NPP Asawase constituency violence: Loose, selective talks

We acknowledge the action taken so far towards apprehending those behind the murder of a certain Ogundi, a man associated with the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Asawase constituency in Kumasi.

While we are aware that investigations are ongoing to establish the details of those who had a hand in the dastardly act and the extent of their involvement among others as required in prosecuting criminal actions of this magnitude, we are saddened that certain remarks have been made which are premature, unnecessary, self-seeking and therefore unhelpful to the investigators at this stage.

The Ashanti Regional Police Commander, DCOP Kofi Boakye, a superior law enforcement officer who should know better about the importance of not jumping the gun at this early stage of investigations, has already pinpointed Mohammed Duna as the killer of the deceased.

His press conference should have been limited to the grounds covered so far in the investigations and courting the assistance of the public in tracking down others related to the case but currently on the run.

Even before details of the grounds covered have been sent to the Attorney-General, the naming of a suspect as being the killer as it came out during the Kumasi press conference, we think is inappropriate.

We are by this commentary not seeking to disregard DCOP Kofi Boakye’s efforts in the case and to therefore put him on the spot unduly, but only highlighting an aberration.

A case which is purely criminal in nature has found its way in the president’s political diatribe. The Asawase murder is no different from the fatal shooting of the Nkwanta DCE a few months ago and other bloody encounters by members of the ruling party in other parts of the country.

While condemning the Asawase murder, the president recalled the fatal acid attack on the late NPP Upper East Regional Chairman in a bid to smudge his rivals with blemish.

Expectedly, his opponents have not allowed the matter to lie low as they fired various salvos at him for what they regard as his selectiveness.

Politics should not be a do or die affair, he said, and we could not agree more with him. Even as we agree with him that no blood should be spilled in politics, we do pray that instead of ostensibly calling the police to work hard to unmask the killer, the president and his lieutenants should desist from interfering with the work of the law enforcement agents.

Words are making the rounds about how some of these high-notched cases have attracted some political hands to the extent that many glaring breaches are being committed to delay or even stall them.

It is becoming glaring that these cases in which the government has showed adequate interest and regard same as political quarries would eventually stall and the deliberate legal loopholes manipulated to let go suspects. Insincere admonitions!