Freddy Blay pooh-poohs calls for Hawa Koomson’s dismissal, says the incident is ‘over-exaggerated’

National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has dismissed calls for punitive action against the party’s MP for firing gunshots at a voters registration centre.

According Freddy Blay, based on the accounts about of some NPP members and independent bystanders who witnessed the shooting incident at Kasoa in the Central Region, he is convinced that the MP, Mavis Hawa Koomson, acted in self-defence.

“This matter is over-exaggerated. That is what I am saying…this is not the only [registration centre] where there has been a little disagreement,” he told Joy News.

Pressure has been mounting on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to relieve Madam Koomson, who is also the Minister for Special Development Initiatives, of her duties after she admitted firing a gunshot at the registration centre in Kasoa.

Some Ghanaians called on the President to sack her for bringing a firearm to the registration centre.

Hawa Koomson, MP for Awutu Senya East, said she had to take that decision to protect herself since she was not with her security detail at the time.

In an interview, she revealed that firing the gun wasn’t done by anyone in her team but herself.

"None of my men had guns on then when we got to the centre. I fired the shots myself," the MP said on Accra-based Adom FM.

She added that the gunshot was a way of protecting herself at the registration centre since her police escort had not started working that day.

Civil Society Organizations, Faith-based Organisations, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and some eminent individuals have called for her to be removed from her ministerial office and prosecuted.

However, Freddy Blay disagrees.

“She was a victim in this situation; definitely…I disagree with those who are calling for her [to be punished]. The laws of the party do not call for any sanction in this circumstance and I will therefore not initiate anything of the sort,” he said.

He said the incident that disrupted the registration exercise was unfortunate grateful to God no individual was assaulted.

According to him, those who threatened the Minister should be blamed more.

Meanwhile, NPP Deputy General Secretary, Obiri Boahen and the party's Youth Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, have also dismissed calls for the MP's dismissal.