The Member of Parliament (MP) for Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Kofi Amankwa-Manu, has asserted that the nation will not use the barrel of the gun to form governments but will use the ballot box to make electoral decisions.
“The nation cannot grow and develop through coup d’états hence, persons calling for the overthrow of the constitutionally elected government is unfortunate and worrying,” he stated.
Mr Amankwa-Manu, who is the Deputy Minister of Defence, wondered whether persons calling for coup d’états had an idea of the impact of military takeover on the citizenry and the entire country adding that “when you have people who are supposed to know better calling for coup d’états, it is unfortunate and worrying.
His comments followed the arrest of Oliver Barker-Vormawor, a legal practitioner and the Convener of #FixTheCountry Movement for allegedly writing on social media he will topple the government if the Electronic Transaction Levy Bill (e-levy) is passed.
Mr Amankwah-Manu noted that “sometimes I shudder to wonder if those who are calling for coup d’états have really experienced coup d’états in the country or in other countries within the sub-region so I do not think it is the way to go because we have people who support what the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government is doing, much the same way we have others who also have a different opinion.
“That is why within the laws of our country every four years we go to the polls so if you like what the NPP is doing just go to the ballot box and make your decision, if on the other hand, you disagree again you have the ballot box to make that decision and we are not going to use guns to make that decision,” he averred.
Mr Amankwah-Manu insisted that the country could not be developed through coup d’états but by sharing ideas however people could always agree to disagree and avoid tensions, brawls and abusive language.
Justice Abdulai,law lecturer at the University of Professional Studies Accra, (UPSA) said the comment was unbefitting of a legal practitioner and was not surprised at the action taken by the Police against Mr Barker-Vormawor. -3news.com
