The National Democratic Congress (NDC), has questioned the huge presence of military personnel in the Ellembelle Constituency of the Western Region.
The party says the presence of soldiers which is a new phenomenon in the area has become a source of worry for residents seeking to participate in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
In a press statement issued on Thursday 9th July 2020 by the NDC and signed by the Ellembelle Constituency Communications Director, Kwesi Hanson, the party questioned the military deployment in the Aiyinase area which they say is not a border town where foreigners might infiltrate.
“Our attention has been drawn to the unexplained deployment of a military contingent in the Ellembelle district especially Aiyinase North communities in the Northern part of our district. This contingent is purported to be “monitoring” the voter registration exercise. We know that the recent deployment of security forces was done along the country’s borders and is supposed to prevent foreigners from entering the country to take part in the registration exercise. We find the military deployment very strange because Ellembelle is not situated on any border and there is no risk of foreigners infiltrating the community to register illegally. Besides, there is no other imminent security risk that requires the intervention by military forces”.
For the NDC, such deployment could affect the peace in such communities and unnecessarily restrict normal economic life.
The party thus called on government and the military command to quickly withdraw the soldiers.
“We also call on the Ghana Armed Forces High Command to immediately look into this matter and withdraw the soldiers. The Constitution guarantees free, fair, and transparent and peaceful elections. That is all we are asking for.”
Below is the full statement;
PRESS RELEASE
9th July, 2020
NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS:
ELLEMBELLE COMMUNICATION SECRETARIAT
HEAVY DEPLOYMENT OF MILITARY FORCES IN THE ELLEMBELLE DISTRICT BY GOVERNMENT UNCONSCIONABLE
Our attention has been drawn to the unexplained deployment of a military contingent in the Ellembelle district especially Aiyinase North communities in the Northern part of our district.
This contingent is purported to be “monitoring” the voter registration exercise.
We know that the recent deployment of security forces was done along the country’s borders and is supposed to either prevent foreigners from entering the country to take part in the registration exercise.
We find the military deployment very strange because Ellembelle is not situated on the border and there is no risk of foreigners infiltrating the community to register illegally.
Besides, there is no other imminent security risk that requires the intervention by military forces.
Since police personnel have already taken positions and are monitoring the exercise, as they do in every election, we believe this deployment is only designed to intimidate the residents and potential voters in the area and our reasons are very well-grounded.
First, Aiyinase North where the majority of the military are deployed has always been the stronghold of the NDC. This is not by coincidence. Indeed, it is just a show of gratitude by the people in that community, for the joint effort by former President John Mahama and Hon Armah-Kofi Buah M.P for Ellembelle Constituency to open up and develop what used to be an isolated and deprived part of the constituency.
Secondly, we suspect that the rationale behind the military deployment is not to maintain peace or security but to intimidate citizens and prevent them from exercising their constitutional right to register and vote.
The following are reasons for our Aiyinase North ;
1. The DCE of Ellembelle, Hon Kwasi Bonzo doubles as the parliamentary candidate for the NPP. He lost the contest to the NDC candidate in 2016 and he attributed his loss to the voting pattern in Aiyinase North.
2. As a contestant in the December elections, he has the zeal to win at all cost and he believed the only way to do so is to limit the number of voters to be cast in that community. By so doing, he hopes to slim down the chance of winning.
3. Since Aiyinase North has no history of civil electoral violence and therefore no potential conflict to be prevented, we believe the deployment has only one objective. That objective is to create fear and panic in the local community and dampen the will of the residents to register in their numbers.
This unannounced deployment has created a very desperate and worrying situation for both adults and children in the district especially, the Aiyinase North community. Majority of the residents are farmers, who earn their living by having to attend to their farms every day. In the few days, they have abstained from going to their farms because of the uncertainty about why they are suddenly being watched over by intrusive armed soldiers. Even children refusing to go to school out of fear for the unknown.
The consequences of this deployment could, therefore, affect the entire community. The restrictions on farming and other economic activities emanating from the resident’s self-imposed lockdown could soon lead to food shortages and price hikes that would only exacerbate the hardship they face in their daily lives.
We are by this statement calling on the government to immediately withdraw the military contingent since we believe presence in the community is unnecessary potentially dangerous. We also call on the Ghana Arm forces high command to immediately look into this matter and withdraw the soldiers
The constitution guarantees free, fair, and transparent and peaceful elections. That is all we are asking for.
God bless the NDC, God bless Ghana
Thank you.
Signed
KWESI HANSON
NDC COMMUNICATION OFFICER
ELLEMBELLE