NDC damns attack on Asonafo South MP

The leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has condemned what it says are “brutal and barbaric attacks” on the MP for Asonafo South and former Brong Ahafo regional minister Eric Opoku and others at Sankore.

The NDC says it has also noted “the hurriedly issued reaction” of the ruling New Patriotic Party “condemning the attacks and calling on the police to treat the incident as a pure criminality.”

The NDC says in a statement it issued Wednesday, that suspects – “a group of persons described variously as "armed robbers' by sections of the media, "criminals" by the Ghana police service and "known members of NPP vigilante group" by the victims and all eyewitnesses,” should be brought to book.

According to the party in the statement signed by General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, a regrettable attempt by a police officer to engage in "Victim blaming" by alleging publicly that MP Eric Opoku denied himself police protection, however gives the party a deep cause to “worry about official complicity in the matter. We hope we are wrong in this belief.”

“Whilst condemning this heinous attack we wish to urge the Ghana police service to approach this case with all the seriousness and the professionalism it can command in order to help redeem its rather sinking image under this NPP administration.

“We also wish to remind the NPP government, for the umpteenth time, about its cardinal responsibility to keep Ghana, all it citizens and their property safe at all times and without any form of discrimination, be it ethnic, political, gender or religious.”

The NDC said information reaching it indicates that the situation in Sankore remains volatile and has the potential to escalate, unless a quick and decisive action is taken to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book, expressing hope that Ghanaians can count on the Ghana Police Service and the NPP Government to deliver on their respective mandates of eliminating impunity and restoring law and order in the country.

“Meanwhile the party has constituted a high powered delegation ready to move to Sankore to visit the victims, and ascertain the facts of the incident as soon as the necessary security clearances are obtained.

“We wish to take this opportunity to express our deepest sympathy and solidarity to our Hon member of Parliament, all the victims and their families urging them to exercise maximum restraint in this difficult times, with the assurance that they can count on the support of the National Democratic Congress to see to it that they obtain justice in this matter.”