The National Youth Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Salam Mustapha, has accused the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) of acting in bad faith and undermining Ghana’s democratic principles, citing what he describes as multiple arrests of party activists.
This comes after the NPP appealed to the diplomatic community and international partners to closely monitor what it describes as a deteriorating human rights and democratic governance situation in Ghana.
The appeal was made during the presentation of a petition to Her Excellency Imane Ouaadil, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco to Ghana and Dean of the Diplomatic Corps in Ghana.
Presenting the petition on behalf of the party, the Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe and Second Deputy Minority Whip of Parliament, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, called on the international community to remain vigilant and actively engaged in protecting Ghana’s democratic principles.
Speaking on the Channel One Newsroom on Tuesday, May 19, Mustapha said the party has recorded several cases of its members being arrested, which he believes point to a coordinated pattern rather than isolated incidents.
“We can count not less than 14, 15, 16 different cases of NPP activists arrested in one way or the other and we think that these are not isolated,” he said.
Mr Mustapha said the situation amounts to what he described as a “rehearsed strategy” and argued that the party must take collective action in response.
“This is a very rehearsed strategy that needs concerted efforts from the party,” he stated.
According to him, the NPP has decided to escalate the issue by engaging the diplomatic community in Ghana to draw attention to what it considers human rights abuses.
“So we have also decided to embark upon a number of actions and first and foremost we decided to call upon the diplomatic community so that they are brought up to speed and abreast with the human rights abuse happening in Ghana,” he said.
He explained that the move is intended to ensure that the party is not wrongly portrayed in the event of any escalation, while also placing responsibility on the government.
“So that if anything happens the NPP will not be seen as the fomenters of trouble or problems but that the government is acting in bad faith and undermining the very beautiful democratic ethos that we have built in Ghana,” he added.
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