... as NDC marauders trawl, killing one, maiming others
By Charles Takyi-Boadu
Posted: The Chronicle Tuesday, January 06, 2009
Supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been living with fear over the last couple of days, since the declaration of election results in favour of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) by Dr. Kwadwo Afari Djan’s Electoral Commission, on Saturday.
Whilst some have suffered brutalities at the hands of NDC supporters, others have been evicted from their homes by their landlords, for having supported the NPP during the election period.
Reports coming in from the regions also confirm similar incidents in which NPP supporters have been subjected to severe beatings, with their properties being vandalized.
Minutes after the election results were declared, tons of NDC supporters poured onto the streets and pavements of Accra, amidst singing and jubilation.
In the course of the jubilation, some over enthusiastic supporters pulled down bill boards of the defeated Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, whilst others removed and destroyed posters of the NPP.
One person is reported dead at the Konkomba market in Accra. The victim, one Sulemana Alhassan, died on arrival at the Korle-Bu Hospital after sustaining serious cutlass wounds inflicted on him by the NDC mob, whilst several others sustained various degrees of injuries.
At press time yesterday, over 150 NPP supporters had sought refuge at the party’s campaign office, located at Asylum Down in Accra.
Reports also had it that in E.T Mensah’s Prampram constituency, both the constituency Secretary, Julius Nartey and his Organiser Isaac Narh, were chased out of their homes, compelling them to lodge in hotels, whilst others were being harassed and chased out of town.
Some of these incidents were recorded in areas like Chorkor, Mamprobi, Korle-Gonno and Accra central.
In several of these areas, the bill boards of the NPP, especially those with the posters of Nana Addo, have either been defaced or pulled down, and the bill boards cast in glass were smashed during the course of the jubilation.
A 33years old hairdresser, Linda Sarpong and her 52year old mother, Agartha Boakye suffered a similar fate at the hands of some these NDC supporters in Chorkor-Lantey Maami, where they live.
They narrated how some jubilant supporters of the NDC stormed their house in the heat of events and subjected them to tortuous ordeals, just because they supported NPP.
Linda narrated how five NDC supporters, including one she could easily identify as Adu Opanka, pounced on her and mercilessly beat her up, hitting her head with chairs and other objects, before she was rescued.
She was grieving in pain at the time this reporter visited her at the accident centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where she was receiving treatment.
This was after the rampaging supporters pulled down the NPP bill board mounted in front of their house, which served as a meeting place for the Chorkor ward of the NPP.
In areas like Agege, some tenants have had their tenancy agreements terminated by their landlords for supporting the NPP.
Some of these people have been compelled by circumstance to flee their residences to seek refuge elsewhere, for fear of being victimized.
Ablekuma South constituency Secretary of the NPP, Lizzete Bonney tells of how she suffered a similar fate at the hands of her political opponents, some of who she lives with in the same compound.
She told this reporter how she has been booed and jeered at by the very people she lives with, as well as members of the NDC who know her for what she does.
Lizzete expressed extreme surprise at how some supporters of the NDC have started behaving whilst the police and other security agencies sit in laxity in spite of the several calls for peace and tolerance from both sides of the divide.
She has therefore charged the President-elect, Professor John Evans Atta Mills and the top hierarchy of the NDC to call their supporters to order, since their actions could degenerate into a bad situation, should the NPP supporters also decide to react.
In areas like Chorkor, Mamprobi, Bukom and Korle-Gonno, where this reporter visited to have first hand information of the situation on the ground, some of the victims reported about how they were being taunted and insulted by supporters of the NDC.
Meanwhile, at the Chorkor police station, where Linda Sarpong and her mother Agartha Boakye have both lodged different complaints, the Station Officer, Inspector Nkrumah and the Investigator in charge of the case, Wisdom Tsede, said the issue was still under investigation.
Asked why they could not effect any arrest on the day of the incident, they noted that it would have aggravated the situation, considering the tension in the country at the time.
