Minister for Defence Mr Dominic Nitiwul has stated the most violent post-election year in the history of Ghana’s democratic dispensation was 2009 when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the general election.
According to him, 2020 election, which admittedly saw violence and deaths, comes no near to the incidents of 2009 under the watch of the NDC.
The Minister expressed support for a body to be set up to probe all election and post-election violence since the beginning of Ghana’s democratic journey in 1992.
Such a step, he said, will bring to rest and also aid the state to look forward to what to do to ensure incidences of violence before, during and after elections are halted forever.
Mr. Nitiwul was contributing to the debate on the Message of the State of the Nation that President Akufo-Addo delivered to the House on Tuesday.
“Just in Agbogbloshie here [in Accra], over nine people were slaughtered in 2009 after the elections. In Tamale town, over 20 houses were burnt and about five people died.
“In Kumbungu two people were slaughtered. I will be happy if as a nation we investigate all these things including the six that died in the 2020 elections”, the Defence Minister reiterated.
He said he will be very excited if as a nation all these are investigated and brought to finality.
Mr Nitiwul expressed preparedness to be one of the first people, as a Minister of Defence, to submit himself to a probe of all election-related violence since 1992 and challenged all former Ministers of Defence and the Interior to do same to ensure the country move in peace and unity.
Investment in GAF
Mr. Nitiwul indicated that President Nana Akufo-Addo, over the last four years, has invested more resources into the Ghana Armed Forces than any President of the republic.
According to him, President Mahama’s investment in the Army for the eight years was less than GH¢2 billion while President Akufo-Addo, in just four years, has invested over GH¢3 billion in capital expenditure.
Security operations
Minister for the Interior Ambrose Dery who also contributed to the debate stated that an impression is being created as if the President launched all the security operations that the military is involved in.
According to him, there are currently 24 security operations out of which only two were initiated by the current administration.
He charged MPs to support the President for his unmatched investments in security because he is determined to protect every individual of the population.
“He [President] believes in progress, democracy and fundamental human rights and we working for him will do all it takes to ensure he succeeds,” he said.
However, MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, expressed grief at the failure of the President to comment on the six persons who died during the 2020 elections.
The President, he said, also neglected the tragedy at Apam where some teenagers got drowned when they went swimming.
