The Executive director of the Danquah Institute, Richard Ahiagba, has admonished the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), to halt beating war drum and spreading rumors of violence and intimidation in the Volta region, and support government’s effort at protecting the territories of the state.
Addressing the media yesterday on his return from the Volta region, Mr. Ahiagba, who is also a native of the region said the impression being created by the NDC that government had deployed military officers to the Volta Region to prevent people from registering to vote was false.
He said the NDC is using these tactics discreetly to foment chaos and perpetuate voter registration illegalities.
“Voter Registration in the Volta Region is taking place peacefully from Alavanyo to Aflao. Therefore, anyone who tells you that this government is trying to disenfranchise Ewes, with the military’s deployment to the region, tell them it is not true, and that the deployment is nationwide to combat the importation of COVID-19,”he noted.
He said a “critical mass of Ewes are gradually warming up to the political deception of the NDC in the Volta Region, and have particularly rejected this time, the attempt to own Ewes and incite us against the government. The NDC must understand that we are discerning, and therefore stop the imposition of its politics on Ewes and the fake narrative that the NPP or the government is at war with Ewes, as though we cannot see or know the law”.
“Perhaps it is time to make the NDC pay for its crude tribal politics that uses Ewes as a bait, property, or leverage for votes. Ewes are Ghanaians, and no government, certainly not President Akufo Addo or the NPP, has declared war or plans to disenfranchise or treats Ewes as non-Ghanaians. These claims are figments of the NDC’s imagination”.
Mr. Richard Ahiagba also said, “I have also demonstrated to you that the nationwide deployment of military and police officers to support their immigration counterparts is based on the law passed unanimously by the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, with the support of NDC MPs from the Volta Region. I have also told you that I have physically visited several entry points where officers are deployed, and I have not seen or have been told by the residents that the officers are abusing or maltreating the good people of the Volta Region.”
He called on the general public to “reject and refute the NDC allegations based on these facts; the narrative that the Volta Region is under siege. It is simply false and must be ignored”.
READ FULL STATEMENT
The Danquah Institute
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media, I welcome you to the Danquah Institute’s press briefing this afternoon from Aflao in the Ketu South Constituency.
I bring you greetings from the Board of Governors and staff of the Danquah Institute.
I am happy to be here in my hometown, addressing the first-ever Danquah Institute’s press conference outside the Greater Accra Region. Given the venue, please permit me to address an important point concerning all Ewes before we get to the other issues.
The recently reported unguided comment about the “Ghanaianess” of Ewes, which has been blown out of proportion and weaponized by some opportunistic political actors to incite and create the impression that somehow, this government or the NPP deems Ewes as Non-Ghanaians, must be treated with the contempt it deserves. The promoters and beneficiaries of this corrupt politics, the NDC, are purveyors of reverse bigotry, and they must be roundly condemned and rejected. Let me state for the avoidance of doubt that, Ewes are Ghanaian, and it is not up for debate, negotiation, or interpretation whatsoever. This is a definite truth.
Today, we have invited you to update you on our firsthand observations about the commentary surrounding the nationwide COVID-19 security deployments. Our observations span a week-long tour of several entry points or border security posts. From the records, 98 military officers are deployed to the Volta Region to assist immigration officers who are struggling to enforce and police the many unapproved entry points into Ghana.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, it is important to contextualize the deployment of the military and police officers, the basis for the NDC’s trumped-up claim of the declaration of war against Ewes.
You recall, in the President’s COVID-19 updates, possibly the first update on March 22nd, to order the closure of Ghana’s borders—land, sea and air. Subsequent to that, an Executive Instrument 64 and 65 were sent to parliament, where it was approved unanimously in a voice vote. Henceforth, I will refer to them as E.I 64 or E.I 65.
Ladies and gentlemen, what it means is that E.I 65 is the law of the republic, and the President, Nana Akufo-Addo has the sole responsibility to enforce the law otherwise he will be violating his oath of office, the occurrence of which endangers Ghanaian lives, and constitutes a probable basis for his impeachment and removal from office.
Therefore, the President of the Republic of Ghana, must enforce the law, lest he falls foul of the constitution. The enforcement includes the deployment of all assets and resources, including the military and police, to preserve and protect Ghanaians lives.
Ladies and gentlemen, E.I 65, is a law passed by the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, where Hon. Emmanuel Bedzrah represent the good people of Ho West. So, it is disingenuous on the part of Hon. Bedzrah, who voted to pass E.I 65 into law, to now come to the Volta Region to chant war and to issue a 24-hour ultimatum to the President to cease the enforcement of the law he passed.
Ladies and gentlemen, since when does the attempt to enforce an act of parliament become a declaration of war?
This tendency to undermine provisions of the 1992 Constitution is becoming one too many, and we must pause to find out from the NDC if it wants democracy, and with it, the rule of law in Ghana or not.
Since Monday, I have been in the Volta Region and have visited several entry points, where the immigration, soldiers, and police officers deployed are working interactively with the residents. On Tuesday, June 30th, I visited Atikpoe. Atikpoe is an interesting entry point into Ghana because it is located by a river with a stationed canoe on the Ghana side to paddle people across. So, without officers, ‘ people would cross freely into Ghana in violation of the law.
The officers at Atikpoe were casually chatting with two residents, and down by the river, a young lady and a child were attending to their laundry. There was nothing violent or warring about our observations in Atikpoe.
From Atikpoe to Shia, Honuta, Wli-Todzi, Agortime Todzi, Agortimekofe, Vudoaba, Ashanti Kpoeta, and here in Aflao Township and entry points we observed zero sign of intimidation of the people.
However, we found out in Ashanti Kpoeta that Hon. Emmanuel Bedzrah, the NDC MP for the area, has not visited the area to assess the situation for himself. Ladies and gentlemen of media, everywhere we went, this is the story, the NDC MPs are screaming war from the rooftop without firsthand estimate of what war they scream.
What is the rationale for the warmongering rhetoric, the ultimatum, and the claim of intimidation of Voltarians? The only firsthand observation the NDC MPs have to speak to is their post briefing visit to the main border in Aflao and Vudoaba in the Ketu South Constituency, everything else they have told us from their press briefing is made up and hearsay.
Those of us who had the chance to listen to the press briefing last Monday recall its warring tone. But as we have demonstrated to you this afternoon, it was a total misrepresentation of what is happening on the ground, conceived out of thin air and packaged to denote solidarity with Voltarians, something that does not exists in the corporate mind and heart of the NDC towards Ewes. By their fruits, we know them.
The idea that this government has deployed military officers to the Volta Region to prevent people from registering to vote is a false pretext by the NDC to foment chaos and pursue voter registration illegalities.
Voter Registration in the Volta Region is taking place peacefully from Alavanyo to Aflao. Therefore, anyone who tells you that this government is trying to disenfranchise Ewes, with the military’s deployment to the region, tell them it is not true, and that the deployment is nationwide to combat the importation of COVID-19.
A critical mass of Ewes are gradually warming up to the political deception of the NDC in the Volta Region, and have particularly rejected this time, the attempt to own Ewes and incite us against the government.
The NDC must understand that we are discerning, and therefore stop the imposition of its politics on Ewes and the fake narrative that the NPP or the government is at war with Ewes, as though we cannot see or know the law.
Perhaps it is time to make the NDC pay for its crude tribal politics that uses Ewes as a bait, property, or leverage for votes.
Ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, let me restate what I have told you so far:
Ewes are Ghanaians, and no government, certainly not President Akufo Addo or the NPP, has declared war or plans to disenfranchise or treats Ewes as non-Ghanaians. These claims are figments of the NDC’s imagination.
I have also demonstrated to you that the nationwide deployment of military and police officers to support their immigration counterparts is based on the law passed unanimously by the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, with the support of NDC MPs from the Volta Region.
I have also told you that I have physically visited several entry points where officers are deployed, and I have not seen or have been told by the residents that the officers are abusing or maltreating the good people of the Volta Region.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, now, you can reject and refute based on these facts; the narrative that the Volta Region is under siege. It is simply false and must be ignored.
Thank you. Let me stop here to thank you all for coming. I am open now to take some questions, if any.