They, however, promised to get to the bottom of the matter.
Supporters of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been living with fear over the last couple of days, since the declaration of election results in favour of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) by Dr. Kwadwo Afari Djan’s Electoral Commission, on Saturday.
Whilst some have suffered brutalities at the hands of NDC supporters, others have been evicted from their homes by their landlords, for having supported the NPP during the election period.
Reports coming in from the regions also confirm similar incidents in which NPP supporters have been subjected to severe beatings, with their properties being vandalized.
Minutes after the election results were declared, tons of NDC supporters poured onto the streets and pavements of Accra, amidst singing and jubilation.
In the course of the jubilation, some over enthusiastic supporters pulled down bill boards of the defeated Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, whilst others removed and destroyed posters of the NPP.
One person is reported dead at the Konkomba market in Accra. The victim, one Sulemana Alhassan, died on arrival at the Korle-Bu Hospital after sustaining serious cutlass wounds inflicted on him by the NDC mob, whilst several others sustained various degrees of injuries.
At press time yesterday, over 150 NPP supporters had sought refuge at the party’s campaign office, located at Asylum Down in Accra.
Reports also had it that in E.T Mensah’s Prampram constituency, both the constituency Secretary, Julius Nartey and his Organiser Isaac Narh, were chased out of their homes, compelling them to lodge in hotels, whilst others were being harassed and chased out of town.
Some of these incidents were recorded in areas like Chorkor, Mamprobi, Korle-Gonno and Accra central.
In several of these areas, the bill boards of the NPP, especially those with the posters of Nana Addo, have either been defaced or pulled down, and the bill boards cast in glass were smashed during the course of the jubilation.
A 33years old hairdresser, Linda Sarpong and her 52year old mother, Agartha Boakye suffered a similar fate at the hands of some these NDC supporters in Chorkor-Lantey Maami, where they live.
They narrated how some jubilant supporters of the NDC stormed their house in the heat of events and subjected them to tortuous ordeals, just because they supported NPP.
Linda narrated how five NDC supporters, including one she could easily identify as Adu Opanka, pounced on her and mercilessly beat her up, hitting her head with chairs and other objects, before she was rescued.
She was grieving in pain at the time this reporter visited her at the accident centre of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, where she was receiving treatment.
This was after the rampaging supporters pulled down the NPP bill board mounted in front of their house, which served as a meeting place for the Chorkor ward of the NPP.
In areas like Agege, some tenants have had their tenancy agreements terminated by their landlords for supporting the NPP.
Some of these people have been compelled by circumstance to flee their residences to seek refuge elsewhere, for fear of being victimized.
Ablekuma South constituency Secretary of the NPP, Lizzete Bonney tells of how she suffered a similar fate at the hands of her political opponents, some of who she lives with in the same compound.
She told this reporter how she has been booed and jeered at by the very people she lives with, as well as members of the NDC who know her for what she does.
Lizzete expressed extreme surprise at how some supporters of the NDC have started behaving whilst the police and other security agencies sit in laxity in spite of the several calls for peace and tolerance from both sides of the divide.
She has therefore charged the President-elect, Professor John Evans Atta Mills and the top hierarchy of the NDC to call their supporters to order, since their actions could degenerate into a bad situation, should the NPP supporters also decide to react.
In areas like Chorkor, Mamprobi, Bukom and Korle-Gonno, where this reporter visited to have first hand information of the situation on the ground, some of the victims reported about how they were being taunted and insulted by supporters of the NDC.
Meanwhile, at the Chorkor police station, where Linda Sarpong and her mother Agartha Boakye have both lodged different complaints, the Station Officer, Inspector Nkrumah and the Investigator in charge of the case, Wisdom Tsede, said the issue was still under investigation.
Asked why they could not effect any arrest on the day of the incident, they noted that it would have aggravated the situation, considering the tension in the country at the time.
They, however, promised to get to the bottom of the matter.