Soldiers Are In Banda To Ensure Peace – GAF Replies Asiedu Nketiah

The Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) have in a statement explained the reasons for the military deployment in the Banda area in the ongoing voter registration exercise.

According to the GAF, the deployment followed a request by the Bono Regional Security Council (REGSEC) of which they are there to broker a peace agreement between the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The General Secretary of the NDC, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketiah was in a viral video seen arguing with military personnel after a bus loaded with people he was leading were denied entry into Banda to register.

The statement however, explained that the military are there to support an agreement between the NPP and NDC towards a peaceful registration exercise after an earlier clash between both parties in the region led to the death of one person.

It further insisted that no particular ethnic group was targeted for discrimination or whatsoever as reported or perceived by many.

See full statement below:

“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 Ahmed Ibrahim (NDC MP – Banda) and witnessed by the 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.”

The full details of the Agreement were as follows:

• 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. TheREGSEC and the Electoral Commission and other stakeholders should meet the Chiefs to determine the boundaries of Banda.
• 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.
• Political parties should educate their agents at the registration centres to fill challenge forms in challenging people whose citizenship or residency they doubted.
• That no physical violence should be used in preventing people from registering.
• That the two candidates should pledge their support to ensure peace in the Constituency by signing the Peace Agreement offered by REGSEC.

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 according informed of these developments.

Source: GhanaFeed.com