Politics

NDC solidarises with victims of Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence

The opposition National Demo­cratic Congress (NDC) yesterday solidarised with victims of the Ayawaso West Wuogon bye-elec­tions violence, four years after the incident.

Mr Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, the General Secretary of the party, in a statement noted that the leadership and the entire mem­bership of the NDC could never forget the shame the “dastardly event occasioned in our dear country four years ago.”

“On this sad day of memo­ries, we remember all those who were attacked and injured on that fateful day.

We particularly solidarise with those who still bear the scars of the attacks they suffered.”

The statement said the NDC was dismayed by the refusal of the government to implement the rec­ommendations of the Emile Short Commission and its own White Paper on the matter.

“Till date, the government had not deemed it necessary to prosecute the perpetrators of the Ayawaso by-election violence,” it said.

“More worrying is the refus­al of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Mr Godfred Yeboah Dame, to discuss the modalities for the payment of compensation to the victims, as recommended by the Emile Short Commission.

It noted that under the circum­stances, the NDC was giving the government a 30-day ultimatum to pay fair and adequate compen­sation to all injured victims of the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence, failing which it would collaborate with the affected persons and take all necessary steps to seek appro­priate compensation for them.

“The NDC stands with all victims of the Ayawaso West Wuogon violence. We wish to assure them of our unflinching commitment to punishing the per­petrators and seek true justice for them under the next NDC in the year 2025,” the statement added.

Relatedly, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the NDC, Mr Emmanuel Nii Ashie Moore has also appealed to the gov­ernment to pay compensation to victims of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election shooting incident.

That, he said would calm them from the trauma they and their families went through four years ago on January 30.

Expressing his displeasure in a statement on Monday about the alleged neglect of the victims by the government, Mr Moore said the government had not treat­ed them fairly, particularly after attending to victims of the Ejura incident.

The statement said, various attempts by the lawyers of the victims towards compensation had all fallen on deaf ears.

In the said Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election, the NDC withdrew from it following the shooting incident when voting started.

The Emile Short Commission of Inquiry was, among other things mandated to make a full, faithful and impartial inquiry into the circumstances of, and estab­lish the facts leading to the events and associated violence that occurred during the by-election.

The Commission took testi­monies of principal witnesses in the matter including the Member of Parliament for Ningo Pram­pram, Sam George; the Com­mander of the National Security SWAT team, Deputy Superinten­dent of PoliceSamuel Azugu; and the then NDC parliamentary can­didate, Delali Kwasi Brempong.

The Commission interviewed testimonies from over 20 other witnesses and persons of interest over a three-week period.

The Commission after its investigation presented its report to President Nana Akufo-Addo.

The Emile Short Com­mission, among other things, recommended that victims of the violence should be paid compen­sation for the harm they suffered. —GNA

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