The Minority New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Parliament has described the infamous ‘violence begets violence’ statement by the Interior Minister, Mark Woyongo as highly provocative and irresponsible.

The NPP Member of Parliament (MP) for Nkoranza North and deputy ranking member of the Defence and Interior Committee Major Derek Oduro (rtd), who read the statement on behalf of the Minority in Parliament, said the minister’s justification for violence during the Talensi by-election is very dangerous for the country’s democracy and could undermine the peaceful conduct of the 2016 general elections to a large extent.

Major Derek Oduro (rtd) noted that the perpetration of violence by ‘Azorka Boys’ was carefully planned and executed by top-notch members of the ruling party with the tacit support of the Executive and the Ministry of Interior.

According to the deputy ranking member of Defence and Interior, by inference the Minister for Interior said the Azorka Boys visited mayhem on innocent members of the opposition NPP because they were provoked to the extent that policemen were attacked for preventing them from further visiting mayhem on innocent voters.

“We are not surprised that the President of the nation, John Mahamas said that the Talensi by-election would be a dress rehearsal for the 2016 general elections and Mark Woyongo who used to run Frequency Modulation (FM) station at Bole owned by the President and had been strategically appointed the Minister of Interior was tasked to ensure that the dress rehearsal was executed.”

According to the minority, the police intercepted a vehicle that had a gun, machetes, axes, hammers and other offensive materials on board and after retrieving the weapons, the occupants and the vehicle were quickly released.

Major Derek Oduro (rtd) said that clearly the Interior Minister has portrayed to Ghanaians that he could not be entrusted with the responsibility preside over the internal security of the nation and ensure that there is free, credible, transparent and fair elections in December 2016 and must be sacked.

The Minority also accused some top officers of the Ghana Police Service of working in the interest of the ruling party.

“The NDC knows that it cannot win free and fair elections in 2016 and if it wants to replicate their plans in Talensi then we in the opposition NPP will be ready for them because we will never allow them to rig the elections again,” Major Derek Oduro noted.

The Minority wants the National Peace Council, Christian Council, Catholic Bishops Conference, Council of Charismatic Churches and the National Council of Ulamaas and Ahmadiyya to oppose violence and ensure peaceful elections in 2016.