The opposition National Democratic Congress has condemned the arrest and brutalities meted out against the protestors of the Occupy Jubilee House demonstration by the Ghana Police Service.
In a statement released by the General Secretary, Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the party stated that it is saddened by the crude tactics being deployed and meted by the Ghana Police Service against the peaceful protestors at a time the Inspector General of Police, Dr George Akuffo Dampare is being applauded for making effort toward transforming the Ghana Police Service into the best institution in the country.
“The National Democratic Congress has learned with great disappointment the brutality meted out on the Occupy Jubilee House protestors in the early hours of today. This shameful show of brute force runs counter to that. It is regrettable the police would think that violence and suppression of human rights is the best way to address issues”.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey
According to the National Democratic Congress after nearly 31 years of Ghana’s democracy, it is a crying shame that state institutions like the Ghana Police Service cannot use a very decent and peaceful means to address issues of protest.
“This is a massive step backwards for our democracy”
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey
NDC Admonishes Police To Be Professional
The National Democratic Congress therefore admonished the Ghana Police Service under the leadership of Dr. George Akuffo Dampare to use professional means to handle issues relating to protestors to avoid disruption of public order and abuse of citizens’ fundamental human rights.
The party has also called on the Ghana Police Service to release the arrested protestors who were involved in the Occupy Jubilee House protest with immediate effect.
“In the spirit of solidarity, we extend empathy to protestors who have been injured and or detained by the police”.
Fifi Fiavi Kwetey
The National Democratic Congress has further called on all progressive forces to join the party to provide legal and other support to assist all the protesters who have been arrested and injured by the police.
Meanwhile, the Ghana Police Service has confirmed that it has arrested 49 individuals involved in the Occupy the Jubilee House Protest. According to the statement signed by the Head, of Public Affairs Unit/AR, Superintendent of Police Juliana Obeng, the 49 individuals are currently in custody to assist in its investigations.
The statement also indicated that the arrest was a result of the flagrant disregard of the court process served on the organizers of the Democracy Hub group, which sought to prohibit them from embarking on its planned demonstration within the vicinity of the Jubilee House from Thursday, 21st to Saturday, 23rd September 2023.
“We would like to state that the Police do not take delight in preventing any group from demonstrating as the Service has a track record of providing security for demonstrations in the past. The exception, in this case, is the Police disagreement with the organizers on the venue, the Jubilee House, being a security zone”.
Julian Obeng
Democracy Hub, an Accra-based civil society organization, had previously informed the Ghana Police Service of their planned demonstration on Nkrumah Memorial Day to demand the President and members of the Economic Management Team to “#FixTheCountry” in light of the level of economic mismanagement and theft that has engulfed the government from the highest levels.
The group called Democracy Hub has charged President Akuffo Addo and the New Patriotic Party administration for poor economic management and urged better aid for the distressed Ghanaians.
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