[ 2016-11-17 ]

Mahama instigated Nima clash: Otiko
The Women’s Organiser of the main opposition New
Patriotic Party, Otiko Afisa Djaba, has accused
President John Mahama of being behind the recent
violent clash between supporters of the governing
National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main
opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in front of
flag bearer Nana Akufo-Addo’s private residence
at Nima.

“He (John Mahama) is violent. He recently
instigated some youth of the NDC to hurl stones at
Nana Akufo-Addo’s house,” Otiko Djaba told a
crowd of NPP supporters in Afram Plains on
Wednesday.

However, Mr Mahama on Tuesday said he was not a
violent person and, thus, would not be the one to
spark any violence in this year’s elections.

“By my nature, I’m not a person who encourages
violence and I’ll never encourage violence. If
any such thing will happen, it will not be because
I have provoked it,” he told some leaders of
labour unions who called on him at the Flagstaff
House in Accra on Tuesday.

“Only last Saturday, we almost had a clash,
which was unfortunate. If any of those firearms
had been fired and someone had dropped dead, it
would have been a completely different story. I
think we should be preventive enough in our
actions to prevent such things,” he said,
adding: “I think that the police at Nima should
have been better briefed knowing that this group
was passing through and then we should have taken
appropriate safeguards to ensure that such a thing
doesn’t happen,” he said.

The clash happened as supporters of the two
parties converged on the vicinity of the NPP flag
bearer’s Nima residence as they simultaneously
held their Keep Fit activities.

Mr Akufo-Addo and the NPP claim the NDC supporters
threw stones into his residence, a situation that
sparked the firing of the warning shots by the
three-time flag bearer’s security detail.

Meanwhile, the United States of America has
condemned the attack on Mr Akufo-Addo’s
residence.

“The US is deeply disappointed by the targeting
of the home and family of the primary opposition
presidential candidate,” Department of State
Press Director Elizabeth Trudeau said at the Daily
Press Briefing on Monday, November 14, 2016.

"We condemn all violence in Ghana including
political violence in the period leading to,
during, and immediately following Ghana’s
elections scheduled for 7 December. Ghanaians from
across the political spectrum have worked hard to
build one of the leading democracies in Africa. We
call on all Ghanaians to remain peaceful and
respect the democratic process.

“We specifically call on candidates, their
parties and their supporters to reaffirm their
pledges to renounce violence and settle any
disputes through the judicial process.” The US
government said it will revoke or refuse visas of
any politician that incites violence in connection
with the polls.

Also, the British government condemned the
violence. “We condemn all violent acts by the
supporters of any political party, including any
occurring as a result of holding electoral
campaign events close to the private homes of
rival candidates,” the British High Commission
said in a statement.

“The UK is a great supporter of Ghana’s
democracy and of maintaining its electoral record.
We admire the open and energetic nature of its
campaigns. We believe that violence has absolutely
no place in the electoral process,” the
statement continued, adding: “We, therefore,
call on all Ghana’s political actors to promote
peace, and to respect Ghana’s electoral and
constitutional processes. All political parties
should strongly urge their supporters to refrain
from, and indeed actively condemn any violence,
incitement or intimidation which only serves to
undermine democracy.”

The UK, like the US has also threatened to refuse
or revoke the visas of anyone that engages in or
incites political violence.

The UK noted that it would continue to work with
Ghanaian institutions, including the Electoral
Commission, Police, Judiciary, National Peace
Council, civil society groups and the media to
support Ghana’s efforts to hold credible,
peaceful and fair elections while remaining
entirely neutral.

The European Union has also condemned the clash.

Source - Classfmonline

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