‘Wise’ Joewise shouldn’t have likened victims of electoral violence to robbers - Security Analyst

A Security Analyst Richard Kumadoe has described as disgusting, a comment by Bekwai Member of Parliament, Joseph Osei-Owusu (Joewise) to the effect that the victims of the Techiman South electoral violence could be likened to armed robbers who were shot dead while in operation.

Mr Kumadoe said on the New Day programme on TV3 with Johnnie Hughes, Wednesday January 6, that this comment is unfortunate because it further heightens the political tension in the country.

Two persons were shot dead and eight 8 injured when security operatives opened fire on persons believed to be NDC supporters at a collation center in the Techiman South constituency in the Bono East Region.

Families of the deceased and members of the NDC have since been demanding justice.

At a press conference not too long ago, the Criminal Investigations Department said it was still conducting investigations to unravel persons behind the shooting.

The Bekwai MP thinks the police should be allowed to finish their investigations before anything else.

According to him, President Akufo-Addo should not be speaking on every criminal conduct.

He was responding to a question on the sidelines of the president’s final State of the Nation Address as to whether he was disappointed the president didn’t mention anything about the victims of the Techiman South election violence. He thinks the police should be allowed to do their job.

“The president should stay out, let the investigative people determine what happened but I did it is not fair to insist that because somebody died, even if he was in the process of committing a crime, it becomes an issue, No, I beg to differ.”

He explained the Techiman South incident needs to be put in context and treated as criminal conduct.

“I think it is not fair for people to refer to an event without going back, what happened? Should the president just be talking about if a criminal is shot, the crime does not matter?”, he quizzed.

Asked if the families of the deceased do not deserve commiserations from the president, Mr. Owusu does not seem to think so, asking “do we commiserate with the families of armed robbers we shoot?”.

Responding to this development, Mr Kumadoe said, “that sort of statement creates too much tension in the country. You could have decided not to speak about it because the president didn’t speak about it .

“So, let us say it is an issue of judgment or an issue of discretion or is the usual NDC, NPP politics which is messing up sometimes.

“What he said was most disgusting and he shouldn’t have said that, we should ignore the kind of statement coming from him. I heard one of his names is ‘Wise’, if you are a wise person then in the midst of confusion those with wisdom should speak to bring down tension.

“What he said was abusive, what he said was unfortunate and the family of those people wouldn’t take it kindly.”