The unforgivable sins of the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has been an influential figure in Ghana’s political landscape since the Fourth Republic; he has been a towering figure and a force to reckon with. He has for a long time, harboured the ambition of becoming the president. His family’s political background has had a great impact on his ambition. He presented himself as a person with a deep interest in human rights and a seasoned democrat who believed in freedom of speech and the rule of law.

After eventually ascending to the presidency on his third attempt, he committed an unforgivable sin that has never been perpetrated by any other president in the Fourth Republic. The sins of the president are discussed below for posterity and to ensure there is never a repeat of these in this country. All these years, I was expecting the president to at least address the issues in this article, especially in his last State of the Nation Address, but, typical of him, he did not mention them in his address.

The killing of eight in the 2020 general elections:

During and immediately after the 2020 general elections, a total of eight unarmed innocent Ghanaians were needlessly killed by the security services in Cold Blood under the leadership of President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the president and vice president, respectively.

Commissioner of Police (COP), Isaac Ken Yeboah, at a press conference a week after the 2020 elections, disclosed that a total of eight lives, including three minors were missing during the 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections in the Techiman South Constituency.

The eight lost their lives tragically from gunshots allegedly fired by military personnel who were supposed to protect and defend them. The incident, which occurred four years ago, continues to cast a long shadow over the electoral landscape and continues to be an indelible blot on the president’s image for generations to come. Unfortunately, President Akufo-Addo and his vice president have yet to break their silence and address the nation on this painful episode.

Despite the passage of four years, the families of the victims and the broader Ghanaian public is still grappling with the aftermath of this brutal electoral violence, which has never been witnessed in the Fourth Republic. No individual has been held liable for this dastardly and cowardly heinous crime under a president who rose to the occasion of the rendition of the rule of law, human rights, and justice.

Does the president and his vice president really care about how history will judge them? Your guess is as good as mine. In a shocking nexus, the NPP Member of Parliament for the Bekwai constituency, Joseph Osei Owusu, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, compared the eight victims to armed robbers who deserved their fate. When the MP was asked if the families of the deceased deserve condolences from the President, he disgracefully responded, “Do we commiserate with the families of armed robbers we shoot?”. The president saw nothing wrong with this unfortunate statement and, needless to say, distanced himself from it.

Former President John Dramani Mahama has consistently expressed his deep concern over the lack of acknowledgment and commentary from President Akufo-Addo and his vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, regarding the election massacre.

“The use of thugs and rogue elements within the security agencies to disrupt elections in some parts of the country, as occurred in the 2020 elections, leading to the loss of eight (8) lives, will forever be remembered as Ghana’s day of infamy and an indelible blemish on our democratic credentials established over the last 32 years of constitutional rule”.

“On a rather sad note, it is unconscionable that three years after these tragic events, our President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has not uttered even a word of sympathy to the bereaved families. The perpetrators of these murders continue to walk as free men and still hold on to positions of authority and power.” The former president laments without a reaction from the president.

The Massacre of the Zongo Seven:

In September 2018, Ghanaians woke up to a horrendous spectacle when seven innocent young men were gunned down by the Ashanti Regional police in Manso-Nkwanta in the Ashanti Region. The Ashanti Regional Police Command claimed the deceased persons opened fire on them and they returned fire. The families of the deceased persons had disputed the claims that their relatives were armed robbers.

The youth in the Kumasi Zongo community stood up for their rights and challenged the Ashanti Regional Police command, they attacked the Manhyia Hospital, nearly torched a police station in Kumasi, and pelted the policemen with stones. This led to soared tension and the police were compelled to fire tear gas and water cannon to disperse them.

Even though these acts of violence are unacceptable, they led to the establishment of an independent committee to investigate the matter. The committee declared that the deceased persons were not armed robbers and further recommended the immediate prosecution of the officers involved. Up until now, the 21 officers who were implicated by the committee for the unlawful killing of these innocent young men have yet to face justice. This is because prosecutors are still waiting for advice from the office of the Attorney General on how to proceed with the matter.

Clearly, the president and his vice who trumpeted the rule of law and justice while in opposition are not interested in seeking justice for innocent souls. These sins committed by President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia are unforgettable and unforgivable; they will continue to define this regime for generations to come. The tyranny, oppression, and subjugation that Ghanaians have witnessed in the past seven years must never be allowed to repeat itself. It will not be far-fetched to crave the indulgence of former President, John Dramani Mahama to constitute a National Reconciliation Committee in order to cleanse the country of the sins of President Akufo-Addo and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia after winning the 2024 general elections.