I Have Evidence - Says Josiah Aryeh

THE GENERAL secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Josiah Nii Armah Aryeh, has accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government of not only freezing the democratic process in the country but also killing it.

According to him, the evidence gathered by the party about what the ruling government has done, regarding the recent by-elections, manifested clearly that the NPP is determined to kill democracy to create a one-party state in this country.

He said the NPP is bent on suppressing freedom of expression in the country, adding that they have demonstrated it by curtailing the NDC's peaceful march for survival to the extent that police even made sure that the NDC could not freely go to points where they could maximize their message.

The NDC scribe who spoke to Chronicle after their first-ever demonstration said "the NDC has to undertake some strange political drama to ensure that their message is well propagated.

"The NPP basically did not want the NDC to be heard nor seen, the visibility and the message of the party should not be maximized, he argued this, stating that this did not augur well for the survival of democracy in the country."

He said, "What is happening at Tamale is very scandalous, the NPP has actually frozen economic activities in the country. They have woefully failed to invite any of the NDC MP's to be a member of the interim management committee (IMC)."

"Under the guise of the state of emergency, a lot of discriminatory policies are going on. The NPP activists were hand picked solely to represent the NPP."

The law lecturer at the University of Ghana, Legon, descended on the NPP to the extent of accusing them of practising the most vicious type of discrimination in Dagbon in terms of housing, job recruitment, allocation of market stalls and even awarding of contracts.

Justice, the stalwart said, has become a political thing, stressing that NDC activists are always liable to be prosecuted while the NPP activists are let loose.

Substantiating some of his allegations, Dr. Aryeh, said ever since the NDC forwarded their reservations about the National Reconciliation Bill through Parliament and their protest that the chairman of the commission, Justice Amuah Sekyi, be removed because he was not qualified, the NPP administration, especially the president, has not responded to the letter or even acknowledged receipt of the letter.

This is an indication that the NPP government shows no respect to any individual, and has no intention to engage anybody in dialogue, the secretary said "When you are dealing with a government that shows no respect for individuals, has no intention to engage anybody in dialogue and shows no civility, then it means you are dealing with a government like a break-war and then you have to find other means of getting your communications through."

According Dr. Aryeh, using the state of emergency at Dagbon, the NPP has institutionalized discriminations to the extent that when they decide to clamp down or arrest anybody, they only arrest NDC supporters. This, he argued does not help to strengthen democracy; rather it thwarts it.

He stressed that the IMC at Tamale is not democratic and did not represent the choice of the people.

The vocal secretary contended that the ruling party has packed the IMC at Dagbon with NPP men who would have advantages to benefit from the recruitments and the award of contracts among others.

He, however, described the march for survival as an impressive performance, which they used to address the poor performance of the NPP.

"The performance of this country is divisive with very discriminatory policies. They have the capacity to divide the country and kill democracy which the nation is crying for."

But when Chronicle reached the minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Hon. Kwadwo Baah Wiredu on phone, he said it was unnecessary for anybody make such statements. He said the IMC was set up in accordance with the Constitution in order to restore peace in Dagbon.

According to him, there are many ways by which anybody who has any reservation as to why the IMC was set up could go for redress. "Dagbon is for the whole nation. It is not for the NPP and we want to ensure peace prevails."

The minister said, he was surprised to hear such allegations and was quick to ask about how the Nanumba and Konkomba war IMC was formed under the NDC administration.

He said MP's were not allowed to be members of the IMC but only to serve as participants in contributing the decisions to let peace prevail.

According to him the NDC MP's have raised the issue of including them and it was discussed in Parliament and attention was drawn to their request.