Peace Council holds crunch meeting with Asiedu Nketiah, NDC over refusal to sign peace pact

The National Peace Council of Ghana, on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, met the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over a statement by the National Chairman of the party, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, that they would not sign the peace accord for the 2024 election.

The NDC National Chairman has argued that his party would not sign the peace pact because he finds it useless since it did not lead to peace in the 2020 elections.

He also mentioned that the Peace Council, which spearheads the peace pact, has been silent on the government's failure to hold those responsible for the violence during the 2020 election—violence that resulted in the deaths of at least seven people—accountable.

Speaking at the crucial meeting on Tuesday, Maulvi Mohammed Bin Salin, a board member of the Peace Council, urged the NDC leadership to give the council a chance and reconsider their decision to abstain from its activities.

He said that the NDC would see the efforts the council is making to ensure a peaceful election if it gets involved in its activities.

“Give us the benefit of the doubt. And the brakes that you have applied, whether they are hydraulic or manual, release them a little bit and give us the breathing space to be able to move a little bit, while you also watch and see what we do.

“Perchance you may come to agree with us that they are making an effort to do this and that. And that should be the approach of all of us. That is simply what we are actually asking of you,” he said.

He added, “We just want you to accept us. I believe that one of the best things this country has done for itself is putting in place a Peace Council. It is for us to ensure that the Peace Council lives up to its calling.”

Asiedu Nketiah, on the other hand, continued to express his frustration about the Peace Council’s failure to call out the government for not making the effort to get justice for the people who died and suffered injuries from the 2020 election violence.

He clarified that the NDC is not saying the Peace Council should prosecute those who perpetuated the violence but its position is that the council should be speaking out about people not getting justice.

BAI/BB

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