The Akufo-Addo-led government is not clandestinely working to disenfranchise Ewes in the ongoing voter registration exercise in the Volta Region, the Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Richard Ahiagbah, has stated.
According to him, claims that the military dispatch to the Volta Region was to scare residents from taking part in the registration exercise could not be substantiated, as registration is taking place peacefully, from Alavanyo to Aflao.
“Therefore, anyone who tells you that this government is trying to disenfranchise Ewes, with the military’s deployment to the region, tell them it is not true, and that the deployment is nationwide to combat the importation of COVID-19,” he noted.
Addressing a press briefing yesterday, from Aflao in the Ketu South Constituency, Mr Ahiagbah opined that the critical mass of Ewes were gradually warming up to the political deception of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region, and “have particularly rejected this time, the attempt to own Ewes and incite us against the government.”
He noted that the NDC must understand that the people of the Volta Region are discerning, and, therefore, must stop the imposition of its politics on Ewes.
He called on the NDC to stop imposing what he termed as the fake narrative that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) or the government was at war with Ewes.
He observed that, perhaps, it is time to make the NDC pay for its crude tribal politics that uses Ewes as a bait, property, or leverage for votes.
“The recently reported unguarded comment about the “Ghanaianess” of Ewes, which has been blown out of proportion and weaponised by some opportunistic political actors to incite and create the impression that somehow, this government or the NPP deems Ewes as non-Ghanaians, must be treated with the contempt it deserves.
“The promoters and beneficiaries of this corrupt politics, the NDC, are purveyors of reverse bigotry, and they must be roundly condemned and rejected. Let me state for the avoidance of doubt that Ewes are Ghanaians, and it is not up for debate, negotiation, or interpretation whatsoever. This is a definite truth,” he asserted.
The DI’s presser followed one the NDC held on Monday, during which the spokesperson of the Volta Minority Caucus in Parliament gave government a 24-hour ultimatum to withdraw the soldiers or faced their wrath. It has been about five days now, the military has not been withdrawn, but the Volta Minority Caucus, which gave the warning, is yet to take any further action, if they would.
Responding to the ultimatum, Mr Ahiagbah said the President acted on an Executive Instrument (E.I. 65), which derived powers from the legislature, a place the Volta MPs work, binding them to the EI.
Mr Ahiagbah explained: “Ladies and gentlemen, E.I 65, is a law passed by the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana, where Hon. Emmanuel Bedzrah represents the good people of Ho West. So, it is disingenuous on the part of Hon. Bedzrah, who voted to pass E.I 65 into law, to now come to the Volta Region to chant war, and to issue a 24-hour ultimatum to the President to cease the enforcement of the law he passed,” he remarked.
“Those of us who had the chance to listen to the press briefing last Monday, recall its warring tone. But, as we have demonstrated to you this afternoon, it was a total misrepresentation of what is happening on the ground, conceived out of thin air, and packaged to denote solidarity with Voltarians, something that does not exist in the corporate mind and heart of the NDC towards Ewes. By their fruits, we know them,” he continued.
He reiterated: “Ewes are Ghanaians, and no government, certainly not President Akufo-Addo or the NPP, has declared war or plans to disenfranchise or treat Ewes as non-Ghanaians. These claims are figments of the NDC’s imagination.”
The post Gov’t not disenfranchising Ewes -DI appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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