The Minority in Parliament has criticized the Inspector General of Police (IGP) after he reportedly ordered some police officers, to storm the residence of the NDC MP for Asutifi South, Alhaji Collins Dauda, in the Brong Ahafo Region.
The Asutifi South MP was not at home at the time of the purported raid, and was said to be on his way to Accra from his constituency.
The Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, addressing the press suggested that Mr. Dauda’s home in Accra was also raided.
“You cannot go in search of thugs in his home; both in the Brong Ahafo Constituency and in his home in Accra, and find that justifiable,” he said.
“I want to use this opportunity to call the President and the Minister for Interior and the Inspector General of Police to order, that we are a country governed by law and a country underpinned by the rule of law.”
Though Mr. Iddrisu said MPs were not above a law, he said the raiding of an MP’s home was “unacceptable.”
” He [Dauda] is being intimidated and harassed. The intimidation and harassment must stop… We demand civility and courtesy in these matters.
The National Democratic Congress MP added that his side of the caucus were “not cowards.”
“Let them be reminded that we are not cowards and we will not be cowed by some of this intimidation and harassment,” he stated.
Prior tensions in Asutifi North
This comes after police at Kenyasi in the Asutifi North District said they were after one Ahmed, alleged to be a bodyguard of Mr. Dauda.
His bodyguard was said to have allegedly assaulted a sympathizer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) identified as Sarfo Keneth, at the district Electoral Commission office where the ongoing limited registration is taking place in Kenyasi.
According to the police, the commotion started when the suspect in the company of Mr. Dauda allegedly took a photo of Sarfo after they had reportedly prevented the MP from accessing the registration centre.
The District Police Commander, DSP Teddy Brown, told Citi News he “had information that Hon. Collins Dauda came to the centre and on his arrival, some of the youth passed derogatory comments about him and it provoked him and he left and promised to return fully prepared to engage them.”
“So at about 4:00pm, he returned and entered into EC Director’s office, held some discussion with him. Sensing danger, I rushed there with my men but he did not do anything or posed danger to the process”, the Police Commander explained.
He intimated that the MP then came out and stayed about 50 meters away from the centre to observe the process. He said a lady then raised an alarm that the bodyguard was taking pictures of the NPP faithful, and this sparked the confusion.
“The lady raised an alarm that one of Hon. Dauda’s guys was taking shots of the NPP faithful and that angered them resulting in a free for all trading of blows ignited by Ahmed, who led his boys in the attack” he narrated.
Eleven (11) military men and 15 police officers were later dispatched from the region to assist the officers on the ground to maintain law and order.
All potential voters were assured of their safety, and encouraged to come out in their numbers to participate in the process geared towards a referendum expected to lead to the creation of a new region out of the existing Brong Ahafo Region.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa, Mashoud Kombat & Duke Mensah Opoku/citinewsroom.com/Ghaana
