The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) has released a statement on the disturbances in the Banda District in the Bono Region.
The Adontenhene of Bongase Community in the Banda District of the Bono Region, Nana Issah Yakubu has criticized the military deployed to the area, accusing them of intimidating residents participating in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
According to the GAF, the deployment followed a request by the Bono Regional Security Council (REGSEC).
This was because, the two leading political parties, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) were bussing [transporting] people in their numbers to register and that had earlier resulted in a clash which led to the death of one person.
READ ALSO:Â Video : Military personnel preventing people from registering in Banda -NDC
The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah has been seen in a video on social media complaining about the presence of the military in the Banda area and arguing that soldiers were not supposed to be part of the registration process.
GAF in a statement brushed off allegations that a specific ethnic group are being targetted.
Below is the full statement
REPORTED INCIDENT AT BANDA
Following the reported allegation of registration restrictions being placed on a section of the community in the Banda area by the military, it has become necessary to situate the issue in context and set the record straight.
The Military wishes to state that on 30th July 2020, the Bono Regional Security Council met
representatives of the two main political parties – NPP and NDC – to deliberate on the
peaceful conduct of the registration exercise. This was in the wake of the disturbances that
resulted in the unfortunate demise of one person.
The Agreement signed by Mr. Joe Danquah (NPP) and Hon Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC MP - Banda)
and witnessed by the Hon Regional Minister stated as follows: “We the undersigned agreed
today to maintain peace in the Banda District during the remaining days of the voters
registration exercise and after, until the end of the 2020 General Elections in December 2020.â€
The full details of the Agreement were as follows:
1.That the REGSEC will give the necessary security to the Banda Constituency and the
entire Region, before, during and after the process of the 7th December Election. The
REGSEC and the Electoral Commission and other stakeholders should meet the Chiefs
to determine the boundaries of Banda.
2. The two Parliamentary Candidates (Mr. Joe Danquah and Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim MP)
should stop bussing people to the registration centres, if indeed they were ordinary
residents; they should go there on their own volition.
3. Political parties should educate their agents at the registration centres to fill challenge forms in challenging people whose citizenship or residency they doubted.
4. That no physical violence should be used in preventing people from registering.
5. That the two candidates should pledge their support to ensure peace in the
Constituency by signing the Peace Agreement offered by REGSEC
6. The security agencies were therefore available to support the REGSEC-brokered Agreement.
No specific ethnic group was targeted in this regard. The general public is accordingly
informed of these developments.
SIGNED
E AGGREY-QUASHIE
Colonel
Director Public Relations
Â
Â