Mahama Stops AFAG

For the first time in Ghana’s post military era, the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) has decided to pour Ghana’s full military arsenal and personnel on the streets of Accra today in an extremely rare display of the country’s military might.

Details of the street parade are sketchy but DAILY GUIDE gathered that the Special Forces that were unveiled nine months ago during Ghana’s 57th Independence Day anniversary would be part of the parade.

This plan has surprised many critics of the government since no prior hint was given on the parade.

“We are of the strongest of opinion that the proposed Military and Forces parade is reckless, unnecessary and smack of an act of intimidation reminiscent of the ‘colonial era’ brute show of force. AFAG believes that this exercise would rather exacerbate tension in the country at a time the whole democratic world is calling for calm and moderation,” stated political pressure group Alliance For Accountable Governance (AFAG) in a press statement released yesterday and signed by its leading members, Arnold Boateng, Bright Acheampong Davis Opoku.

It appears that earlier plans by AFAG to stage a street protest on that same day to protest alleged electoral rigging during the December 7 presidential and parliamentary elections jerked the NDC government to device the action.

According to AFAG, it planned its demonstration in line with the Public Order law by securing permission from the police. The permission was granted, only for the police to suddenly withdraw the order allowing AFAG’s demonstration.

“We had a call yesterday from the police authorities that the President had directed all the security agencies to go on some form of demonstration tomorrow by parading through town with their armory. We think that it is the most unfortunate thing that will ever happen to our country,” explained AFAG’s Director of Operations Davis Opoku.

According to AFAG, “It is not surprised that when all was set for our demonstration this Friday, the government has activated an unnecessary forces demonstration and consequently has made our planned demonstration virtually impossible to go on without clashing with the military forces and the police.”

The dilemma presented to the pressure group has left it with no other option but to back down or risk causing protesting civilians to collide with Ghana’s full military might.