NDC cites 'misconduct' of Catherine Afeku, others as threat to peace in Western Region

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Western Region has described the conduct of the Member of Parliament for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira, Catherine Abelemah Afeku, her husband Seth Afeku and bodyguard for unleashing violence to supporters of the NDC in the area as an affront to Ghana's democratic dispensation.

According to the NDC, the MP who doubles as a Minister of State at the Senior Minister's Office and her rampaging associates have become the source of threat between NDC and NPP supporters in the Western Region.

The NDC said since the inception of the voters registration exercise, "there have been some ugly incidents in the constituency perpetrated by Mrs Catherine Afeku and her hoodlums with the NDC at the receiving end.

The Western Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Joseph Nelson told a news conference at Axim on Wednesday, July 22, 2020, that the peaceful co-existence between the NDC and NPP over the years, seems to be eroded by the despicable actions of the NPP.

Mr Nelson recalled that on July 12, 2020, the bodyguard of the MP who is a serving police officer, physically assaulted "our Constituency Elections Director at the Axim community centre on her instruction when the gentleman was only carrying out his legitimate duty of ensuring that the right things were done at the registration centre".

He said on July 16, 2020, another member of the NDC, who is the Parliamentary Candidate in the December 07 elections, Mr. Kofi Arko Nokoe was at the receiving end of a blind slap from an Aide to the MP and a member of the MP who physically attacked him and his phone was taken for allegations of recording him.

Mr. Nelson said in the interest of peace and national security, the NDC lodged a complaint at the Axim Police Station for justice to prevail but the conduct of the police instead of being reassuring has rather "bruised our confidence in them".

"The investigations have been botched and so as we speak, justice has not been served, neither is it being demonstrably served. As we have it, both the bodyguard and the Side are walking free".

"It is obvious that they have been emboldened to wreak further assault on us", he stressed.

The NDC Regional Secretary said, "the constant refrain from the police that the public must repose confidence in them is not a bad call but public confidence in them must be borne out of a demonstrable determination to be fair and swift in dealing with infractions of the law that are brought to their attention".

"As we have it they are yet to measure up to that standard and expectation and this has left us very disappointed".

Mr Nelson said, "the journey to the December 07 elections has only just begun with the ongoing registration exercise and if current happenings in this constituency are anything to go by then we are in for a bumpy ride. Our message to the police is that we can no longer sit idly by as our people are abused for no reason without appropriate action from them".

The angry NDC Western Regional Secretary emphasized that since the police has failed to act professionally, they would adopt a self-defense approach.

"The laws of this country allow for self-defence, and so we shall take steps to defend ourselves from hence. We shall respond appropriately to any future attacks on our people and the only way out is for the police to bring a firm and unbiased conclusion to the cases pending before them"

He stated that if the NDC comes to power, they will deal with the MP and her associates and added that the MP was going to lose this year's parliamentary election as she witnessed in 2012.

"..This is because she became the MP from 2009 and lost it in 2012. She is the MP now because she won again in 2016 and she is certainly going to lose again in 2020.

She and her hoodlums must remember that the day of reckoning is fast approaching and if they don’t put a halt to these abuses they will live to regret their actions", he concluded.