NACOB can't intimidate us — PPP
The Progressive People's Party (PPP) has warned all state agencies to stop attacking its members since it 'can't be intimidated'.
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The party’s national chairman, Nii Allotey Brew Hammond, addressing a news conference last Tuesday, said the party was rather strengthened by incidents at the airport last Saturday.
Background
The youth leader of the PPP was last Saturday night detained by officials of the Narcotics Control Board (NACOB) at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA).
Mr Divine Nkrumah and Nii Armah, the party’s Volunteers Co-ordinator, arrived at the airport on a South African Airways flight from South Africa where they had spent six days attending a conference for youth leaders of political parties in Africa.
Upon arrival at the country’s airport at 9:15p.m. last Saturday, Mr Nkrumah was approached by some officials of the NACOB who immediately snatched his passport and pushed him out of a queue at the arrival hall.
The extent of molestations from the NACOB officials, he narrated to Adomonline.com, attracted the attention of all passengers and workers at the arrival lounge who wondered what their crime was.
NACOB has since denied the claims, arguing that they only performed 'normal duties'.
PPP Reacts
But in a swift reaction, Nii Brew Hammond stressed: "We wish to place on record that we shall not be intimidated by any powers that be...."
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According to the chairman, the PPP was miffed at the high-handedness of NACOB to two of its officers.
He stated that the PPP was a law-abiding party and would always encourage its members to be law-abiding.
He, however, called on the NACOB and its agents to also follow lawful procedures when intending to conduct investigations, if there was the need at all.
He said utterances such as, “we will show you”, “we have the power to detain you”, “if you ask further questions we shall seize your passport because it belongs to the state”, in the party’s view, were just evidence of abuse of state power and must be checked.
While the PPP does not intend to make the work of NACOB difficult, Nii Brew Hammond said the officials of NACOB should be trained to provide professional world-class services in their operations.
The PPP chairman stressed that it would not be intimidated by any powers from above who did not want to see the success of the PPP in the next elections, adding that the PPP would continue to be on top of issues and push forward the agenda of a reformed Ghana that would give opportunity to all in a free society.
Explaining the purpose of the visit of the two PPP officers to South Africa, Nii Brew Hammond said the PPP was a member of The Africa Liberal Network (ALN) which was launched in June, 2003, as an alliance of African Liberal Democratic Political Parties.
The PPP, he said, attended the ALN General Assembly Meeting held in Marrakech, Morocco, last year where the PPP was admitted into the General Assembly of the ALN. By that decision, the PPP has become a member of Liberal International and this has led to various international recognition for the party.