President Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo believes the security agencies have been impartial in dealing with political actors involved in violence under his administration.
According to the President, the police and the other security agencies have been given the free hand to investigate and deal with all political actors including leading members of his party without fear or favor as his administration does not shield party members engaged in conducts against the law.
This, he asserted, was not the case in previous administrations. The President stated that instances in past governments where crimes committed by members of the governing party were overlooked by the security agencies do not engender trust in the security services.
“The way in which police are acting now is the way I think the police should act. Which is to be even handed in the application of the law. Police and the security agencies of the country should be politically blind when it comes to enforcing the law. The fact that there is an NPP government in place should not lead to a situation where NPP people who are found to be involved in wrongdoing, somehow, the police will turn their back on them. We saw that in the past and it didn’t engender good feelings in the country,” he said.
He continued to say “so if today, senior members of political parties including my own are being called by the police to come and help clarify what happened and give information, (even though) so far I don’t think there is suspicion of their involvement. That should be the way in which the police and law enforcement agencies work – dispassionately. They look for the clues, follow them where they were and if they land at the doorsteps of a minister or MP whether in the minority or majority, they will go forward and act accordingly and not being in a situation of always looking over their shoulders and deciding whether or not what they are doing finds favor with those in office.”
President Nana Addo is of the view that the impartiality shown by the security services in dealing with crimes particularly election-related violence without partisan consideration will restore faith of citizens in the security agencies of the country.
He also reiterated his commitment to a peaceful election stressing that ensuring a peaceful nation is among the crucial responsibilities of him as a president.
Following the recent clash between supporters of the ruling NPP and the main opposition NDC in the Odododiodioo Constituency of the Greater Accra Region, a section of the public has raised concerns over the inability of the police to deal with political activists engaged in election-related crimes including violence with some blaming the recent clashes on the security agencies’ failure to deal with previous incidents.
NDC Member of Parliament for the Odododiodio Constituency, Nii Lante Vanderpuye has accused the police at James Town of failing to act when he and his party members were being attacked by members of the ruling party.
