Ghana’s peace being threatened under Akufo-Addo – Hassan Ayariga

Founder of the All Peoples Congress has blamed President Akufo-Addo for the series of violent events that have occurred in the country since his assumption of power.

According to Hassan Ayariga, the president has failed Ghanaians and exposed the country to danger, political insecurity, attacks and indiscipline.

Addressing the media in Accra, he noted that “Our peaceful country that was handed over by various former presidents, right from former President Rawlings to Former president Mahama is now threatening and doomed with various acts of Kidnappings, Assassinations and brutalities, a phenomenon which the government of the day lead by President Akufo Addo has failed to tackle head on”.

He further described actions of the men in security uniform during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election last week as ‘barbaric’ and ‘unacceptable’ adding that such behaviour ‘will not be tolerated’.

Hassan Ayariga also called for an amendment of Ghana’s constitution to make security institutions autonomous.

“By-elections are not terrorism events and it was wrong for the NPP government to deploy an illegal group called counter-terrorism unit to monitor and observe elections with Ak 47 riffles as if they were in a war zone. The president is the commander in chief of the Ghana armed forces and if he is not aware of the calibre of men and women recruited into our security forces, then the president is a naked king and we are all in big trouble.”

“Both the NPP and the NDC must know that this country does not belong to them and if this peaceful and beautiful country of ours starts burning today, everyone will be affected. When there is war it will not come with political colours. Let's all be mindful of our comments and actions and above all let's be responsible citizens and not spectators,” Mr Ayariga cautioned.



Read his full statement below

PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE FOUNDER / LEADER OF THE ALL PEOPLES CONGRESS; (APC) DR. HASSAN AYARIGA ON THE CURRENT HAPPENINGS IN OUR BELOVED NATION GHANA DELIVERED ON 5TH OF FEBRUARY 2019.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, members of the All People’s Congress; (APC), Friends of Dr. Hassan Ayariga, fellow Citizens, Good morning. You are welcome to yet again another press conference which seeks to address current happenings in our dear country Ghana.

Our peaceful country Ghana, which is described by foreigners as a beacon of democracy in Africa is now threatened with the rising spate of Political vigilantism. Few months ago Ghana was a country where Africans and the rest of the world could run to and seek for business opportunities, security, peace, jobs and protections. We witnessed foreign Business men and women, including many travelers coming to settle and work in Ghana.

Today our country GHANA is almost at the end of the cross road where Ghanaians themselves do not feel secured nor at peace with one another anymore. Our peaceful country that was handed over by various former presidents, right from former President Rawlings to Former president Mahama is now threatening and doomed with various acts of Kidnappings, Assassinations and brutalities, a phenomenon which the government of the day lead by President Akufo Addo has failed to tackle head on.

Police Brutality

We witnessed a very sad event in the just ended Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election. How did we get here? What when wrong? An event that is supposed to so show our level of tolerance, political maturity, understanding, togetherness, love and leadership turned to a bloody exercise. On that faithful another history is being made that a sitting MP, Hon Sam George was attacked and assaulted by the very security we have entrusted our lives and properties with. This barbaric and on unacceptable behavior will not be tolerated. If our leaders do not take action today, tomorrow, a sitting judge will be next and then a Minister of state and then a chief of staff and the ultimate will one day happen, a sitting president.

We should not allow this precedent to continue without taking responsibilities to fish out the culprits and bring them to book. The operation by the invisible Forces, Delta forces and other groups are linked to the governing part NPP, killing innocent citizen’s day in day out. The APC demands an immediate arrest of these men.

Mr. President as the commander in chief Of the Ghana armed forces, you have failed Ghanaians, you have exposed your country and its citizens to danger, political insecurity, attacks and indiscipline. Ghana is no longer the peaceful country it used to be. God save Ghana.

Ladies and gentlemen, the APC believes that our constitution needs to be amended to make our security institutions autonomous. We can’t have a constitution that give so much powers to the president and the government of the day. It is absurd to continue in this manner. We need to amend some Section of the constitution to reduce the powers of the president.



Our security agencies are no more security professionals. The security agencies are engulfed with party’s vigilantes and thugs of favorite political parties. Our national security is a disaster and can’t deliver any intelligent information for the nation. National security has now been reduced to jobs for the boys. Depending on which party is in power. Party foot soldiers are posted to various security institutions without proper training, qualifications and standards.

Political Vigilante Groups

Section 1 of national security and intelligence act 1960, makes the president the Chairman of the national security. The president can't pretend he is not aware of these party boys, errand boys and thugs recruited into the national security to do dirty job against political opponents.

