Former Ashanti Regional Minister and a leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Sarpong, has condemned the conduct of the party supporters in their last street protest in Kumasi.
Sunday’s protest, which was the second in a series of planned protests in Kumasi, ended in attacks on the Manhyia Divisional Police Command and burning of car tyres on the streets.
Mr. Sarpong, who was present at Sunday’s protest in Kumasi, advised the party supporters and sympathisers to be law-abiding as they go about their protests in order not to disadvantage any Ghanaian which will cause the party loosing public goodwill.
He said street protests are enshrined in the 1992 constitution as an avenue for citizens to drum home their grievances but noted that, peaceful protests are ideal.
“You can articulate your views without fighting and that actually depicts how civilized we are. So on this note, I will advise our supporters to be very civil in articulating our views so that at the end of the day, we will continue to gain more sympathizers,” he said.
However, Mr. Sarpong also sent out caution to the other section of the public who do not share the same stance as the NDC to exercise decorum in their utterances. He said some comments can lead to the inciting of violence.
“As at now, the NDC, we are the losers so to say, then if you continue to inflame passion by maybe insulting us that ‘we’ve won, you fools, and you can’t do anything’ and that sort of things, I mean things will escalate.
“So let cool heads prevail at the end of the day, if it is the will of God that John Mahama should become the president, John Mahama will definitely come,” he said.
He further added that, street protest is one of the many available options to the NDC in seeking redress and said “it is just to create the sort of public awareness because even before we go to court, the public should know our intention and what we have realised so far as far as the election is concerned.”
The NDC, in contesting the 2020 election results, has resorted to street protests, staging two in Kumasi already.
Call For Peace
Peaceful protest has been the message of many public figures and civil societies to members and supporters of the NDC. Some members of the Diplomatic corps have also added their voices to the call for national peace.
However, some of the various street protests of the NDC supporters across the country have had some elements of violence. There have been reports on the arrest of some 26 NDC protesters by the police for engaging in unlawful protest and exhibiting violent acts during the demonstration.
Yesterday, the flagbearer of the party in the 2020 general election, former President John Dramani Mahama also admonished supporters of the NDC to make a conscious effort in making sure that peace prevails in any of the nationwide protests the party is embarking on.
