John Dramani Mahama
FORMER PRESIDENT John Dramani Mahama has launched an unprovoked scathing attack on members of the National Peace Council (NPC), accusing them of being in ‘bed’ with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.
Without providing any evidence to buttress his wild claims, he alleged that the ruling NPP government is clandestinely controlling the NPC, and as a result the council is clearly doing the bidding of the government.
Mr. Mahama said some innocent members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) were unjustifiably manhandled by state security apparatus during a by-election in the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency one year ago.
According to him, one year after those innocent NDC members suffered what he called ‘the condemnable atrocities’, the main actors of the crime are walking about freely and the NPC seemed unconcerned.
Virtually describing the NPC as a ‘toothless bulldog,’ he said the behaviour of the council makes him to believe that it is being ‘remote controlled’ by the NPP administration.
Mr. Mahama, who clearly is not impressed with the performance of the NPC, charged members of the august body to sit up and make sure the government tackled vigilantism effectively.
“Unfortunately, it appears the National Peace Council has been unsuccessful as handling the post Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election engagements because very little progress had been made,” he said in a post on his Facebook wall.
The NDC flag bearer for the 2020 polls then charged “we call on the members of the National Peace Council not to allow themselves to be railroaded into serving a cosmetic veneer to make the government look as though it is tackling vigilantism.”
In the post, he said he had joined other members of his political party to mark the one-year anniversary of the infamous Ayawaso attack on NDC members, who were only in a queue, waiting for their turn to vote in a by-election.
Mr. Mahama, who was virtually on an attacking spree, also chastised President Akufo-Addo and his government for promoting and shielding the main actors of the vigilantism act during the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election.
“One year after that shameful chapter in our nation’s life, there are still many questions that remain unanswered. And there are many people who President Nana Akufo-Addo is shielding from consequential punishment,” he bemoaned.
The programme, which was held last Friday, saw several top-notch NDC members in attendance. Interestingly, all the speakers virtually took a swipe at the NPP government, with Mr. Mahama being the chief protagonist.
The former president also took a swipe at the police, lambasting them (police) for not providing enough security for the NDC members that suffered atrocities at the hands of pro-government vigilantes during the by-election.
The police hierarchy instantly came out boldly to debunk the wild allegations being made against them by the former president, who is hankering to become president again.
Interestingly, some political pundits have lambasted Mr. Mahama for trying to tag the NPP with vigilantism. According to them, the NDC has a long track record of being violent and a promoter of vigilantism.
They particularly recounted the Atiwa by-elections few years ago, where Anita Desoso, then a national officer of the NDC, ran his speeding vehicle over innocent NPP members, causing severe injuries to them in the process.
Anita went scot-free and was never made to answer for her crimes.
The political connoisseurs also recalled a period when Mr. Mahama openly admitted and boasted that the NDC has no competitor in the country, especially when it comes to causing mayhem and violence.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi