NDC condemns police “brutalization” of anti-new-register protesters

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned the police’s “barbaric and brutal” treatment meted out to persons who protested against the new voter’s register on Thursday near the Parliament house. “The cruel and barbaric manner in which the police used unjustifiable force in an attempt to suppress the constitutional rights of Ghanaians to protest peacefully, was totally disproportionate and unwarranted,” General Secretary of NDC, Asiedu Nketiah said in a statement on Friday. “This callous application of force resulted in physical injuries to some of the protesters including our Deputy General Secretary in charge of Operations, Mr. Peter Boamah Otokunor”. He accused the Director of Operations at the Accra Police Regional Command, Superintendent Kwasi Ofori, of ordering the use of water cannons “containing hot chemical solution on protesters”. He questioned why the protesters would be restrained but persons he believes are members of the governing New Patriotic Party were allowed unfettered access to the Parliament house. “This clearly was an open display of political bias in favor of the NPP, a growing canker that must be resisted with might.” The largest opposition party is therefore demanding enquiry into the incident. “We demand an immediate institution of a police enquiry into the use of the brute force on the protesters and issue punitive sanction where necessary.” Mr. Asiedu-Nketiah pointed out that, “Despite the clear recommendation by the Emile Short Commission for the disbandment of these unlawful armed units operating under the cloak of national security, President Akufo-Addo found it necessary to deploy them in the august house of Parliament in an unprecedented display of force, to instill fear into those who disagree with him. “We in the NDC have an equal stake in this country, just as any other Ghanaian, and will never be cowed into submission by such crude tactics.” By Lydia Amponsah | 3news.com | Ghana  ]]>