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General News of Friday, February 1, 2019
Source: asempanews.com
2019-02-01
Reverend Prof. Emmanuel and former president John Dramani Mahama
The President of the National Peace Council, Professor Emmanuel Asante, called on former President John Dramani Mahama to apologize to the nation for stating that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would oppose the party new patriotic party to power with violence in the 2020 polls.
While speaking to NDC delegates in the Adaklu constituency of the Volta region on Thursday, January 31, 2019, Mahama said the NDC would match the NPP in 2020 if the government tried to intimidate and harbad NDC supporters violently.
The former president's comment followed a shootout at the La-Bawaleshie JHS poll in the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election that same day. The NDC has accused the NPP of being behind the shooting.
Mr Mahama said: "We will not be joking in 2020, and I throw a warning to the NPP – we will compare them, start after start …"
"I want to remind you that NDC has a revolutionary root and that when it comes to unleashing violence, no one can beat us. We simply want to keep the democracy of this country in mind and that is why we must be the first to respect it. That's why we act as a docile party and respectful of the rule of law. But if we believe that the government can not protect our people and use its self-defense groups and its illegal forces to intimidate, harbad and hurt our people, we may have to advise ourselves.
He added: "We respect the Constitution of this country and the NDC is a democratic party and that is why we respect the rules of the Constitution. But the same constitution says that Ghanaians must resist anyone who tries to subvert the Constitution. When you unleash the forces and intimidate people when they should vote, you overthrow the Constitution. And we have the right to resist you. "
Reacting to Mr Mahama's warning at the NPP, Reverend Asante told Benjamin Akakpo at the Executive Breakfast Show (EBS) on Clbad91.3FM on Friday, February 1, 2019, that the former president should be cautious about his speech.
Reverend Asante said, "If President John Mahama said what he said, he is very unhappy because he was head of state, he was president of the nation, he stands is fighting for his party to become candidate president, and if the Ghanaian people want him again, he could become the president of this nation. And if the nation needs to be on fire "boot-by-boot", there is no mercy for anyone. And I think it's unfortunate that in anger, such things are said.
"I pray and I want to believe that he did not think it, he did it out of anger. We must be very cautious and, under such circumstances, look at what we say.
"If he said that, I would like to say that President Mahama, in all humility, I will beg him to apologize to the nation. In making this statement, he really created fear in people's hearts and it's not just President Mahama, I'll say it, I want to tell all our leaders, the people we see in this country; that in such circumstances, one would expect them to be the voice of wisdom, a voice that will soothe tensions, a voice that will help Ghanaians to say: Indeed, we have leaders. So let's be very careful about what we say. "
On the silence of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, 24 hours after the incident, Reverend Asante said, "Sometimes it is important that we learn the wisdom of the natives. The Akans say that whoever is a leader does not just jump into situations. When things happen, you will evaluate the situation, you will get all the information before speaking. The thing happened yesterday, it is too early to say that the President has remained silent on this matter. It's not for me to defend or speak for anyone
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