The Government’s spokesperson on Governance and Security, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah says the leadership of the Arise Ghana must return to the negotiation table with the Ghana Police on their impending demonstration.
The Ghana Police Service, unsatisfied with the modus operandi for the impending demonstration by the Arise Ghana group have dragged them to court.
The leadership of Arise Ghana had notified the Police of its intention to hold its demonstration in the capital, Accra for two continuous days and for its members to also picket in front of the Jubilee House during the night.
The Police, in a letter dated June 13, 2022, responded and urged that in order to adequately ensure the safety of demonstrators and other members of the public, the demonstration should not travel into the night.
But the group failed to agree to the Police’s directive on the modalities of that protest compelling the Police to go to court.
However, speaking to Bonohene Baffuor Awuah on Ghana Kasa on Agoo TV/Kasapa 102.5 Fm, Mr. Boakye-Danquah opined the way and manner the group wants to embark on their demonstration and venue calls for worry.
He stated that if the members of the group are indeed well-meaning Ghanaians who have good intentions, they should comply with the modalities prescribed by the Police in their demonstration.
Palgr “Some people want to destroy the moral fabric of our democracy and that is what it is. Some people don’t want us to have peace in this country.”
“How will you want to demonstrate at the Presidency which is a security installation of that nature. When you look around the sub-region with the terrorist attacks and conflicts and you still want to have a demonstration of that nature, I don’t think that it seats very well.
“But, there are laws and the issue is currently in court for an interpretation. But it will be very unfair to Ghanaians that even as we are in court they will still say that they will do the demonstration in the manner in which they want to do it from 3:00pm to 10:00pm,” Mr. Boakye-Danquah argued.
He continued: “I don’t think that we should encourage these things. I don’t have an issue with the demonstration. I have been involved in demonstrations and seen demonstrations and everything. Sometimes, to be fair beyond the demonstration there is a negotiation that you need to come around and talk for mutual understanding.”
The Government Spokesperson added that some of the reasons catalogued as the basis for the demonstration are being resolved, adding that governance is a process and not an event.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court has partially granted an application from the Ghana Police Service to restrain and prohibit Arise Ghana from embarking on a demonstration which sought to end at 10pm.
The police per the motion sought the court’s intervention not to allow the intended demonstration to enter into the night.
DSP Sylvester Asare made references to reports of terrorism in neighbouring country Togo and to argue their case and wanted the demonstration to end at 3pm.
Counsel for the Respondent (Arise Ghana) led by Godwin Edudzie Tamakloe argued that the police have not demonstrated how the Togo terrorism which took place in the afternoon comes to play in a demonstration which was to be held in Ghana in the night.
The court presided over by Justice Comfort Tasiame while partially granting the application said, the demonstrators should converge at Obra Spot through Farrisco Avenue to TUC and end at the Independent Square.
The court also said, the intended demonstration should start from 8am and end at 4pm.
The said petition, according to the court should be received by a representative of the President if any.
Source: Ghana/Kasapafmonline.com/Isaac Dzidzoamenu
