Rallying Supporters at Security Agencies Following Political Arrests Unnecessary – Asah-Asante
A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr. Kwame Asah-Asante has criticized the growing trend of politicians, rallying party supporters at security agencies following arrests of political actors. Describing the stunt as unnecessary, the academic observed that laws were frequently disregarded when such charged meetings happen at the premises.
Dr. Asah-Asante, who was speaking with Naa Dedei on Morning Starr on Tuesday, said the occurences created anxiety in the public domain.
“If you look at the the mass-up, it has been a common feature in this republic. NDC or NPP, whenever there’s an issue like that, they mobilize their supporters to go and mess up at whatever place there is. And then it creates all manner of, you know, uneasiness for everybody.
Because sometimes you see rules are blocked. Sometimes the human traffic and all that isn’t necessary. It’s obviously not necessary,” the academic said on the morning show.
He said it was important for politicians to use the legal procedures “to its logical conclusion” in challenging any form of abuse by state actors.
“If somebody is not happy with a process which he feels or thinks there has been a breach, or the process has been what? A short change. Obviously, you know what to do. So you can use the same legal process to seek redress. But the mass up is becoming a feature and I’m sure as a growing democracy, we don’t need this,” he remarked.
He warned that if the practice persisted it could lead to unintended consequences for the country.
During the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Ashanti Regional Chair, Mr. Benard Antwi Boasiako’s detention at the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO) last week, party supporters amassed at the agency’s premises, calling for his immediate release.
He has subsequently been released after meeting bail conditions.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Mitchell Asare Amoamah
