Akufo-Addo’s warning to lawbreakers a mere rhetoric – Murtala Mohammed

A former minister, Murtala Mohammed, has laughed off President Nana Akufo-Addo’s warning to New Patriotic Party supporters and Ghanaians in general that he would not shield lawbreakers in the country.

According to Mr Mohammed who was a Deputy Trade Minister under the John Mahama-led government, President Akufo-Addo has since assuming office, failed in pursuing justice and that he is superintending over lawlessness.

At the swearing in of the new Chief Justice, Ms Sophia Akuffo, on Monday, President Akufo-Addo issued a warning that he would not countenance lawlessness even within his party, stating that the application of the laws of the land must occur.

“To persons perpetrating acts of lawlessness in the name of being members of the ruling party, let me make it clear to you that you will find no shield in my government from the law,”

President Akufo-Addo said. His statement also came on the back of acts of lawlessness being exhibited by some New Patriotic Party Supporters in the Northern Region who have vowed and prevented the DCE for Savelugu-Nanton, Hajia Ayishetu Seidu, accessing her office to begin work.

Speaking on TV3’s New Day Tuesday, Mr Mohammed said the President must “tell that to the marines” unless he begins to walk the talk and stop the rhetoric.

“When you want to preach peace, you must be seen demonstrating peace so let us see the president and his government demonstrates peace in the country,”

he advised He said it was not the first time that President Akufo-Addo has issued such warning yet some of his party supporters continue to engage in acts of lawlessness with impunity just because the President has failed to act.

“He [President] met the Ashantehene in the wake of the Delta Force saga and promised him that he would ensure justice was done to the Delta Force members but what did we see?

The moment he [President] got to Accra… we heard an Acting General Secretary of the NPP, John Boadu and other leading members on radio and national television that Delta Force members were their members and that nothing would be done against them”.

Mr Mohammed added: “they [Delta Force members] verbally killed a judge who was performing her legitimate duty but nothing happen.

This has never happened anywhere in the world in the history. “There is total lawlessness in the country… all the vehicles seized [recently] …. by NPP thugs were returned and they apologized and that is why I am saying President Akufo-Addo can say that to the marine. He should tell that to the marines”.

The National Nasara Coordinator for the NPP, Kamal-Deen Abdulai, however, refuted the claims by Mohammed that Ghana is now lawlessness country.

“We are not in a society where lawlessness is seen at surpassing. We must ensure there is sanity in the system and we should not sit down to connive with the lawbreakers”, he explained.

He underscored the need “to fight what is untoward,” noting “we all have to view the law as one because if we fight lawlessness with politics, we all suffer.

“We all must come on board irrespective of where you find yourself…we should be a law abiding citizens. We should point to him or her who is doing the wrong and tell them you are doing the wrong”, he added.