Ghana’s Information minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has charged the Ghana Police Service to as a matter of urgency, clarify reasons protestors were prevented from occupying the Jubilee house yesterday.
According to the Ofoase Ayirebi MP, there’s the need for the police service to explain to Ghanaians, their decision not to allow the democracy hub protestors from embarking on their intended picketing at the Jubilee house, and if there’s any security implications, they should let Ghanaians know.
Speaking exclusively to Kwaku Dawuro on Movement In The Morning show on Movement TV/ Wontumi Radio, he noted that “the argument out there especially on social media is that in some countries, protestors are allowed to access the President’s compound in a bid to express their frustration. So, if in Ghana, something of such cannot be done, then there’s the need for the Police service to indicate that clearly- so that it doesn’t look as though, the demonstrators were deliberately prevented. I know the Police service has a strong PR department and thus, I will urge that they come to clarify things better as soon as possible”.
He went further to state that there’ve been accusations of manhandling of protesters too, and if that is also not true, then the Police should also come out to debunk it.
“If it happens that indeed the 49 arrested protestors were manhandled, then the should be an apology”, he noted.
On Thursday, hundreds of protesters were said to have gathered outside of Jubilee House, Ghana’s presidential palace in Accra, the country’s capital but they were met by heavily armed officers who arrested 49 people.