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Opinions of Tuesday, 20 September 2011

Columnist: Tawiah, Francis

Who Is Who, Cape Coast Macho Men Or The Ghana Police Service?

Former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings has condemned attempts by some Central regional executives of the ruling National Democratic Congress to scuttle a planned meeting with her supporters on Saturday.

Konadu Rawlings who planned a thanksgiving meeting at the Cape Coast Town Hall with her supporters who voted for her in her failed bid to be elected flag bearer of the NDC to contest the 2012 presidential race. A bunch of Cape Coast macho men who were probably stronger than our security service forcibly took over the stipulated venue for Nana Konadu in Cape Coast with their action leading to some skirmishes.

The disappointed former first lady, Nana Konadu duly addressed the supporters and told them the action was undemocratic, mockery, divisive and unbecoming of the NDC party which was noted for unity. She cautioned whoever sponsored the macho men as fake NDC members, and directed them to send their so-called macho men into the boxing ring to fight, where they would meet with the opposition New Patriotic Party flag bearer, Nana AKufo-Addo.

Nana Konadu could not phantom why a team of policemen sent to keep peace failed to convince the macho men who had threatened to deal with anyone who went against them. Abnormally, wonderfully and understandably the police went to the extend of negotiating peace with the macho men , an action the Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide newspaper, Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, found scandalous.

According to Baako, who was speaking on Joy FM's News File programmed when news of the confusion broke, he felt scandalized by the attitude of the police team to negotiate with ?a bunch of macho men? who had forcibly taken over a venue duly procured for an event. Rather than entertaining and negotiating the illegal take-over of the event venue with the macho men, Baako said the police should have arrested the macho men for prosecution, but our security men failed.

?I am scandalized that a police contingent, to legitimize their security presence they rather sought negotiations with a bunch of macho men who had no basis. You don't negotiate, you arrest, you apprehend and let the law take its course.?

Deputy Education Minister, Mahama Ayariga who was also on News File, condemned the action by those who masterminded the act. ?That Nana Konadu finds it important to go round and thank the people who supported her during the presidential primaries, there is nothing wrong with that and I also totally condemn any effort by any group of individuals, indeed NDC, NPP, whatever group that will be engaging in any effort to prevent any group of people in this country from lawfully assembling and carrying out a lawful political activity,?

The Cape Coast constituency chairman of the NDC, Elvis Amoase has since defended the decision to disrupt the meeting, claiming Nana Konadu's motives were unclear and her message were also likely to be injurious to the NDC party.

*** If Nana Konadu Rawling is legitimately allowed to contest the NDC flag bearer-ship why can't she go round to express her gratitude to her supporters?

FRANCIS TAWIAH (Duisburg - Germany)