There can’t be peace without justice — Samuel Sarpong

The National Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Sarpong, has stated that for the country to remain on the path of unity and peace, there is the need to ensure that justice prevails at all times.

Speaking to the chiefs and people of Atebubu- Amantin during a church service to climax their seven-day Kwafie yam festival, Mr Sarpong said it was good  “everybody is talking about peace but indicated that without  justice, it will be difficult for peace to prevail”.

Mr Sarpong emphasised the importance of justice in achieving lasting  peace, stresssing that “peace should not be pursued at the expense of addressing legitimate concerns without aiming at justice”.

Position

I must add without equivocation that the “position of the NDC is that for there to be peace, there should always be justice.

He said some of the issues that the NDC was raising should be addressed by the chiefs and clergy, and cited the Techiman incident where eight people lost their lives to 
buttress his point.

Mr Sarpong blamed the government for not doing enough to find the perpetrators of the crime, and asked “so if we argue that there are findings, how were the findings 
implemented?

On the murders, what are the investigations so far and where have we reached?”. 

He told the gathering that the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who was also the Commander-In-Chief  of the Ghana Armed Forces could not also make any 
definitive pronouncement on the killing of the eight people.

"It is about time our chiefs and the clergy were bold to criticise some of the comments from the President, which are not creating harmony among the citizenry, and that 
the honesty on the part of our President, I believe, will ensure the peace we're all yearning for”, Mr Sarpong further indicated.

Dr Sarpong, together with the Member of Parliament for Atebubu - Amantin Constituency in the Bono East Region, Sanja Nanja, donated GHc26,000 on behalf of the NDC presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, for the refurbishment of the female maternity ward at Amantin. 

Crates of assorted soft drinks were also presented to the chiefs and people of Amantin to celebrate the festival. 

Donation

For his part, the Member of Parliament for the area also donated 50 bags of cement towards the development of the health facility.

Mr Sanja Nanja admonished the youth to remain peaceful before, during and after the elections.

The chiefs and the  people of Amantin expressed their profound gratitude to the former President  Mahama, Dr Samuel Sarpong and Mr Sanja Nanja and 
the NDC fraternity for their immense support during the celebration.