Gov’t using police to intimidate Ofosu Ampofo – NDC’s Council of Elders

The Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) of using the country’s police service to intimidate the party’s National Chairman, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo.

Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, who addressed the press on behalf of the party’s Council of Elders on Thursday said there is a deliberate attempt by the government to clamp down on dissenting views by targeting people such as the NDC Chairman.

The statement was on the back of an invitation the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service extended to the NDC Chairman to report to the police on Thursday.

The Police claimed Ofosu Ampofo’s name had been mentioned by suspects in various kidnapping and fire incident cases in the country.

“This latest invitation, in our view, is yet another case of intimidation and harassment being employed by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo Government, using the instrumentality of the Police, to instill fear in our Chairman and supporters of our party and to suppress dissenting voices in the country,” Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu said.

“The intimidation has been taken a notch higher with yesterday’s invitation from COP Mrs. Mrs Tiwaa Addo-Danquah on the outrageous basis that ‘some persons picked up for interrogation and investigation in connection with kidnapping and fire outbreaks” have told the police that our National Chairman is involved in these nation-wrecking activities. We dismiss this claim as a sinister fabrication and lie, conjured up by the Police CID and it’s Director-General at the instigation of the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo Government,” he added.

Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu alleged that the police’s invitation was also a diversionary tactic by the government to take the attention of Ghanaians away from growing lawlessness.

The party further warned that the actions of the police and the government could undermine the country’s democracy.

While indicating that it was ready to assist the police to ensure that law and order prevail in the country, it will not stay unconcerned if its leaders are harassed.

“While we remain committed to assisting the security agencies in any way we can to promote law and order, we will not look on docilely whilst our leaders are harassed in a bid to muzzle us as the largest opposition party,” Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, who is the First Vice Chairman of the Council of Elders said.

NDC will not allow him honour invitation

He stressed the position of the party that it will not allow Mr. Ofosu Ampofo to honour the invitation because he “is not under any compulsion or obligation to assist the police in their investigations.”

“If the CID wishes to arrest our National Chairman, they can proceed to do so. We call on all our members to show solidarity with our National Chairman in these difficult times and to ensure that his freedom and liberty is not jeopardized by any of the vigilante forces that are at the disposal of this Government,” he added.

Former gov’t officials will not cooperate with investigations

He announced that former government officials will no longer avail themselves to the various inquisitorial panels.

“We have taken note that the Government’s policy of harassment has not been restricted to our National Chairman alone. It has extended to our former Ministers and former appointees. In the circumstances, we consider it no longer prudent for our former Ministers and appointees to cooperate in the numerous inquisitions going on into its period in government. In particular, our former Ministers and appointees will no longer answer questions before the numerous inquisition panels and bodies established to harass and persecute them; neither will they respond to the numerous intrusive and oppressive questionnaires administered to them.”

“The witch-hunting, the harassment, the humiliation and the undercover assault on the freedom and dignity of the NDC in particular and the opposition in general, could well turn out to be the Achilles Heel of the Nana Akufo-Addo Government for as has been said, “where there is no justice, there is no peace,” he added.