STATEMENT BY MINISTER OF INTERIOR ON THE VIOLENT DEMONSTRATION ORGANISED BY ALLIANCE FOR CHANGE ON THURSDAY, MAY 11, 1995

Mr. Speaker,

I am grateful for the opportunity to brief the house on last Thursday's demonstration organised by an organisation calling itself the Alliance for Change during which violence erupted resulting in the death of some persons and several others injured, some critically. Mr. Speaker, sometime in April 1995, our attention was drawn to notices carried in some private newspapers advertising a demonstration against VAT and the high cost of living. A group calling itself the Alliance for Change was said to be the organisers. The leaders of the group were known opposition figures including Messrs Nyaho Tamakloe, Akuffo Addo, Wereko-Brobbey and Kakraba-Cromwell all of the New Patriotic Party, Kwesi Pratt founder/leader of the Popular Party for Democracy and Development and Kweku Baako, a leading member of the People's Convention Party.

Even though the declared purpose of the demonstration was to protest against the VAT and the present economic conditions as they affect the ordinary people we did not lose sight of the political undertones. That the organisers had a hidden agenda was known to the intelligence agencies right from the word go.

Mr. speaker, it is pertinent to recall that in the aftermath of the November, 1992 Presidential elections this country witnessed violence instigated by some opposition groups which felt aggrieved over their defeat. We were all living witnesses to the violence and destruction that took place in Kumasi including the burning down of homes belonging to NDC activists. In Takoradi, one NDC activist was set on fire resulting in his death. In parts of Accra and Tema explosive devices were detonated. At least one person was arrested, tried and convicted. It was established beyond reasonable doubt the the "bombings" if I may call it so, were instigated by one Alhaji T. D. Damba, a dissident operating in some neighbouring countries. Of course Damba did not act alone. He closely collaborated with some leaders of the opposition parties within the country.

The security services acted to bring the situation under control. Ghanaians heaved a sigh of relief that the Government had managed to maintain the peace and stability of the nation.

Mr. Speaker, even after this we continued to receive reports of activities by some opposition groups designed to undermine the peace and tranquility of the nation. A number of statements made by some opposition personalities were pregnant with violence and anarchy. The example that comes readily is the statement made by a leading member of the NPP who incidentally is a kingpin in the Alliance for Change. At a rally in Tema in 1994, he issued a threat that "Ghana will burn" to the hearing of a shocked nation.

Therefore Mr. Speaker, when the security services received reports of plans to cause violence and burning during Thursday, May 11, demonstration, it acted with despatch. Acting on information that groups of supporters of the Alliance for Change were arming themselves with offensive weapons, the police invited the organisers to a meeting to discuss the conduct of the demonstration. By this time the Police had also been notified by another group, the Association of the Committee for the Defence of the Revolution to demonstrate in Accra on the same day. Their demonstration, they stated, was to be in support of peace, unity and stability in the country.

Mr. Speaker, the Police met the two groups on Tuesday, May 9, 1995 and impressed upon them the need for peace, law and order. The ACDRs explained to the Police that their intention was to hold a peaceful assembly around the 31st December Market. They were of the view that the authorities were underestimating the potential of the supporters of the Alliance for Change to loot and cause arson in the market area. They informed the authorities that supporters of the Alliance for Change had planned to burn down the 31st December Market as a retaliatory act for the destruction of the Makola No. 1 Market in 1979 during the AFRC era.

Mr. Speaker, the security services undertook to investigate this allegation. Meanwhile in the morning of Tuesday, May 9, guards of the AMA stationed at the market reported that some unidentified persons had entered the market in the night but managed to escape when they were spotted and given a chase. By Wednesday, May 10, it had become clear that the Accra Central business district, including the 31st December Market as well as the area around the Kwame Nkrumah Circle were going to be the targets for vandalism, arson and looting.

Mr. Speaker, after appropriate consultations with the Police, the Greater Accra Regional Administration and the AMA issued a special announcement over Radio GAR from 12.57 p.m on Wednesday, May 10, advising all traders and shopkeepers in the areas I have mentioned not to open forr business on Thursday, May 11, 1995 to prevent their goods and wares from being looted as planned. Accordingly all shops in the central business district as well as the 31st December Market remained closed on the day of the demonstration. Meanwhile, as a result of the intlligence gathered regarding the motives of some of the demonstrators and in order to ensure the security of certain strategic places and vital installations, it was also decided to detail military personnel to secure places such as the Bank of Ghana, the Ministries and other places.

Mr. Speaker, then came Thursday, May 11, 1995. As supporters of the Alliance for Change gathered at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to begin their demonstration, we were informed of the presence of hundreds of persons wearing ACDR "T" shirts around the 31st December Market. The security agencies made contact with them. The ACDRs insisted on their right to assemble quoting the Supreme Court ruling in the case of the NPP versus the IGP and another. They also insisted that they had a civic responsibility to protect life and property which were threatened by people whom they described as 'anarchists'. They had formed a kind of human shield around the 31st December Market and swore to defend it with their lives if need be, since for them, the name of the Market alone gave it a special symbolic significance.

