The NPP Kandahad Youth Group
The NPP Kandahad Youth Group in the Northern Region has stated that as much as Ghana is calling for peace, there should be the pursuit for justice and peace will automatically follow before, during and after the 2016 general elections.
According to the group, in the 2012 general elections, the NPP felt cheated and as a result had an election petition to seek justice in the law court, only to realize that the final verdict was more on merit of peace and not on justice.
“Violence and peace are two and opposite ways with greater effects on building a society but we can’t attain peace without justice.”
The Secretary for NPP Kandahad Youth Group, Abdul Hack told DAILY GUIDE that the reason why the group is calling for justice before peace is that some peace campaigners appear to be political party affiliates who are not genuine.
He indicated that the Kandahad is a group that advocates peace in the society and that the perception that the group is associated with violence is not true.
According to him, Emmanuel Bombande who is now the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, before the 2012 elections was the Executive Director of West Africa Network for Peace Building while Dr. Clement Apaak now a presidential staffer, was the Executive Director for Forum for Governance and Justice.
“Nana Oye Lithur was with Human Rights Advocacy for Gender now she is the Minister for Gender, Children and Social Protection,” he said.
He appealed to various religious bodies, civil society organizations, and NGOs, the judicial service, opinion leaders and stakeholders to campaign for justice towards the coming 2016 general elections to safeguard the country’s democracy.
Abdul Hack urged the youth in the Northern Region to advocate for peace before, during and after the general elections and not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to perpetrate criminal activities in the area.
The Northern Regional Secretary of the NPP, Sule Salifu said the Kandahad group is not in any way attached to violence activities in the area and that calling for peace is a clear statement that the group cherishes peace.
He stated that even though the party is preaching peace, they would not also sit down unconcerned and allow any leadership who had lost the mandate of the people to sell the blessings of the ordinary Ghanaian people.
He urged the group to provide the NPP with loyal and hard working party agents and assured party members that the NPP will win the general elections come December 7.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale