By Ibrahim Jibril Ikowe
Ghanaians will tomorrow July 6, 2021 troop out into the streets of Accra, the nation’s capital in what the citizens tagged “March for Justice”, to protest against insecurity and hardship in the country.
The protest organized by various interest groups is being led by the Ghana’s main opposition party, National Democratic Congress(NDC), whose Presidential candidate in the last elections, Dr Jhon Dramani Mahama has already arrived in the country to lead the protest.
Already, the Ghanaian Police under the leadership of of the Inspector General, Mr James Oppong-Boanuh have promised adequate security for protesters. Oppong-Boanuh held a meeting with the leadership of NDC on July 2, where the modus operandi of the protest was discussed. The Ghanaian police reported that “all matters relating to the march were discussed and agreed, including the routes and Covid-19 protocols’ ‘.
Meanwhile Dr Mahama has called on well meaning Ghanaians who love the country to join him and his party in the demonstration “against the current hardship and insecurity that Ghanaians are facing”.
Prior to this development, Dr Mahama had written a letter to President Nana Akuffo-Addo wherein he stated the hardship and insecurity, including alleged state sponsored murders that have been visited on citizens.
According to Hon Maestro Jibril the NDC spokesperson, Dr Mahama called on Nana to respect the rule of law he swore to obey and respect. According to him, “in Ghana today you can’t express your mind without being carried away by security men, which doesn’t make sense”.
Meanwhile, the earlier banned FIXGhana protest will join the NDC protest. According to Mr Fresh Dodowa, one of the organizers, many people will come out on that Tuesday. “Fix Ghana is changing its name to the NDC protest”, he said. Meanwhile the fix Ghana and the police case is still pending in the court. The police had earlier rejected the permission of protest tagged FIX GHANA.
Hon Maestro told Gavel International that so many bodies, ranging from Doctors, Engineers,Nurses, to farmers are joining the protest. “All others willing to come too are welcome, it all is for the betterment of Ghana”, he said.
The protest is scheduled to start from Upper Accra, move to Liberation road, then to Aviation road to Flagstaff House, then turn to Ako Adjei , the last destination is Parliament House in the heart of Accra.
Ghanaians are facing a kind of insecurity which Ghana as a country has never experienced. In the northern part of Ghana in the city of Ejura to be precise, a young man called Kaaka was mysteriously murdered. The MCE of Ejura Mr Salisu Bawa who was the prime suspect of murder of Ibrahim kaaka Muhammad was arrested at Kotoka International Airport when he was was trying to get out of the country.
Also, the National Zongo Caucus of NDC has called on its members to troop out to join the protest. In a press release signed by its National Coordinator, Alhaji Cole Younger, enjoined all Muslims and Zongo dwellers to join in the protest.
The release stated: “We wish by this release to invite all Muslims and Zongo dwellers to join the upcoming March for Justice demonstration to be held on Tuesday the 6th of July by the NDC Youth wing. This march, among other things is against the atrocities and injustice meted out on the people of Ghana especially Muslims in our Zongo communities;
In view of the recent state sponsored murders against Muslims by the Akufo Addo government, we Muslims have an onerous obligation to come out in our numbers to register our displeasure at the impunity with which the government has abused our rights over the period;
Just for our reminders, in the not too distant past, specifically on the 17th of July 2018, seven innocent Zongo Young men from Asawase were gunned down by the police in Kumasi and till date no Justice;
On the 16th of July, 2019, another Muslim, Ahmed Hussein Suale was gunned down by unknown Assailants after a staunch NPP member, Kennedy Agyapong had flaunted his pictures on his TV station, calling on the public to harm him should they find him;
On the 7th December 2020, the following Muslims from our Zongos across the country were murdered by NPP hoodlums, they included;
1. Alhassan Tajudeen in Techiman South
2 Abdallah Ayarick also in Techiman South.
3. A 12 year old girl, Samira Zakaria in Savelugu
4. Ibrahim Abass of Ablekuma central, Accra.
We haven’t forgotten the incident of Ayawaso west wuogon where several people were injured as a result of gun shots by the Npp invincible forces leading to Ishao Yaro not been able to walk till date;
As if that was not enough, on the 17th March, 2021 Ali Kalamu, the son of Sheikh Abdullahi Maikano was brutally murdered in a bizarre circumstances and till date not a single person has been arrested to assuage the pain of his family. Why should Muslims be at the receiving end all the time this government is in power?
We cannot gloss over the recent dastardly act of murder of Ibrahim Mohammed alias “Kaaka” and subsequently, Abdul Nasir Yusif and Murtala Mohammed by the Police/Military team in Ejura. Interestingly, when a police officer was shot and killed in the infamous bullion van robbery in Accra and in a matter of one week, 215 suspects were arrested.
This deliberate selective justice by the Security Agencies against Muslims, never caught the attention of the Nana Addo/Bawumia government to seek justice for our Zongo people.
The aforementioned precedents grounds the accusation of hypocrisy and disrespect to the Muslims and Zongo people by the NPP government especially Bawumia. It is therefore in our own interest, as Zongo people, to come out in our numbers to register our resentment against the culture of selective justice being perpetrated against Muslims and the Zongo people.
Let’s all come out and declare to the government of Akufo Addo that, Enough of the murder of Muslims. Enough is Enough. Once again, our condolences to the family of all those who lost their loved ones.
God bless Our homeland Ghana! God bless the NDC!! God bless the Zongo people!!! Salamualaikum”.
However, a Germany based Ghanaian, Aminu Larry has called on Ghanaians to behave themselves during and after the protest. “They should not allow the opposition to destabilize the good intentions of the NDC as a party”, he warned.
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