General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has said that the arrest of his immediate subordinate, Koku Anyidoho is a price he had to pay as a freedom fighter for the liberty of every Ghanaian citizen and the country as a whole.
Mr. Nketia who spoke at the ‘Put Ghana First’ demonstration held at Circle Wednesday likened Mr. Anyidoho’s situation to that of heroic personalities including Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and South Africa’s first black Head of State, Nelson Mandela, who were imprisoned in their quest to attain freedom for their respective countries.
He maintained that the fight for freedom is a risk that comes with consequences, adding that in unfortunate situations like that of Koku Anyidoho, one individual is ‘persecuted’ by opposing forces to help the bigger cause of saving the country’s sovereignty.
“That is the price he has to pay for the freedom we are fighting for. Freedom is not free, you’ve got to fight for it. The freedom of this country, the independence was not won on a silver platter, people died, people were imprisoned. Osagyefo himself emerged from prison to become president. The independence of South Africa was not gotten on a silver platter, people fought, people died and Mandela emerged from prison to become the president. He has always been a freedom fighter and will continue to be a freedom fighter”, he said.
Asiedu Nketia reiterated the party’s resolve to ‘fight’ government over the US military deal till it is reviewed and or reversed. Koku Anyidoho’s arrest he says will in no way deter them from pursuing their cause.
“If you arrest one, the rest will continue to fight the battle. As far as we are concerned, our revolutionary training tells us that when you are in battle and one soldier falls, you walk over the body, continue the battle and win, then you come back to count the dead”.
Hundreds of Ghanaians today [Wednesday], joined the Ghana First Patriotic Front, a coalition of opposition political parties, to demonstrate against the government for approving the controversial defence cooperation agreement between Ghana and the US despite the massive resistance.
Several politicians including the Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), Bernard Mornah, former Trade Minister, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former Transport Minister, Dzifa Ativor, Deputy Minority Leader, James Klutse Avedzi among others joined the demonstration.
The demonstrators, who were clad in red held placards such as “Say no to military base”,“Ghana not for sale”, “Incompetent government, incompetent agreement”, “Our future is at stake” among others.