Ladies and gentlemen, the police have indicated they are not aware of any unit called the counter terrorism unit under the national security and the masked men who shot innocent citizens could not be identified by the police. APC have gathered intelligence that members of the Government political vigilante groups; invincible forces and delta forces have been deployed into national security and police services to support the Nana Addo government instead of our professional police units.

Our President, Nana Addo has confirmed it by his own personal security. The immediate security men around the president are all not policemen nor military men. The evidence is there to show and no one can question the legality of the so called security men protecting the President. They are his personal Delta forces. So if the President Cannot trust the state securities, how can Ghanaians then trust them? Hmmmm

By-elections are not terrorism events and it was wrong for the NPP government to deploy an illegal group called counter terrorism unit to monitor and observe elections with Ak 47 riffles as if they were in a war zone. The president is the commander in chief of the Ghana armed forces and if he is not aware of the caliber of men and women recruited into our security forces, then the president is a naked king and we are all in big trouble.

The Current NPP government under President Nana Addo has appointed a national security minister, a national security coordinator, a national security adviser to the president, a minister of State in-charge of national security, an IGP, a defense minister and an interior minister. All these men are part of the 112 ministerial appointees of His Excellency the President and yet we have witnessed the worst times and dark days of rampant killings and assassinations in this country coupled with the threatening Media personnel and vandalism.

Today, the 5th of February 2019, I, Dr. Hassan Ayariga, the Founder/ Leader of The All People’s Congress (APC) quotes, “all die NO be die”. Mr. President, we need our country back in shape.

Your predecessor President Mahama handed over to you a peaceful and a stable Ghana. The APC will not watch your government terrorize innocent citizens. God just saved GHANA from a civil war.

Both the NPP and the NDC must know that this country does not belong to them and if this peaceful and beautiful country of ours starts burning today, everyone will be affected. When there is war it will not come with political colours. Let's all be mindful of our comments and actions and above all let's be responsible citizens and not spectators.

I don’t think and believe that our political leaders know what they are playing with. We can call each other names and laugh about it, and still live together as one, but now that we are engaged in shooting and attacking one another, a civil war is not far away. Our religious leaders are also not helping the matter, because a Section of them have divided us. Our foreign leaders and friends will abandon us when we start killing one another and will close their doors at us. We must defend Ghana together.

Economic Hardship and the Rising cost of living

As we speak in the midst of all these challenges and difficulties, the President has jetted abroad for a few days visit instead of staying back home to address this security concerns. The President is

Traveling too much just as the dollar is also travelling so fast ahead of the cedi. The NABCO beneficiaries are still home and over 10,000 personnel have given up and are currently home. The forestry commission youth in afforestation program are in 4 months arrears and beneficiaries are crying.

Arrears for contractors are piling up and the interest on bank loans for contractors are getting higher. What is happening to the one district one factory? What is happening to the one constituency one million dollar? Is the vice President Dr Bawumia in the country? And is he now very proud of the state of our economy, when many banks and financial institutions are all collapsing and over 1 million jobs lost so far in the last 8 months in the financial sector? The rains have come and gone and we still do not have the dams as promised, rather we have found monies to create a bogus Ghana post digital address system which has not served its purpose.

The Governor of the bank of Ghana has consolidated several banks in the past few months, in as much as I agree certain banks needed to be consolidated, I strongly disagree with one of the banks that was consolidated on Christmas Eve, the Heritage Bank. I clearly see mischief and witch hunt.

Ladies and gentlemen, of all the nine banks that Bank of Ghana collapsed, only Heritage Bank was a solvent bank yet its license was also revoked. By being solvent, Heritage Bank did not pose a risk to customers or other banks in the banking sector and the entire economy. Therefore, collapsing Heritage Bank was purely to satisfy personal desires and not in the interest of the banking sector or the economy.

By choosing to collapse Heritage Bank when it did not pose a threat to third parties, Bank of Ghana rather denied a hardworking businessman of his investments and in the process, put the livelihoods of about 250 people and their families and dependants at risk. The professions of the staff have now been jeopardized just because of an individual using state authority and central bank powers to satisfy personal interests. This is a bad precedent that must be criticized by all well-meaning persons and the outcome reversed with immediate effect to help prevent a situation where it inspires future actions.

