Minority Indicts government of Training Mercinaries to Disrupt 2024 Elections
The minority caucus in parliament has indicted president Akufo-Addo and his government of training mercenaries to disrupt the 2024 general elections.
According to the Minority intelligence gathered couple with media expose indicated that, the Akufo Adso government has planned to plough the country into chaos before, during, and after the election as there are indications of the government’s popularity had shredded.
Ranking Member of Defence and Interior Committee of Parliament, Hon James Agalga revealed this at a press conference in Parliament on Tuesday, November 7,2022.
“The Minority’s attention has further been drawn to an exposure by a Ghanaian journalist based in the USA, Kelvin Taylor which suggest the recruitment and training of mercenaries by government operatives based at the Jubilee House to cause chaos and mayhem in the country and blame the political opposition.,” the Ranking Member said.
Full Statement
PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE MINORITY IN PARLIAMENT ON THE CURRENT STATE OF INSECURITY IN GHANA IN THE WAKE OF THE ECONOMIC MELTDOWN UNDER NANA AKUFO ADDO’S PRESIDENCY
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, the minority in parliament is alarmed by the unprecedented economic meltdown the country is currently faced with and its implication for our national security. Official data sources indicates that Ghana’s annual inflation rate accelerated for the 17th straight month to 37.2% in October 2022. However, the reality on the ground is that in some specific cases inflation is well above 50%. These figures represent the highest inflation rate the country has seen in several decades.
Even more alarming is the country’s Debt-to-GDP ratio. The World Bank in its Africa Pulse report released in October, 2022 projected that Ghana will end 2022 with a Debt-to GDP ratio of 104%. The Ghana Cedi on the other hand has now been adjudged by Bloomberg as the worst performing currency in the World, overtaking bankrupt Sri Lanka’s rupee having slumped by more than 45%. Currently one needs almost GH₵14.00 to purchase 1USD.
The resultant job losses, spike in transport fares and general hardship suffered by Ghanaians without doubt portends grave danger for our country’s security. If care is not taken, Ghana, our beloved country will soon be heading in the direction of Sri Lanka, a South East Asian country which went bankrupt in recent memory due to economic mismanagement which eventually resulted in mass protests and demonstrations and the eventual collapse of that country’s government. The Minority in parliament owes it a sacred duty to protect the 4th Republican Constitutional order and hence the need for this press conference to arouse the consciousness of President Akufo Addo and his government to the security threats arising out of the economic malaise unleashed on us. Indeed, Ghana’s National Security strategy recently outdoored by President. Akufo Addo himself recognises the fact of a strong symbiotic linkage between ensuring our economic security and our overall national security. It is against this backdrop that we repeat our calls for the President to dismiss his cousin, the Minister for Finance without further delay to allow for new thinking to be brought to bear on the ongoing negotiations with the IMF. Such a step will make it unnecessary for the minority to proceed with its much anticipated motion to censure, Mr. Ken Ofori Atta, the Minister for Finance.
We also call on President Akufo Addo to heed the call made by his predecessor, President Mahama for an urgent national dialogue to help save the economy from total collapse.
ATTEMPTS BY THE ELECTORAL COMMISSION TO MANIPULATE THE OUTCOME OF THE 2024 PRESIDENTIAL AND PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, whilst we are grappling with the fallouts of the economic mismanagement of the Akufo Addo – Bawumia led government and its dire attendant security implications, the Electoral Commission of Ghana has determined that for purposes of registering newly qualified voters for the upcoming 2024 Presidential and Parliamentary elections, only persons issued with Ghana Cards will be allowed to register as voters. In pursuit of this reckless agenda, the E.C. has introduced a C.I before parliament even when it is fully aware of the fact that Ghanaians in their millions still do not have the Ghana Card through no fault of theirs.
For instance, data from the National Identification Authority (NIA) indicates that only 16,654.072 million of Ghanaians out of a total population of about 31 million had registered for the Ghana Card as of July, 2022. Out of this number, only 13,316.612 million of them have been issued with their Ghana Cards. What this means is that over 3 million Ghanaians who queued to register for the Ghana Card have still not received them.
Given the challenges the NIA is faced with even in distributing the Ghana Card to Ghanaians who have duly registered, it will be preposterous for the EC to continue to insist on using the Ghana Card as the sole identification document for the upcoming voters registration exercise.
The Minority has also become aware of a well hatched dubious plot by both the EC and the NIA to manipulate the data of registered Ghana Card bearers in such a manner that will effectively ensure that several Ghanaians in perceived NDC strongholds are disenfranchised if the agenda of the EC to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for purposes of compiling a voters register were to materialise.
Following from the above, the minority is fortified in its convictions that any further move by the EC to make the Ghana Card the sole identification document for the purpose of compiling a voters register will disenfranchise millions of Ghanaians, a move which will plunge our beloved country into a major political upheaval with dire security consequences.
