‘It was self-defense’ – Freddie Blay backs Hawa Koomson

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The national chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Freddie Blay, has jumped to the defence of the minister of special development initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson.

Koomson discharged her firearm at a registration centre in her constituency, alleging she came under attack by some masked men on motorbikes during one of her monitoring exercises.

She has been heavily scolded by civil society organisations and security experts who are mounting pressure on her to resign and also calling on the president to sack her.

However, the ruling party’s national chairman in a statement said the evidence and facts before him show that the minister resorted to good judgement to save her life.

“With the unfolding evidence and facts surrounding the incidence, it is clear that her actions were in self-defense to the unwarranted attacks on her and her team by masked motorists invited by the NDC to disrupt the EC registration process in her constituency,” Mr. Blay stated.

He is therefore describing the calls on the MP for Awutu Senya East to resign as “pointless and needless.”

“The pointless calls on the President to terminate the appointment of Hon. Hawa Koomson is absolutely needless and must be totally disregarded. Let the good people of Ghana see such enthusiasm channeled into productive discussions aimed at addressing the fundamental concerns of recklessness and provocations of the NDC during this registration process,” he added.

Below is the full statement:

STATEMENT BY NATIONAL CHAIRMAN OF NPP ON HAWA KOOMSON, MP AWUTU SENYA EAST

Leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has taken keen interest with developments in the media surrounding its Parliamentary Candidate in Awutu Senya East Constituency, Hon. Mrs. Mavis Hawa Koomson. As much as Hon. Hawa Koomson has come out with a statement to clarify the circumstances resulting in her reaction to a life threatening situation, it is most worrying to see different groups expected to be more objective in their submissions, rather fall for the propaganda and misrepresentation of the opposition NDC in relations to the matter. With the unfolding evidence and facts surrounding the incidence, it is clear that her actions were in self-defense to the unwarranted attacks on her and her team by masked motorists invited by the NDC to disrupt the EC registration process in her constituency.

Arguably, Mrs. Hawa Koomson is one of the calmest female representatives of the NPP in Parliament and there is no evidence of any sort that can suggest her to be a violent individual, even in the face of extreme provocation. Unfortunately, the NDC’s ploy to stage confusion at registration centers across the country in their quest to discredit the electoral processes and create disaffection for the NPP, seems to be gaining momentum. However, the NPP has an obligation to its members and admirers, to ensure it protects the hard-earned democratic reputation of the Party.

It would have been expected that those individuals and institutions who have found their voices after this unfortunate incident, even to the extent of calling for the resignation and/or dismissal of Mrs. HawaKoomson, undertook a more rational assessment of the facts before unfairly ostracizing her and calling her names. They have failed to evaluate the extent of fear and trauma this lady, mother and leader had experienced following the siege on her by sufficiently outnumbered armed hooliganshired by the NDC to disrupt the EC registration process.

Besides preventing the Member of Parliament from witnessing the process in her constituency, evidential attacks on her convoy clearly demonstrates premeditation of events by the opposition NDC to humiliate, intimidate and molesther.

With the ongoing police investigations, the NPP calls on the good people of Ghana to exercise restraint in their utterances and conduct with respect to this matter. The CSOs, journalists and the army of security experts commenting on this issue must resist the temptation of emotional outbursts that are likely to fuel the violent desires of the opposition NDC, creating more indiscipline among their followers during the EC registration process and subsequently, the general elections. It is most regrettable to find highly placed individuals resorting to name-calling and equally falling for the propaganda scheme of the opposition NDC to make light the commitment of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo in the fight against vigilantism and political violence in Ghana.

The pointless calls on the President to terminate the appointment of Hon. Hawa Koomson is absolutely needless and must be totally disregarded. Let the good people of Ghana see such enthusiasm channeled into productive discussions aimed at addressing the fundamental concerns of recklessness and provocations of the NDC during this registration process.

I once again call on the Party’s leadership at the Regional and Constituency levels to continue exercising restrain, whilst remaining vigilant in foiling attempts by the opposition NDC to indulge in all forms of illegalities as far as the EC’s new voters’ registration process is concerned. I equally urge the security agencies stationed at polling stations, to remain forthright in ensuring that petitioners follow due process in challenging suspected unqualified individuals desirous of registering for the new voters’ ID.

I also seize this opportunity to encourage the Ghanaian middle class society and professionals to take some time off their busy schedules and go out in their numbers to participate in the new voter registration process, observing all the COVID 19 protocols.

Let us not stand aloof and uninvolved, but prepare to cast our votes and support the good economic policies of the Nana Akufo Addo-led administration that inures to the benefit of us all. We must not make us lose faith in the prospects of our chosen democratic path.

The NPP remains open for the exploration of direct talks with the opposition NDC and other political parties on issues of common interest and concern, moving away from the normal practice of frequently engaging an arbiter in mediating affairs of political parties.

—–Signed——
Hon. Freddie Wosemewu Armah Blay

Source: Daily Mail GH