IGP David Asante-Apeatu
Criminalities robed as protests by party activists must be curbed by all means. From Karaga in the Northern Region came a report a couple of days ago about irate supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) going on rampage and chasing away the District Chief Executive and the Youth Employment Agency Coordinator.
We are saddened as others to learn about this unfortunate development, a challenge which is waiting to be addressed in the country. It is ironic that this is happening under President Akufo-Addo a man whose name is synonymous with upholding the rule of law.
A President who is waging war against illegal mining in spite of daunting odds when he started the campaign, is not the one to be counted upon to support such criminal acts.
Those who destroyed properties and even released two suspected criminals being held by the local police are mere criminals whose action must not only be condemned but prosecuted to serve as deterrent to others who might want to proceed on that path of waywardness.
The many means of seeking redress have not been exhausted by the irate youth yet they decided on this crude approach to air their grievances. Unfortunately, they have earned opprobrium from the rest of their compatriots because their action would, as unproductive as it is, not serving the interest of the party they claim to belong to.
We should start detaching such criminal acts from politics and allow law enforcement agents to do their work as they do when crimes are committed.
It is not to be entertained when suspects turn to influential persons in society to go and intervene on their behalf when they ignite such embarrassing situations under the glare of cameras in an age where the transmission of pictures and text has never been more simplified.
The leadership of our political parties must start educating the followership about the importance of discipline in party affairs. Such spectacles impugn on the image of parties and should be avoided by all means.
Civilization is about upholding of the rule of law and so when people get this destructive regardless of the law, then we have lost it and returned to jungle ambience.
What happened in Karaga, the subject of this editorial, could have resulted in death. If the DCE had not fled from the town and his pursuers laid hands on him – the story could have been different.
By this commentary, we do ask the security agencies with the leadership of the party to pursue those behind what ensued in Karaga and bring them to book.
It might be a difficult challenge but nonetheless we must start from somewhere because the precedence is not good for us. The impression being created that when one’s party is in power they can afford to be lawless is dangerous and must be addressed forthwith. Allowing the status quo to remain would deny us the tag; ‘politically civilized.’