Attack on MP: Redeem sinking image – NDC to police

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the police for engaging in a blame game over an attack on its MP for Asonafo South Eric Opoku.

Mr. Opoku was attacked by unknown assailants Sunday dawn at his residence at Sankore in the Brong-Ahafo region. The incident happened at about 2am on Sunday April 1, 2018 making it the second time such an incident has happened in Mr Opoku’s house.

“Whilst condemning this heinous attack we wish to urge the Ghana police service to approach this case with all the seriousness and the professionalism it can command in order to help redeem its rather sinking image under this NPP administration,” the largest opposition party said in a statement.

The police commander in the area had stated the lawmaker could partly be blamed for this latest attack on him since he refused police protection.

“We gave him three armed men and he declined… he declined. So it was not that we are not giving him security,” the Brong Ahafo Regional Police PRO, Chief Inspector Augustine Oppong told Starr News’ Kweku Obeng Adjei.

The MP has refuted the claim of the police. “The District Commander is being economical with the truth,” Mr. Opoku said.

The General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, said the development is worrying.

“The regrettable attempt by an officer of the Ghana police service to engage in “Victim blaming” by alleging publicly that Hon. Eric Opoku denied himself police protection, however gives us a deep course to worry about official complicity in the matter. We hope we are wrong in this belief,” he said.

He served notice officials of the NDC will embark on a fact-finding mission to the town to ascertain the truth.

“Meanwhile, the party has constituted a high powered delegation ready to move to Sankore to visit the victims, and ascertain the facts of the incident as soon as the necessary security clearances are obtained.

“We wish to take this opportunity to express our deepest sympathy and solidarity to our Hon member of Parliament, all the victims and their families urging them to exercise maximum restraint in this difficult times, with the assurance that they can count on the support of the National Democratic Congress to see to it that they obtain justice in this matter,” Mr. Nketiah said.

He added: “We also wish to remind the NPP government, for the umpteenth time, about its cardinal responsibility to keep Ghana, all it citizens and their property safe at all times and without any form of discrimination, be it ethnic, political, gender or religious.

“Information reaching us indicate that the situation in Sankore remains volatile and has the potential to escalate, unless a quick and decisive action is taken to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book.

We hope Ghanaians can count on the Ghana police service and the NPP Government to deliver on their respective mandates of eliminating impunity and restoring law and order in our dear country.”