The Eastern Regional Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has called on the government to arrest the National Identification Authority (NIA) officials who recently undertook a registration exercise in the Eastern Region.
The NIA officials received a lot of backlash from the public when they turned a blind eye to President Akufo-Addo's directive to ban all public gathering as a means to curb the spread of Covid-19.
It took two Ghanaian citizens to sue the NIA and secure a court injunction to stop their activity.
In a release signed by the NDC Regional Youth Organizer for the Eastern Region Okai Mintah said: "At a time when the entire world is committed to dealing with the global pandemic Covid-19, the last thing we should be entertaining is President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo's insatiable quest to guarantee his electoral fortunes by risking Ghanaian lives at all cost.
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First it was the National Identification Authority and their recalcitrant posture to the orders of the President for all public gatherings to cease. It took well meaning patriotic Ghanaians to proceed to court and place an injunction on the activities of the NIA in the region.
But it appears the President was not satisfied with the ruling of the Court and has instructed the Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame to file a certiorari application at the Supreme Court to quash the judgement of Justice Daniel Mensah".
Below is the full statement
WE WOULD RATHER BE DISENFRANCHISED THAN BE VICTIMS OF COVID-19; ARREST ALL NIA OFFICIALS CAUGHT REGISTERING PEOPLE- NDC EASTERN REGIONAL YOUTH ORGANIZER
25th March, 2020.
The Eastern Regional Youth Wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has noted with grave concern the inordinate attempt by government to bypass sound judgement and proceed with the National Identification Card registration in the Eastern Region. We find the actions of government and it's agents adverse to the health and safety of Ghanaians.
At a time when the entire world is committed to dealing with the global pandemic Covid-19, the last thing we should be entertaining is President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo's insatiable quest to guarantee his electoral fortunes by risking Ghanaian lives at all cost.
First it was the National Identification Authority and their recalcitrant posture to the orders of the President for all public gatherings to cease. It took well meaning patriotic Ghanaians to proceed to court and place an injunction on the activities of the NIA in the region.
But it appears the President was not satisfied with the ruling of the Court and has instructed the Deputy Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame to file a certiorari application at the Supreme Court to quash the judgement of Justice Daniel Mensah.
The argument by government that a temporary hold on registration in the region will cause "irreparable damage" is not tenable and betrays reasonable conduct. Countries worldwide have halted all public activities and activated protocols to stop the spread of this deadly virus but our government is convinced the NIA registration in the Eastern Region is justified because people will be disenfranchised.
This recklessness by government, under the patronage of Nana Akufo Addo is shocking and contradictory of the President's own words. What matters to this government is not the lives of Ghanaians but their grip on power even when a deadly virus threatens the very core of our nationhood.
The NDC Youth Wing in the region is compelled to put Ghanaian lives first and stop the spread of the deadly virus. We will stop at nothing to disrupt all activities of the NIA in the region until Ghanaians are safe from the danger of Covid-19. With the blessing of my National Youth Organizer, Lawyer George Opare Addo, I have instructed all my Constituency Youth Organizers to lead their patriotic youth to effect a citizen arrest and handover to the Police any NIA official conducting any form of registration in the region.
We want to assure the President and his surrogates that whatever agenda of bloodshed he has in mind against the good people of the Eastern Region will not materialize. We are ready to safeguard people against harm even if he is no't ; Lives are more important than elections. We would rather be disenfranchised than be victims of Covid-19, after all, dead men do not vote.
Issued by
Okai Mintah,
NDC Regional Youth Organizer,
Eastern Region.
Contact: 0246657849.