We are suffering under terror and armed robbery - CDG

The Coalition for Democratic Governance (CDG), a political pressure group says Ghana is suffering from terror and armed robbery attacks under the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic (NPP) government as a result of the weak security system the government has created.

According to the group, security in the country broke down the very day President Akufo-Addo took over as president with the activities of the vigilante groups.

In a statement, signed and issued by the chief convener of the group, Dr Ebenezer Kofi Hayford, they said “Ghanaians are living in fear and are scared because no one knows who will be the next victim of armed robbery” attack.

He added that a year after President Akufo-Addo took the affairs of state,” Ghanaians are experiencing daily killings, terror and robbery.”

Below is the full statement:

Mr. President, Ghanaians are living in fear and are scared because no one knows who will be the next victim of armed robbery. Mr President, security in the country broke down the very day you took over as President with the activities of the vigilante groups. In that week, a police officer (Nanka Bruce) was severely beaten at the Flagstaff House. Since then, the security of the country has not recovered and has been on its knees. The causal relationship between frustrated, jobless vigilante youth groups and terror and armed robbery, has always been a symbiotic norm, and so can be used to describe our present precarious security situation, where about 40% of our population is unemployed.

FALSE PROMISES

In 2016 during your campaign trips, Mr President you made many promises and painted a false economic picture, which you said would transform Ghana overnight into the Dubai of Africa. To convince the jobless youth to vote for NPP, you brought in South African military personnel to set up camps and train para-military groups basically in all the Regions. These trained para military groups who were unemployed were promised employment should NPP win the election. Even though you won the election, your promises have not been fulfilled. You also promised to tighten security against both internal and external attacks. Barely a year on, Ghanaians are experiencing daily killings, terror and robbery.

TERROR AGAINST THE PEOPLE

Amid the euphoria that accompanied your victory and swearing in ceremony, you released and let lose para-military vigilante groups to terrorize the very people who voted you into power. Toll boots were seized and monies forcefully taken away. The NADMO and the SADA offices were attacked and locked up. The Ashanti Regional coordinator was violently taken from his office and badly beaten. A sitting court was violently attacked, so that Judges representing the State had to run from terror to save their lives. An Army Officer was killed while on duty and multiple Police Officers are being killed in the course of their duty.

SCARED PEOPLE ASK QUESTIONS

In all these violence and terror, your rhetoric Mr President, remain the same;” to tighten security both from internal and external attacks and to create jobs”. Mr President, the scared people are asking questions: where is the Head of Security? Where is Mr Ken Dapaah? Where is the Interior Minister?, where is the Chairman of the Police Council? Where is the IGP? Ghana, has had different IGP`s and different Governments in the fourth Republic. The security situation however has never been so bad. We definitely need a competent IGP to turn things round. It has nothing to do with logistics as the IGP would want us to believe. Many IGP`s have worked successfully under similar or worse conditions and have exhibited intelligence and professionalism with success. There are brilliant Police officers in the system who should be given the opportunity to work.

IS THE IGP AWARE?

Which spectacular problem has the IGP solved since his appointment and what is he doing in this hour of darkness when Ghanaians are living in fear? Last month alone ( January 2018), there were thirty one (31) residential robbery, ten(10) car robbery, forty three (43) street robbery and five (5) robbery at work.

These are only those that were reported. Yesterday morning, (Wednesday, 28th Feb,) a Lebanese man was shot dead shortly after he went to withdraw two hundred thousand Ghana cedis (GHc 200,000.00) from Zenith Bank at the Tema Industrial area. On the same day there was this spectacular daylight robbery at Royal motors where the criminals fled with millions of Ghana cedis. Within two months, over twenty (20) forex bureaux have been robbed in Accra alone. In Afigya Kwabre, a mobile money operator was shot dead and robbed. In Kwabenya, Lapaz and in Tema police stations, police officers were shot dead. In Ashanti Region, robbers shot down money teller and fled with the money. The residents living in Oyebi in Accra, after sixteen robberies in one month, now live in constant fear. In one of these sixteen robbery, a sixty seven (67) year old man was killed. The question is : what is happening in Ghana? It has not happened in this quantum before.

CONCLUSION

When armed robbers are taking over his country, the Commander in Chief is enjoying in US, doing what he knows best, promising, promising and even promising to help US fight terrorism. What a political irony!!! The security agencies he left behind, owe the nation the responsibility of protecting the good people of Ghana. The indiscipline in our society, being caused by vigilante groups and the disregard for rule of law, is now gradually eroding our assets and sending our dear country into absurdity. The Nation has to be safe and secure. To get Ghana back on truck many heads must roll, the first being the IGP.

Dr E.K. Hayford