the late Emmanuel Kyeremateng Agyarko but the elections turned chaotic when armed men claiming to be security personnel assaulted some people. Though there is no record of loss of lives, some 18 people Ningo Prampram MP, Sam George were assaulted and injured.
The election saw Hon. Lydia Alhassan emerge victorious polling about 68.80% of votes to beat her NDC challenger. A commission was set up to investigate the violence but not much was done about the findings and recommendations of the committee. A commemoration was organized today and veteran journalist Kwesi Pratt was among the personalities invited to speak.
Kwesi queried the kind of democracy the country is practicing if armed men are made to assault people. He raised issues about the Ayawaso violence and the violence of the last election where about 8 people died. According to Kwesi Pratt, this doesn’t augur well for and incites people to resort to violence to pay back. He explained that governments that resort to violence do not need to be in power.
Interestingly, Kwesi Pratt mentioned the coups happening in west Africa are as a result of failed leaders who try to use violence to stay in power. He called on West African leaders to move away from sanctions because it will not stop the coups. He called for the leadership of ECOWAS headed by Akufo-Addo to practice the democracy they preach and help develop their countries rather than resort to violence to win elections as it happened in Ayawaso and the 2020 elections.
“Look at the number of coup d’états happening in West African. Anytime it happens sanctions are imposed and after that another one happens. Sanctions won’t deter coups. If our democracy does not put food on the table and provide jobs, then that democracy cannot be sustained. West Africans leaders must learn” Kwesi Pratt said
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