Stop harassing innocent residents of Tarkwa-Nsuaem - NDC warns MP

Leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Constituency of the Western Region have accused President Akufo-Addo and the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, George Mireku Duker for using police to harass and intimidate innocent residents of Tarkwa.

This comes after the rambo styled arrest of the three Executive Members and some members of the Concerned Citizens of Tarkwa (CCT) who attempted to stage another demonstration against the government for failing to fix the dilapidated Awhitieso road after several assurances

The incident occurred on Monday, June 24, 2019.

The executives were; Mr David Kumi, (President), Mr Samuel Kwasi Asare (Secretary) and Mr Nicolas Worwornyo, (Organizer) of the coalition.

Nine bandsmen who were hired by the group to provide music for the demonstrators were also arrested.

They were; Nana Kwame Agama, Andrews Archer, Stephen Ackah, Nana Akye, Nanaba Boadi, Kojo Baodi, Samuel Owiredu, Alex Aseidu and Clement Donkor.

The suspects who have been conveyed to the Sekondi Takoradi High court for prosecution has been charged for contempt of court.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dennis Abade, Divisional Commander of Tarkwa, confirmed this to the media in Western Region.

The Divisional Commander said even though an injunction was placed on the exercise, in the early hours of June 24, 2019, the group gathered at the Akyem junction to begin the demonstration and they arrested them to face the law.

But in a statement issued by the NDC and signed by its Secretary, George Gadd Enimil, copied the media decreased the arrest as an illegal.

The statement, therefore, accused President Akufo-Addo and the NPP's MP for the area for using the NPP's dreaded Invincible Forces and Delta Forces to arrest them and subsequently sent them to Sekondi Police for detention.

"This illegal arrest and detention in our view is a clear case of intimidation and harassment being employed by the President and the Member of Parliament using the instrumentality of the police to instill fear in the good people of Tarkwa", the statement claimed.

The statement has however, condemned what happened on Monday in no uncertain terms.

"The leadership of the NDC in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency condemns in no uncertain terms the illegal arrest and detention of the leaders and some members of the Concerned Citizens of Tarkwa", the statement opined.

The statement continued that "This act of the President and the Member of Parliament hiding behind the police and other state security agencies to harass and intimidate innocent citizens engaging in their constitutional rights to demonstrate must not be countenanced by any right thinking person or group".

The statement emphasized that "It is shameful and mind boggling that this crude act will happen in a democratic dispensation where freedom of expression in all forms are enshrined in our 1992 Republican Constitution and in particular under a president who is a 'master' at organising demonstrations and a human rights lawyer".

The statement advised that "We wish to call on the Ghana Police Service in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal not to succumb to government diabolic intent and allow themselves to be used by this super incompetent and clueless NPP government to intimidate citizens within the Municipality".

The statement concluded that "We wish to call on the good people of Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal to join the NDC in demanding the immediate release of all the victims of yesterday's illegal arrest within 24 hours for their continuous detention is an affront to their freedom of movement as enshrined in the 1992 constitution".

Below is the full statement

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS NDC TARKWA NSUAEM CONSTITUENCY

NANA ADDO AND HON. GEORGE MIREKU DUKER MUST STOP USING THE POLICE TO HARASS AND INTIMIDATE INNOCENT CITIZENS OF TARKWA.

The leadership of the National Democratic Congress NDC, in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency has taken notice of the rambo styled arrest and subsequent detention of the leaders and some members of the Concerned Citizens of Tarkwa (CCT).

The leaders and members of the Concerned Citizens of Tarkwa who were preparing to undertake their constitutionally given rights to demonstrate to drum home their demand for the government to fix a 4km stretch of road from Awhitieso to Bogoso Junction were pounced upon by some heavily built gun wielding security men some of whom were suspected to be members of the NPP's dreaded Invincible and Delta Forces, arrested them and subsequently sent them on detention at the regional headquarters of the Ghana Police Service in Sekondi.

This illegal arrest and detention in our view is a clear case of intimidation and harassment being employed by the President and the Member of Parliament using the instrumentality of the police to instill fear in the good people of Tarkwa.

The leadership of the NDC in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Constituency condemns in no uncertain terms the illegal arrest and detention of the leaders and some members of the Concerned Citizens of Tarkwa.

This act of the President and the Member of Parliament hiding behind the police and other state security agencies to harass and intimidate innocent citizens engaging in their constitutional rights to demonstrate must not be countenanced by any right thinking person or group.

It is shameful and mind boggling that this crude act will happen in a democratic dispensation where freedom of expression in all forms are enshrined in our 1992 Republican Constitution and in particular under a president who is a 'master' at organising demonstrations and a human rights lawyer.

The President and the Member of Parliament for the Constituency cannot hide behind the personnel in the police service to employ crude and undemocratic means to prevent innocent citizens from expressing their disappointments and displeasure about the lack of development in the Municipality.

The incompetence of the President and the Member of Parliament is beyond human imagination and they cannot gloss over their inability to meet the demands of the good people of Tarkwa who have remained loyal to the course of the NPP at every election and vent their frustrations by using state security on these innocent citizens.

We wish to call on the Ghana Police Service in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal not to succumb to government diabolic intent and allow themselves to be used by this super incompetent and clueless NPP government to intimidate citizens within the Municipality.

We wish to express our solidarity with all the victims of yesterday's illegal arrest and urge them to exercise maximum restraint in this difficult time with the assurance that the leadership of the NDC and the good people of the Municipality are strongly behind them and that they can count on our support at all times.

We wish to call on the good people of Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal to join the NDC in demanding the immediate release of all the victims of yesterday's illegal arrest within 24 hours for their continuous detention is an affront to their freedom of movement as enshrined in the 1992 constitution.

Thank you

Long Live the NDC

Long Live Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipal.

Signed!

George Gadd Enimil

Constituency Secretary