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NDC will not protect lawless members
- Minister
Audrey Micah,
Ghanadot
Accra, April 10, Ghanadot - Mr.
Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Local Government Minister has
warned supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress
(NDC) not to take the law of the
land for granted, adding that the law will drastically deal
with anyone who tries to misuse it.
Aggrieved party followers are threatening to do their worst
if President J.E.A. Mills does not immediately replace some
persons he has nominated for appointment as Metropolitan,
Municipal and District Chief Executives, but the Minister
said such people should have to
rethink their positions since such
appointments happened
only after thorough and serious
deliberations.
“I believe that we’ve already started the process of trying
to talk to our people and examine the issues that they’ve
raised, if there is merit in some of the issues, if it calls
for a review we will advise the president to do same.
“But let me also use this forum to say clearly, without any
fear of contradiction that, please, under no circumstances
should any party member indulge in acts of violence and
vandalism; that is a breach of the law”.
The followers of the party are calling for the appointment
of party loyalists to the positions and are infuriated that
their sacrifices that supported the party to its electoral
victory in Elections 2008 are not being appropriately
rewarded.
Mr. Ankrah said the President cannot satisfy everyone in
such appointments and counselled the aggrieved to seek
redress through approved channels.
According to him, in some instances, as many as 19 persons
applied for the post, and following protests that attended a
shortlist of candidates, what the president, through vetting
committees did, was to resort to a ‘balancing act’ to meet
expectations of the party and the requirements of the
offices concerned.
In one instance, party activists stormed and smashed up the
party’s office at Akwatia in the Kwaebibirem District of the
Eastern Region, discontented with the appointment of a DCE.
But Mr Ankrah who was unhappy about the situation said, “You
don’t solve problems by going round burning party offices.
If you do that, the law enforcement agencies will catch up
with you.
He said this is a new government, and that “we are committed
to the rule of law, if people have genuine grievances,
definitely they have every right to even demonstrate,
present petitions, use the appropriate channels, but
resorting to violence and destruction of property is
unacceptable.”
Micah Audrey
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