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Former President and flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has issued a strong statement condemning the detention of the NDC Parliamentary Candidate for the Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Central Region, Phillis Naa Koryoo Okunor.
Mahama criticized the actions taken by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) George Dampare, under the orders of National Security Advisor Albert Kan Dapaah, as unjustified and politically motivated.
Mahama expressed grave concern over the National Security Secretariat’s decision to detain the candidate, arguing that it could unnecessarily escalate political tensions and spark avoidable unrest in the country, particularly with national elections on the horizon.
“The Police Service and the IGP must not allow themselves to be used to hang the peace and stability of our nation months before crucial national elections,” Mahama stated. He urged the IGP, the Peace Council, the government, and all Ghanaians to recognize the essential role of justice in maintaining national peace and stability.
Mahama highlighted the potential repercussions of using the police force to intimidate political opponents and stifle opposition, particularly in the lead-up to the 2024 elections.
He pointed out that the detention of the NDC candidate, following her release on bail, appeared to be a deliberate attempt to intimidate her and disrupt her campaign against the current Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hawa Koomson.
The former president called on the IGP to reconsider his actions and release Naa Koryoo immediately, stressing that justice and national stability depend on the fair treatment of all citizens, regardless of their political affiliations.
“It is high time the police fulfilled their duty to serve and protect all citizens, irrespective of their political affiliations,” Mahama asserted.
Background
On Sunday, June 2, 2024, the Ghana Police Service issued a statement claiming that three individuals were arrested at Ofaakor for possession of a firearm without lawful authority. The suspects, including Ms. Okunor, Mustapha Mohammed, and Abdul Aziz Musah, were apprehended while onboard a Honda CRV car with registration number GX-2044-19 near the Electoral Commission Office at Ofaakor.
During the arrest, a pump-action gun with four rounds of ammunition was retrieved from the vehicle. However, in an interview on Wednesday, June 5, Ms. Okunor emphasised that she was only invited by the police and not formally arrested.
She reiterated that the firearm found in her car was legally licensed. She also said she acquired the gun to protect herself from the incumbent NPP MP and Minister for Fisheries, Hawa Koomson, because the police had failed to protect her in previous altercations where the MP allegedly attacked her and, in some cases, fired gunshots.
“I have never been arrested. Yes, I was invited to the police station. I was not arrested. I was there because I had to go there.
“My driver was arrested, and my security guard was arrested because a licensed gun was found in my car…It was far away from the registration centre,” she said.
Before the arrest over the possession of a gun, a clash between the NDC and the NPP at the EC’s office at Ofaakor in the ongoing votes transfer exercise had led to the stabbing of Ato Koomson, the son of the incumbent MP and Minister of Fisheries, Hawa Koomson, who was hospitalised. The suspect in that stabbing incident has also been arrested and detained.
It’s unclear whether the NDC Parliamentary Candidate’s subsequent arrest is related to the stabbing incident or rather the possession of a gun.
SOURCE: DAILY MAIL GH with additional files from myjoyonline.com
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