The Former Central Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress(NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs has appealed to the Ghana Police Service not to prevent the Conveners of the ‘Fix the Country’ campaign to embark on their protest following the Supreme Court ruling on the case.
Speaking during an interview,;he said although their reason makes sense looking at what is happening in other countries,;the police should allow the protesters embark on their peaceful march.
“For me, they should go on demonstration but bearing in mind that the Police will protect;the sovereignty and the stability of this country no matter what.
”When the youth are frustrated and there is desperation among them,;somebody will rise up to become a leader and to call for violence. That is how I see it in my years in politics. You take advantage of your enemies disadvantage and do what is right or wrong;depending upon how you behave yourself when you’re on demonstration.”
Allotey Jacobs
Obey Police Instructions during protest
Mr Allotey Jacobs also urged the protesters to obey the Police when they embark on their demonstration.
”Politics and democracy has come of age and so, if they are going on demonstration, they should be extra careful. They should obey instructions in the sense that wherever they are directed to pass, they should do so.”
Allotey Jacobs
This comes on the back of the Ghana Police Service advising the public not to honor any invitation to participate in a demonstration organized by conveners of the ‘FixTheCountry’ protest because it does not comply with provisions of the Public Order Act.
The Police made the call in a statement after a Supreme Court ruling quashed an earlier order they secured from a High Court to restrain the protestors from staging a demonstration.
According to the Police, the decision of the Supreme Court does not conclude their litigation with the conveners of the protest at the High Court, as the substantive case will be heard on June 14, 2021.
“The substantive case between the police and the conveners on the right to demonstrate is still pending at the High Court (Criminal Division 1) Accra, and slated for hearing on Monday, June 14, 2021.”
‘FixTheCountry’ Protest cancellation
The ‘FixTheCountry’ protest which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, 9th May, 2021 was cancelled after the Police secured a restraining order from the High Court prohibiting the protest,;citing it as a breach of the COVID-19 restrictions to allow the demonstrators to have their way.
The Conveners, however,;registered their displeasure and filed an application at the Supreme Court seeking to quash the High Court ruling.
The Supreme Court presided over by Justice Yaw Appau, in its ruling on Tuesday, June 8, 2021, granted the first order indicating that since the police obtained the restraining order in an ex-parte application, it should have been for a period of 10 days, following which, the State or Police must go back to the High Court on notice with a new application.
Because the High Court failed to observe this rule,;the Supreme Court held that, “the order of the High Court is thus quashed.”
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