Military and police personnel have seized placards bearing anti-government messages from protesters in Navrongo during President Nana Akufo-Addo’s tour of the Upper East Region Wednesday.
Ahead of President Akufo-Addo’s visit to the Kasena Nankana Municipal Assembly, which is located few meters away from the former NDC constituency chairman’s residence, some NDC supporters lined-up the street with placards that summed up their issues with the President.
Messages such as “Mr. President, stop renaming and build your own”, “Mr President, we want dams not dugout”, Mr. President, where is our one million dollars?” and “NPP is a scam” were held by the protesters along the street to the assembly.
But the military and police officers were said to have been called in by the Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul, to clear the protesters from the ground on the basis that those messages were against Nana Akufo-Addo and the government.
A video footage sighted by 3news.com showed some military officers forcefully taking the messages which were written on papers, from the protesters and tore them apart.
Some of the protesters were heard asking the officers whether Ghana was under military rule while asserting their democratic rights but the officers who appeared desperate would not budge.
“Are we in a military rule or what?” one man was heard saying in the video captured by one of the protesters.
Another angry man said, “You know what, we are now going to hoot at him [Nana Akufo-Addo”.
One of the protesters went into a shop in an apparent move to prevent the officers from seizing his placard was chased by the soldiers and forcibly took the placard in a confrontational manner.
“This is more than a military rule; this is not democracy. Shame, shame!” a woman shouted.
Ironically, the military and the police officers have since Tuesday when the President began his tour, allowed some persons with praise-singing placards to line up the streets of areas he visited.
At Builsa South for instance, official photos released from the Presidency showed NABCO beneficiaries wielding nicely designed praise-singing placards for Nana Akufo-Addo, some of which read: “Thank you Nana for giving us jobs”, “Nana Addo, King of Employment”.
The NDC Deputy Communications Officer for Navrongo Central, Kelly Alagewe Babere, claimed the military and police officers acting under the instructions of Mr Nitiwul.
According to the NDC, some posters and banners of their aspirants in the upcoming primary were removed by members of the NPP prior to the President’s visit.
But aide to the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Clifford Achari, justified the action by the security personnel, explaining the placards were deemed to be “against the government and the president”.
He indicated that the protesters were first asked by the officers to either discard the placards or move away altogether, which they resisted forcing the officers to use force.
For him, the operation was successful and peaceful, contrary to an earlier narrative by some members of the NDC that the protesters were brutalized.
Source: 3news
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I hope John Mahama is watching. He should come and do the nun sense father for all. A word to a wise is enough.
These are the soldiers who need to be suspended and put be behind bars. But under the rule of the devil, those who do bad are rewarded and those who do good are punished. A soldier has been placed in jail for saying drop that chamber, but here we are, soldiers doing plain politics and they will be walking free. In any case, are we in military rule that now soldiers are being used to take placards. What is the job of the police. Nana addo, God will surely punish you for your double standards and plain hypocrisy. You were fighting Rawlings for these same offenses, now you have the opportunity to lead and virtually all Ghanaians are in danger of culture of silence.
what happened in kumasi when mahama came to manhyia when people shouted on him and gave him hostile reception. No one was asked to stop.
This is shameful . The Minister must resign.
YOUR PARTY DID NOT GIVE YOU ONE POT HOLE OF WATER. NOW YOU COMPLAIN OF DUGOUT.
In the first place, what's the demonstration for, this is totally ***barred word*** on behalf of NDC. Mahama was in power for 8yrs, what what social intervention did you gain from Mahama administration. Pls leave Akufo Addo alone for his good vision.
Npp is on it's way to opposition so fast. I didn't even witness this under Rawlings. Nana addo is satan. Even the media who helped them to power is under attack. 2020 will be very interesting. But the ndc must be aware that, they will use the military to brutalize people in 2020 election, so they need to also get their military in place.
There is dictatorship in Ghana, no doubt!. Not even in Uganda do soldiers take placards. Nana addo is extremely evil individuals. Can you imagine this!
SHocked. WOW, GHANA??? UNDER AKUFFO ADDO. TREULY, YOU ARE DISGRACING THOSE OF WHO VOTED FOR YOU BECAUSE WE DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO SUCH THINGS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY. GOD SAVE THIS COUNTRY FROM THESE POLITICAL CLASS BOTH NPP AND NDC. AKUFFO ADDO, YOU HAVE DISSAPOINTED US PAAAAAAA...I AM EVEN AFRAID BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE YOU CAN BE SHOT AT WILL BY A SOLDIER OF POLICE AND NOTHING WILL HAPPEN. SHAME ON THIS GOVERNMENT
Is this really happening in our own back yard? nsem piii