In the circumstance, we call on all well-meaning Ghanaians, the Clergy, Peace Council and our bilateral partners to speak out now in order to preserve the peace and security of our country.
POLITICISATION OF THE SECURITY SECTOR
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, the Minority in parliament feels discontented and alarmed by the politicisation of the security services and the Armed Forces under the Akufo Addo – Bawumia led government. This unfortunate phenomenon has contributed to low morale amongst the officers and men of our Armed Forces and the other security services.
The politicisation of the security sector manifest itself in, first, the mode of recruitment of personnel into the various services. Most often, unqualified personnel who are politically connected to the NPP administration are the ones who are recruited into the security services. In other words, meritocracy is no longer applied in determining who qualifies to be recruited into the security services under President Akufo Addo’s government. The grand scheme is to create a security apparatus loyal not to the state but to the NPP government.
Secondly, promotions in the security sector which was hitherto based on merit and performance is now heavily politicised. For instance, there is a deliberate disregard for the point system relied upon for the promotion of officers within the Armed Forces. The point system is based on meritocracy where serving officers build up points for promotions upon assessment. In place of the point system, promotions and appointments are now based on perceived party loyalty to the extent that officers with disciplinary problems have sometimes been promoted.
We have also become aware of the pre-emptive appointment and deployment of officers in the various security services including the Armed Forces with bad reputation in sensitive positions with elections 2024 in mind. We shall continue to monitor these developments with an eagle’s eye.
TRAINING OF MERCENARIES TO DISRUPT ELECTION 2024.
The Minority’s attention has further been drawn to an exposure by a Ghanaian journalist based in the USA, Kelvin Taylor which suggest the recruitment and training of mercenaries by government operatives based at the Jubilee House to cause chaos and mayhem in the country and blame the political opposition.
In the exposure, one DCOP Asare is identified as the officer in charge of the training of the mercenaries at the Jubilee House. Photos of a truck with a container mounted on the trailer allegedly used to transport a cache of arms meant for the use of the mercenaries is displayed.
Due to the seriousness of the allegations made and coupled with the involvement of government sponsored armed thugs in the disruption of the Ayawaso West Wuogon Constituency bye-election, we demand an urgent independent probe into the allegations made.
Kelvin Taylor’s exposure further brings into sharp focus the use of hoodlums within the security services who without any justification whatsoever shot and killed eight (8) innocent Ghanaians during the conduct of the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections. Up till now, not even a single soul has been brought to face justice for the murders in question. It is against this background we urge our bilateral partners, the ECOWAS Secretariat, the AU Commission, the Clergy and the Peace Council to speak out in defence of the sustenance of Ghana’s democracy before it is too late. We draw inspiration from the old English proverb which says “a stitch in time, saves nine”.
UNITED NATIONS, AFRICAN UNION AND ECOWAS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS.
Ladies and gentlemen of the media, Ghana’s participation and credibility in peacekeeping operations has been brought to question with respect to the Ghana Police Service. The decision of the police administration with the endorsement of the Akufo Addo – Bawumia led government not to extend or renew any police officer’s extension request from the United Nations, African Union and the ECOWAS Commission is counterproductive. Most recently, all Ghanaian police officers who are serving in peace keeping missions in South Sudan, Mali, Sudan and New York whose performances and services were highly praised and recommended by the United Nations itself for extension were all rejected.
The Minority’s attention has again been drawn to the painful refusal by the police administration and the Bawumia led police service council to allow for the secondment of a Senior Ghanaian Police Officer to the United Nations as a police commissioner after the secretariat of the United Nations had found the said officer to be the most suitable candidate for appointment on secondment to the enviable post of police commissioner at the D-I level in the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS). It is important to note that two former Inspector Generals of Police namely: Mohammed Alhassan and James Oppong Buonu both once served as UN Police Commissioners and made Ghana proud. The question then is why was Mr. Vance Gariba denied the opportunity to serve as police commissioner with the UN and make Ghana proud like those before him even after the UN had chosen him?
We are reliably informed that the UN is worried and disturbed about these developments in the Ghana Police Service and could review its standard operating procedures when it comes to Ghana’s participation in peace operations. There is no doubt that Ghana is favoured and ranked among the best countries in peace operations across the world. However, under this NPP government, the gains chalked are being eroded by the day.
In conclusion, we call on President Akufo Addo who doubles as the Commander-in-Chief of the Ghana Armed Forces and Chairman of the National Security Council to take urgent steps to address the numerous human security challenges inflicted on Ghanaians due to his mismanagement of the economy in order to save the 4th Republican Constitutional Order he inherited from the four presidents before him.
Thank you.
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