State of Emergency in Dagbon extended by one month

Accra, Aug. 18, GNA - Parliament on Monday voted to extend the State of Emergency in the Dagbon Traditional Area by one month commencing August 23, 2003.

The 104-majority vote for the adoption of the resolution for the extension excluded the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority group that walked out after the motion was moved.

Mr Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Minister for the Interior, who moved the motion, accused the NDC group of "bad faith".

"I am accusing the NDC group of bad faith and urging Ghanaians that they should never be given the opportunity to rule the country again."

He said the request government made to Parliament for the extension was based wholly and purely on the advice of the security agencies. The Minister said he had for the first time decided that only Tamale Municipality and the Yendi District were to endure the State of Emergency but the security agencies despatched two pieces of information on Friday evening and Sunday night warning of severe consequences if it was cancelled in other areas.

He said the security situation had not changed for the better and that groups were still stockpiling arms to strike at the opportune time. "When I told the President about the last warning, he said we should err on the side of caution."

Mr Felix Owusu Agyepong, the Majority Leader, said government could not have ignored the advice of the security agencies because they were the professionals on the field.

"I believe we (government) are on the right path. We would continue to talk with them (Minority) after the vote and dialogue." He said the NDC Minority had ignored Parliament when their inputs were needed most saying: "We would continue to respect and promote parliamentary culture.

Papa Owusu Ankomah, Attorney - General and Minister of Justice, said government would seek extension as long as it deemed it necessary to maintain the State of Emergency in Dagbon.

He warned that those, who sought to gain political advantage by fanning the conflict, would be consumed in it.

The Attorney - General dismissed claims by the Minority that the trial of the two suspects for the murder of the Ya-Na Yakubu Andani was not properly handled, adding, "the Attorney-General is not a political persecutor".

He said anyone who had evidence on the murder should provide it for government to begin prosecution.

Papa Owusu Ankomah said the Minority had issued a pack of emotions and political innuendoes as reasons for staying out. He said the claim that President Kufuor was committing resources to solve the Liberian crises while he did nothing about the Dagbon issue was unfortunate.

Captain Nkrabea Effah Dartey, NPP-Berekum, said the Minority had demonstrated the highest sense of intolerance and had attempted to bury democracy.

"They run away from debate. I see in my mind's eye that come the 2004 elections all of them would be walked out."

He said government would never abdicate its responsibility of maintaining peace and order in the country.

"If we have to extend the State of Emergency in Dagbon ad infinitum so be it."

Minority walkouts on motion for the extension of State of Emergency in Dagbon

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority on Monday walked out of Parliament accusing the government of its inability to carve out, construct and fashion a credible road map to peace in Dagbon.

"The absence of a road map to peace clearly demonstrates that this administration has no vision for resolving the conflict in Dagbon and because there is no vision, there is no direction and the administration is merely biding time and riding on its luck."

Mr Alban Bagbin, the Minority Leader, made the accusation in a statement he presented to the House after the Minister for the Interior; Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyemang had called on the House to extend the State of Emergency in Dagbon for another one month.

Mr Bagbin said: "Mr Speaker, it is the view of the Minority that a state of emergency in our constitutional scheme of things is an extraordinary measure; it impinges negatively on our democracy and should be resorted to and maintained only in extraordinary situations. "It cannot be imposed in perpetuity or indefinitely and should not be used spuriously for the achievement of other goals beyond the re-establishment of law and order."

The Minority Leader said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration was bent on changing the political culture in Dagbon and was continuing to use the state of emergency as an instrument of oppression to create an environment conducive for the pursuit of the politics of political exclusion.

"This way they can force their will on the people and dominate the politics in the area using unethical exploitation of incumbency while excluding the majority in Dagon. This agenda has already been achieved with respect to the politics of local government."

He said as a result of the imposition of the state of emergency, district level elections were postponed in six of the seven districts in Dagbon.

"By proclamation, the President instituted Interim Management Committees (IMCs) in all six district assemblies.

"These IMCs are made up exclusively of members hand-picked by the District Chief Executives (DCEs), who happen to represent the NPP interest in Dagbon. The people are denied representation and the DCEs are riding roughshod on their mandate.

"Indeed there is serious apprehension that a sinister agenda is being plotted to disenfranchise the voter population of Dagbon en masse in the upcoming elections. This will represent a most grievous subversion of our nascent democracy and must be resisted strenuously.

"We call on all the residents of Dagbon and indeed all Ghanaians to do their patriotic duty of demonstrating self-restraint by conduct, that will conduce to security, good neighbourliness, peaceful cohabitation and respect for the lives, properties and rights of others.

Mr Bagbin said on countless occasions, the Minority had voted alongside the Majority in support of imposing or renewing the state of emergency in Dagbon, adding: "We have done this in the honest belief that it is necessary for state security to dominate the area for the purpose of preventing an escalation of the conflict and stabilising the situation on the ground.

"We do not wish to continue to be a part of a process that continues to curtail and hold in abeyance the rights and freedoms of the people of Dagbon, while government procrastinates in its effort to bring about genuine peace to Dagbon.