Call your men to order – Gun-firing Hawa Koomson tells NDC
Minister for Special Development Initiatives, Mavis Hawa Koomson, has told the opposition National Democratic Congress(NDC) to instil discipline among its members.
Mrs Hawa Koomson and her campaign team claim that their opponent, the NDC Parliamentary Aspirant, Philis Naa Koryoo, had bused some people into the constituency to register for voter identification cards.
The situation degenerated into a scuffle at the Steps to Christ registration centre at Kasoa in the Central Region, leading to the burning of motorbikes and a halt in the registration process.
“We in the NPP is calling on the elders of the NDC to reach out to their members and advise them to desist from their approach to distort the registration process and to be committed to ending the vicious cycle of heightened tensions in the process,” a release by the minister’s campaign team said.
The statement said “the NDC have made up their minds to go all out to disrupt the registration process” as people were conveyed “from Sowutuom and other parts of Accra to Awutu Senya to register”.
According to the statement, Mrs Hawa Koomson went to the polling station to acquaint herself with what was happening, but was attacked by “motorists who had earlier been seen with the NDC’s candidate, Naa Koryor, at the Universal Polling Station.”
The release said the NDC thugs smashed the taillights and bumper of the MP’s lead vehicle, and the car has since been parked at the police station.
The NPP team wants the NDC and national leadership “to condemn the unacceptable behaviour of their members, and call them to order”.
Meanwhile, the Electoral Commission (EC) has condemned the violence that ensued.
The Director, Faculty of Academic Affairs & Research, Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre has also called on the minister to resign for recklessly firing shots at a crowded location.
Failure on her part to resign, Professor Aning is requesting President Akufo-Addo to fire her because her actions contravene vigilantism, which has been outlawed in Ghana.
Background
A scuffle between the two candidates vying for the Awutu Senya East seat resulted in EC officials conducting registration to flee, bringing a temporary halt to the process on Monday, July 20.
The minister of state at the presidency, Hawa Koomson, said she was accompanied to the centre by her men, who were unarmed after learning of people being bused to the registration centre by the NDC parliamentary candidate.
She narrated that she witnessed intimidating scenes at the polling station, with some motorbikes making furious turns around the centre. She believes it was men recruited by Ms Koryoo to cause fear.
“It was my gun. I fired my own warning shot,” She told Adom News. “I realised that my peoples’ lives were in danger. I wanted to scare them”.
According to eyewitnesses account, at least 15 men stormed the venue and tried to sack some applicants, suspected to have come from outside the region.
Some motorbikes at the venue were seized and burnt. Four people have so far been arrested.
Meanwhile, Ms Koryoo, on her part, criticised the actions of the MP.
“The situation here is like a war zone. What happened was that Hawa Koomson, the Minister for Special Development came here and instructed her boys to shoot and kill people at the centre……because the bullets can be found in people homes and shops, so it was a targeted shooting” she, alleged. “This is not an attack on the NDC, but an attack on Ghanaians and the good people of Kasoa are discerning and will reward Honourable Hawa Koomson come December 7″.
“This is an attack on the good people of Ghana, and we are tired of these hooligans as the police look unconcerned…we will rise up and defend ourselves” she warned.
The police have launched investigations into the matter.
It is not clear whether registration will commence on Tuesday.