Mr. Speaker, at 8.30 in the morning the police invited the organisers of the Alliance for Change demonstration to a meeting. They were briefed on the presence of the ACDR supporters in the area of the market. In accordance with Section Two of the Public Order Act 1994, the Police requested the organisers of the Alliance for Change demonstration to divert their route in order to avoid a clash with the ACDRs. This they agreed to do. Contrary to this arrangement, however, the Alliance for Change demonstrators went on the route along the 31st December Market. It was at this point that the two groups clashed. In the ensuing violence there were many deaths and injuries.

So far, four (4) persons have been confirmed dead. They are Jerry Oppey, 17 years, a second year student of Emit Secondary Technical School, Mataheko; Ahulu Honger, 14 years, a pupil of Liberty Avenue JSS, Richard Awanda, c/o David Azure of Ghana commercial Bank, and Kwabena Asante, 22 years of Asamankese. The report of a 5th person dead is yet to be confirmed. At this juncture, Mr. Speaker, I will beg your permission for the House to rise and observe a minute's silence in memory of the dead.

Mr. Speaker, thirteen persons were injured. They have been identified as follows: Yaw Frank, aged 19 years; Yaw Kyei alias Casino, 22 years; Kwabena Appiah, Abubakari Adamu aged 23 years; George Asomani, 28 years; Kwabena Twum, 21 years; Isaac Nartey, 48 years; Yaw Attah, 27 years; Abdul Razak, 23 years; Kwasi Ababio, 31 years; Rahaman Osumanu, 24 years; and Stephen Holder, 24 years.

Mr. Speaker, from Accra Central the Alliance for Change demonstrators turned to the araea around Kwame Nkrumah Circle where they vandalised shops and restaurants. They also mounted roadblocks, beat up drivers and pedestrians and extorted monies from them. Other areas where members of the general public suffered at the hands of the Alliance for Change demonstrators were the Neoplan Station, Obetsebi Lamptey circle and the Kaneshie Market.

Mr. Speaker, in the night of Thursday, May 11, 1995 the President, Flt. Lt. J. J. Rawlings summoned an emergency meeting of the National Security Committee to review the events of the day. After a full brief by the security agencies, I was mandated together with the IGP and the Regional Police Commander to visit Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to acquaint ourselves with the conditions of the injured persons and assess what was needed to be done to ensure speedy recovery. We were also mandated to visit the relatives of the deceased to convey the condolences of the Government and discuss their burial and funeral arrangements.

It was the President's expressed wish that the families of the deceased persons as well as those who sustained injuries be appropriately compensated. In addition, all those who suffered property damage as a result of the demonstration are to be identified and compensated. These matters will be attended to as soon as the report of the enquiry is submitted.

Honourable Members of the House, on Friday, May 12, we were again informed of the activities of some groups believed to be supporters of the Alliance for Change who were still bent on looting and vandalising. The security services moved swiftly and effected some arrests. Consequently business activity has returned to normal. The situation is being monitored. The activities of certain elements with criminal records who are also suspected to have been involved in the violent demonstration are being monitored. Indeed the Police is continuing its mopping up operations.

Mr. Speaker, I have ordered a Police enquiry into the circumstances leading to the violence, deaths and injuries to persons and property, among other things. This enquiry will for instance help address the concerns raised by many that the number of policemen(i.e. four hundred and twenty - [420] police officers and men) who were detailed to keep the peace was grossly inadequate considering the potential for violence that had existed all along. Mr. Speaker, I have taken note of the letter from the Alliance for Change to the IGP commending the officers and men of the Police Service for their performance. It is my hope that they will give the Police the needed co-operation to complete their investigation and bring the perpetrators of the violence to book. The contents of the stories we are reading in some of the private newspapers are clearly prejudicial and makes the work of the Police investigation difficult.

The Ministry of the Interior shares the confidence of the Alliance for Change in the Police and expect them to address any serious information they have to the Police. I also expect the Association of the Committees for this Sefence of the Revolution to co-operate with the Police as indeed they have also undertaken to do. Mr. Speaker, it is regrettable that lives have been lost and property destroyed. The whole country is in a state of mourning. In spite of it, the organisers of the Alliance for Change insisted on going ahead with a similar demonstration in Kumasi on Thursday, 18 May, 1995.

An appeal by the Ashanti Regional Police Commander to postpone that demonstration fell on deaf ears. We learnt that another one had been planned for Tamale. The dead had not even been buried yet the stage was being set for another possibly violent demonstration, without regard to the feelings of the families of the dead and our time honoured cultural practice of holding the dead in reverence. It was only when it became clear to the organisers that this display of disregard for human lives and our culture and tradition would backfire that they decided to postpone the planned Kumasi demonstration to Thursday, May 25. Mr. Speaker I stand here to assure the House and the entire nation of the determination of the government to maintain law and order. We consider the stability of the nation as of paramount importance and will not shirk our responsibility to protect life and property. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for your attention. I am done.