A member of the Council of State, Dr. Nii Kotei Dzani has called for more professionalism from the police in ensuring the integrity of polls in the country.
In a piece commenting on the recent District Chief Executive elections in Ada East, the affable businessman who doubles as the Greater Accra representative on the Council of State described the violence associated with the process as a disgraceful act that casts a slur on the integrity of the election.
He said, “As a country, it is time we rid ourselves of factionalism of all kinds, especially those borne out of political divisions, in order that we can pull together as one people working to realize a common vision of development and prosperity for our country and people.”
The election of the President's nominee for District Chief Executive - the third in as many months, was characterized by a lot of violence with members of the NPP's Invisible Forces allegedly taking control of the process while beating up some Assembly members who dared defy their orders.
Reports indicate that despite the huge number of police personnel on the ground, not much was done to prevent the Invisible Forces from having their way even as some allege that a ballot box was initially stolen, and later replaced with stuffed ballot papers. In the end though, the President's nominee, Sarah Pobee pulled through despite opposition from a number of Assembly Members and the Presiding Member for the area.
This, according to Dr. Dzani, is an act that should not be encouraged hence his call on the Police to be more professional in its dealing.
He is recommending sanctions for all officers present at the time of the violence.
Read below his full statement
HON. DR. NII KOTEI DZANI CONDEMNS ATTACK ON ADA EAST DISTRICT ASSEMBLY ------------------------------------
It was with profound sadness that I received the news this afternoon of an attack on members of the Ada East District Assembly during confirmation polls for the nominated District Chief Executive (DCE), allegedly perpetrated by the so-called "Invisible Forces", a notorious vigilante group.
In this moment, I wish to express my solidarity with the victims of this cowardly attack, innocent Ghanaians peacefully discharging their democratic duties. As a country, it is time we rid ourselves of factionalism of all kinds, especially those borne out of political divisions, in order that we can pull together as one people working to realize a common vision of development and prosperity for our country and people.
I was ashamed to view video footage of the incident, which clearly showed some police personnel standing idly by at the premises where the regrettable incidents took place. I urge the Police Administration to take urgent steps to identify and punish those officers who abdicated their duties so publicly, in order to restore the reputation of the Police Service in the eyes of the public.
Further, I wish to remind all government appointees to be mindful of the fact that it is from the same Constitution that all of us derive our offices, irrespective of the level in the governance structure in which we serve. That is why we must all be tolerant and respectful of each other and condemn behaviours that project violence against one another.
I charge all relevant security agencies to rise to their constitutional mandates and combat the creeping lawlessness in our midst, no matter the affiliations of the instigators of such violent occurrences. It is only by uniformly and consistently applying the law that the needed deterrence would be established against those that operate outside the boundaries of the law. In this particular instance, I am committed to seeing through the processes that will ensure justice for all who fell victim to this afternoon's aggression and violence.
As always, I stand ready to offer my support in any way I can to achieve a harmonious society for all who reside within this beautiful land of our birth.
---SIGNED--- HON. DR. NII KOTEI DZANI (Member, Council of State) 03/11/17
