The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has failed Ghanaians by not adequately dealing with the threats of secessionist groups.
He said the government and the ruling party is rather engaged in “cheap politics” instead of acting decisively on the matter.
Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Ablakwa said the calls by the governing party for other political parties to comment on the actions of the separatist group is not as consequential as the government taking decisive action on the group.
“This is a very grave matter which should not be reduced to cheap political football. Is that all you can tell us, as a ruling party? Lives have been lost. The police commander is fighting for his life, other people are hospitalized and all you can tell us is to hold a press conference and say you want to hear the NDC also condemn the act? Is that what we are looking for now? This is not the time to engage in such cheap political stance. You are in charge of our national security architecture and you have all the weapons and resources and all the taxes. It is your duty to protect us and maintain our territorial integrity and to make sure that we are safe,” he said.
He added that “never in our history have we had elaborate national security architecture and portfolios all over the place and the least we expect is for an insurgency to be taking place. Our government has failed abysmally.”
The General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party, John Boadu at a press conference on Monday, September 28, 2020, said it expects the NDC and the other political parties to condemn the recent disturbances caused by some persons believed to be members of a secessionists group in the Volta Region.
But Okudzeto Ablakwa said the call is needless especially as the NDC had already done that months earlier.
“The Volta Region NDC addressed a press conference, and they were given full authority of the national leadership to hold the press conference in Ho. It was in January this year, and we publicly denounced and condemned the activities of these separatists.”
Ablakwa added that residents in his constituency, which also experienced the chaos created by the group, are currently living in fear.
“What has happened in my constituency, we are all living in fear. Never in the history of my constituency and our region has a police station been overpowered where police officers are overpowered and rather put in cells and suspects freed. Never have armouries been broken into,” the legislator said.
Chaos
Members of the secessionist group, Homeland Study Foundation, on Friday, September 25, 2020, blocked major entries into the Volta Region.
The action is said to have taken place at dawn, leaving travellers to and from the Volta Region, particularly areas such as Tefle, Tsopoli and Juapong stranded.
The group reportedly burnt vehicle tyres and took control of two police stations, freeing suspects and taking weapons from the armoury.
One person was later reported dead while security officials were firing guns to try and restore order to the area.
Meanwhile, the police have given assurances that they are in control of the situation and will do their best to arrest the rest of the perpetrators of the crime to ensure that they face the law.
31 people arrested in connection with the incident have since been charged and currently being held in custody.
