They are protecting state property - Freddie Blay defends rampaging NPP youth

Acting National Chairman of the governing New Patriotic Party, Freddie Blay, has justified the actions of some party activists who have been on rampage in the past week.

The party sympathizers have in the past few days locked up offices, seized toll booths, and vandalized state property across the country in retaliation to similar acts perpetrated by the NDC government in 2009.

While senior political figures and scores of Members of Parliament condemn the acts and call for swift response from the Police, acting Chairman of the New Patriotic Party has come to the defence of the rampaging youth describing their action as a move to ‘protect state property’.

According to Freddie Blay, the move by the rampaging youth is a right one aimed at protecting state property and ensuring that ‘looting’ in some state agencies stops.

“…at the harbour, people are stealing cars. People are carrying away items that should attract duties and so forth, containers being taken away without going through the right process”, he said.

He quizzed, “If we see people stealing cars from the harbour, are you suggesting that we should wait and go and call the Police?”

The rampaging youth invaded the Tema Habour in the early hours of Monday demanding to be given control of some key installations there. They also locked down offices of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIS), Youth Employment Authority (YEA), and the National Disaster Management Authority (NADMO) in Tamale.

In 2009, supporters of the then NDC government carried out similar acts after winning power.