Ghanaian media personality, MC Yaa Yeboah, has expressed her disappointment in the Inspector General of Police (IGP), George Akuffo Dampare, following the arrest of protesters during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest.
According to her, the silence of IGP Dampare could be a result of the political elite frustrating his work and not giving him free room to operate because he would have addressed the chaotic situation by now.
Speaking as a panelist during the United Showbiz program, which was monitored by GhanaWeb on Saturday, September 23, 2023, MC Yaa Yeboah condemned the actions of the police and the treatment meted out to protesters during the OccupyJulorbiHouse demonstration.
“The police have no right to treat people like this. When they allowed them to protest, were they hurting people? Someone even said the demonstration has turned into jams where people are making merry. This is the right of the people; you can't oppress them,” she said.
“In my opinion, among all the IGPs, Dampare is the one who has worked really hard for us to feel the presence of the police among us, but we don’t know what is going on," she said.
"My question is, could it be that the political elite are frustrating him now with what is going on? Is that what is happening? Because the Dampare that we know will not do this or allow such things to happen. By now, he would have released a letter to address the situation."
She urged the IGP Dampare to speak up to address the arrest of protesters by the police during the first day of the OccupyJulorbiHouse protest.
“I want to say that if there is something frustrating him [IGP Dampare], then he should stand up and be the man that we know he is capable of being by protecting Ghanaians.
"He said he wants the Ghana police to be exemplary, but clearly, what they are doing, pushing people here and there, is not transformational, and that cannot transform this institution. So we are pleading with him to speak so that those of us who trust him will be fine,” MC Yaa Yeboah said on United Showbiz.
Background
The Ghana Police Service arrested several protestors who were seeking to participate in an anti-government protest dubbed; #OccupyJulorbiHouse.
The development came after the police refuted claims that it failed to duly serve an injunction application on the conveners of Democracy Hub, the organizers of the protest.
The police personnel, who were said to be over 400 in number, took the protesters to the Accra Regional Headquarters of the police.
Reports said over 350 protesters, including organizers of the Democracy Hub group, were in police custody for defying a police order with regard to a court injunction placed on the planned demonstration.
Meanwhile, some social media users took to various platforms to condemn the police and government for arresting the protestors who believed they were exercising their right to protest.
Watch the video below
BS/BB
Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign which is geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.
Click here to start the nomination process for the 2023 GhanaWeb Excellence Awards
Watch E-Forum below.
MC Yaa Yeboah and IGP, George Akuffo Dampare