Fellow citizens, given that Heritage Bank was solvent and therefore not a risk to any third parties. If Bank of Ghana suspects anything, it could have used other alternatives provided under the BSDI Act 930 to exclude Mr Seidu Agongo from exercising his rights as shareholder until the determination of the case at the High Court. But to meet the personal interest and deprive him of owning a bank, simply because he is the one. BoG decided to revoke the license and put the lives of the staff, other shareholders and even customers at risk.

Kidnappings and Serial Killings.

Ladies and gentlemen of the press, The APC wishes to add its voice on the ongoing cases of Kidnappings and serial killings in the country. We've watched helplessly as a country, lived hopelessly under the current state of insecurity we currently find ourselves. Ghanaians for the past 2 years have consistently lived-in fear and panic. Armed robbers are always having their way, Delta forces have always had their way, so as invincible forces, and serial killers have always had their way and now Kidnappers? How did we get here? Kidnappings in our beloved Ghana? And our numerous Security Capos are clueless? I understand the Interior Minister says he is not a magician to tell when the girls would be back? Really? And this is supposed to be coming from a Cabinet Minister? If governance had not been reduced to incompetence, heads should have rolled. This can't happen under President Dr. Hassan Ayariga and APC! No, I won't hire just anybody. Reckless talks and incompetence will not be tolerated in my government.

The security of the country has deteriorated beyond reasonable doubts to the extent that criminals are protected by Nolle Prosequi and miscreants are encouraged, criminality has been entrenched by subtle executive order and now we are living in fear and panic. It is very sad, all these horrible things are happening under IGP David Asante. My respected friend.

Government should tell Ghanaians of any progressive and pragmatic decision they've taken with regards to our innocent 7 Zongo promising Young Men, their clueless police officers murdered in cold blood, which they claimed were Armed Robbers. As Citizens, we want and deserve to know those who killed the GHAPOH woman, we as well want to know the Killers of Investigative Journalist Ahmed Suale of Tiger Eye PI and we equally want to know the fate of the school girls who were recently kidnapped. What is the Nana Addo government doing about these unfortunate happenings and police brutality?

There can be no justification whatsoever for the incompetence of our security agencies. Strangely Ghana has many Security Ministers now than ever, drawing huge sums of monies every month, so the question I wish to ask is, are these Ministers useful? Is their only competence deploying Hoodlums to terrorize, shoot and injure innocent and unarmed citizens? When it comes to protecting citizens against serial killers, our security Capos are clueless. When it comes to protecting investigative Journalist from Goons and Hoodlums, our Security Capos are clueless, protecting school girls or rescuing them from Kidnappers, these Capos are helpless, but when it comes to Terrorizing innocent citizens and voters, our Capos are unmatched, isn't this a shame?

We've had enough of our families suffering and crying, Ghanaians are no more proud of our nation. Our children can no longer be in school without fear and panic. Ghanaians are not safe!

A supposed serious government that created the office of the special prosecutor forgot to capture it in its 2019 budget until Mr. Martin Amidu started crying to the media before he was remembered and allocated some funds in the 2019 budget. This is not a serious government ready to fight corruption. Mr. Martin Amidu will be taken serious if he starts investigating from the contaminated oil saga at BOST which is one of the highest corruption cases in Ghana in the last 4 years. You can't be looking for faults in other people's houses when your house is engulfed in dirt and filth. Mr. Martin Amidu should also be interested in the Ameri corruption deal that led to the sacking of the energy minister under President Akufo Addo.

The Ghana I know has never solved any problem or issues that confronts us. We discuss it for few days, at worst a week and it is swept under the carpet, and a new one is invented to replace the old one. It’s been like this for several years and under different governments. Are we really serious as a nation?

The President now resorts to Facebook to address the very people who stood in the sun to vote for him, I hope in 2020 our president will campaign through his Facebook page. Mr. President we the citizens shall hold you responsible if any life is lost. We can’t tolerate your attitude towards incompetence and unconcerned when we are engulfed with serious issues.

Finally, Mr. President no matter how strong, and how good you are or how bad you are, you can’t rule forever. We will continue to endure the suffering and pains you and your government has put us through. I am very sure God in his own time will not allow Ghanaians to go through this difficulties, harassment, torture, indiscipline, threats, beatings and killings. Don’t forget there is limitations to everything, and we pray hard to continue to live in the peaceful country that was handed over to you by your predecessor.

Wisdom and leadership is not about age or power, I have witnessed that now. Leadership is not about language but your commitment in taking responsibilities and carrying it out. I will continue to keep you and your government in check. God Save our home land Ghana.

Thank you

Dr. Hassan Ayariga.

Leader/Founder of APC.