Ghana's former High Commissioner to India, Sam Pee Yalley has called on President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to hasten his decision regarding the shooting incident that occurred at a voters' registration center in the Awutu Senya East constituency in the Central Region on Monday, July 20, 2020
"I don't expect President Akufo-Addo to be silent on this matter or waste time in handling the issue at all. Because as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, he should expect more of such radical incidents in the upcoming elections should he not openly condemn the incident and also make sure the perpetrators are brought to book," he stated.
To him, the kind of language the president uses in addressing the matter will indicate the level of tolerance or intolerance that will erupt in the forthcoming December polls.
Speaking on UTV's 'Adekye Nsroma' newspaper discussion show, Sam Pee Yalley disclosed that his investigations and studies concerning the voters registration exercise shows "there are lots of challenges and loopholes in the ongoing system".
The former diplomat stressed that the minister was wrong to carry a weapon to a polling station just to go and investigate a tip-off.
"... How can a minister of state carry a loaded weapon to a polling station claiming she simply went over there to investigate an unfolding incident? If she felt there was simmering tension in the area, then she should have alerted the appropriate authorities in charge and not take the laws of the country into her hands; firing warning shots anyhow. Someone who is a lawmaker!" he charged.
Warning gunshot
Madam Hawa Koomson, MP for the Awutu Senya East and Minister for Special Development Initiatives admitted she fired a gun at a voters' registration centre in her constituency.
She explained that none of the men in her company at the time of the incident was armed when they got to the centre.
“I fired the shots myself,” she said.
According to the Special Development Initiatives Minister, she took the firearm – which she refused to identify – to the registration centre to protect herself.
The MP said she had gone to the registration centre because she heard her opponent had gone against the law to bus people from other places to register.
Source: Elizabeth Semiheva Bedi, peacefmonline.com
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IT IS DISHEARTENED FOR GHANA PARLIAMENT AND OTHERS TO ATTACK HON, HAWA YAKUBO. HER ATTACKER HAVE NOT TAKEN THE TROUBLE TO KNOW OF WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED AT THE GROUND. IT IS EASY FOR ANY LAZY ARMED CHAIR COMMENTATOR TO CRITICIZE WITHOUT ASSESSING THE ISSUE IN DETAILS. WE MUST ASK QUESTIONS SUCH AS WHAT WAS THE FACE MASK MOTORBIKE RIDERS DOING AT THE POLLING STATION. WHAT WAS THEIR PURPOSE AND INTENTION. WE ALL KNOW IN THE PAST THAT SOME GHANAIANS WERE BEATEN AT ATIWA, CHIRIPONI AND OTHER PLACE IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES. THE GANGSTERS ARE ALWAYS SENT BY SOME EVIL POLITICIANS TO CAUSE THE MAYHEM FOR THEM. HON, HAWA PREVENTED A REPETITION OF SUCH INCIDENTS. DO YOU THINK THAT THE MP HAWA WAS SO RECKLESS TO FIRE A WARNING SHOT WITHOUT BEING THREATENED. HAS SHE BEEN EVER ASSOCIATED WITH VIOLENCE. SHE IS NEVER KNOWN TO BE PROVOCATIVE NOR A THREAT TO PEACE IN SPEECH AND IN ACTION. I AM SERIOUSLY VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THOSE WHO HAVE CRITICIZED HER. DO THEY WANT HER TO BE ATTACKED AND HURT SO THAT THEY CAN BLAME EC FOR THE REGISTRATION WHEN WE ALL KNOW THAT WE CANNOT DO AWAY WITH THE REGISTRATION AND THE ELECTIONS. FOR HOW MANY TIMES HAVE WE NOT HEARD FROM MAHAMA AND MANY TOP NDC OFFICIALS AND OTHERS LIKE BERNARD MONA THAT THERE COULD BE NO REGISTRATION EVEN TO THE POINT OF SHEDDING BLOOD. UNFORTUNATELY THOSE TALKING TODAY NEVER SAW THE WISDOM TO CONDEMN SUCH VIOLENT UTTERANCES. NOW THE NDC FOOT SOLDIERS ARE EMBOLDENED TO EXECUTE WHAT THEIR MASTER'S KEEP TRUMPETING. IT IS SAD THAT WE DONT CRITICIZE THE BEATING OF WAR DRUMS BUT WE DO IT TO THOSE WHO PREVENT THEMSELVES FROM THEIR ATTACKS. IT IS DISAPPOINTING TO HEAR SUCH CRITICISM NOW FROM HIGH PERSONALITIES AND GROUPS LIKE KWESI ANING, CODEO, REV. EMMANUEL ASANTE, MPS AND OTHERS, WHEN WE HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THEM ANY STRONG CONDEMNATION AGAINST THE REPEATED CALL OF VIOLENCE TO MEET THE REGISTRATION. IF FOR ANYTHING HAWA MUST BE PRAISED FOR ACTING TO PREVENT GHANA TO BE IN THE FOREIGN MEDIA FOR A BAD NEWS. AFTER ALL SHE DID NOT AIM THE GUN AT ANYBODY TO INJURE ANY PERSON? SHE ONLY PROTECTED HERSELF AND OTHERS TO SPARE EC, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE NATION FROM THE LITANY OF NDC BLAME FOR WHAT THEY HAVE WISHED. IT IS SAD THAT PEOPLE SIT IN THE COMFORT OF THEIR HOMES AND CRITICIZE THE HARD WORKING WOMAN IN THE FIELD TO MONITOR THE REGISTRATION. NONE OF SUCH PEOPLE HAVE GONE OUT TO ANY OF THE HOT SPOTS LIKE KASOA TO SEE FOR THEMSELVES ABOUT WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING ON THE GROUND. EVEN A SIMPLE KEEN MONITORING FROM THE MEDIA CAN TELL ANYONE THAT KASOA SINCE DAY ONE OF THE REGISTRATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN THE NEWS FOR VIOLENCE AND MISUNDERSTANDING. I WILL PLEAD WITH HAWA TO BEEF UP HER PERSONAL SECURITY THE NEXT TIME SHE IS OUT. THE POLICE MUST ALSO INTENSIFY THEIR SURVEILLANCE AT KASOA AND ANY OTHER HOT SPOTS TO PREVENT THE BLOOD SHED TRUMPETED BY THE ENEMIES OD DEMOCRACY.
The NDC guys wanted their thugs from Ashiama to kill Hawa. The MP should have shot at them instead of the warning shot. The NDC has no message for the electorates and also know that their Presidential candidate is a non-performing incompetent guy, and therefore will do everything possible to paint the ruling party black. Nana Addo should not listen to their mischief.
NDC, this is now your campaign message. Tio has already said that when it comes to unleashing of violence, nobody can beat the NDC, so now you're panicking that a woman can give a warning shot. Motor bikes were banned from polling stations and so what were those motor bikes doing there? You have your paid up journalists to proclaim the word for you and your people will then join in the chorus. How can the President sack the MP whiles she defended herself under attack. And who is asking why he carried a gun at that time; did she have to run home for her gun if she came under attack? Ndc, you better give us your campaign message and stop these unwarranted press conferences that is disturbing our ears
Also Mr President, please expedite action on who GO1 is?
Are you the one to tell the President what to do? Please give the man his needed break to keep this nation together wai