The Opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has jabbed the Ghana Police Service for arresting “OccupyJulorbi House” protesters by calling for their immediate release, as they describe the state of affairs as institutionalized tyranny.
According to the NDC, the actions of the Police for the arrest and mistreatment of the protesters are unlawful, shameful, and backward.
The NDC also attacked the Inspector General of Police(IGP), Dr. George Akuffo Dampare, for allowing such blatant abuse of fundamental human rights under his watch despite the support and goodwill he had from Ghanaians across board when he was appointed.
On Thursday, the Police scuttled a demonstration dubbed #OccupyJulorbiHouse and arrested over 50 protestors who had gathered at the 37 Trotro Station in Accra in readiness to march to the seat of Government to register their displeasure over the alleged bad governance of the Akufo-Addo administration.
However, in a defensive statement issued and signed by the General Secretary of NDC, Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, said “The NDC is saddened by such crude tactics being deployed by the police at a time when the IGP is being applauded for making efforts toward transforming the Ghana Police Service into the best institution in the country.
“This shameful show of brute force runs counter to that.”
According to the NDC, “It’s regrettable the police would think that violence and suppression of human rights is the best way to address issues’’.
The Party noted: “After 31 years of our democratic journey, it is a crying shame that we cannot find more peaceful ways to address these issues.”
“This is a massive step backward for our democracy,” the NDC observed. “We hereby call on the police to use professional means to handle these issues and to release the arrested protesters forthwith.”
“In the spirit of solidarity, we extend empathy to protesters who have been injured and/or detained by the police. We hereby call on all progressive forces to join the NDC to provide legal and other support to assist all the protesters who have been arrested or injured by the police,” the party added.
Also, the NDC National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi said in a statement ‘’Even more reprehensible is the fact that some of the unlawfully arrested protestors have had their phones illegally seized and have been subjected to beatings and all manner of inhumane and degrading treatments by the Ghana Police Service’’.
“Sadly, this heinous barbarism is happening under the watch and leadership of an IGP, who many thought would be different’’.
“The arrest of the innocent citizens who decided to embark on a peaceful protest against the misrule of the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia/NPP government is not only unlawful but shameful and backward’’.
‘’There cannot be any place for this odious abuse of fundamental human rights in any democratic country governed by the rule of law’’.
BY Daniel Bampoe