Handling anti-ROPAA demonstrations ??
FORMER Vice President and twice NDC Presidential candidate, Professor John Evans Atta-Mills, has cautioned the police on how they handle future anti-ROPAA demonstrations and the NPP Government on the political direction in which the ROPAA is taking the country. He has also advised the Electoral Commission not to bring the ROPAA into force.
In a statement issued in anticipation of yesterday?s planned massive anti-ROPAA demonstration, which was stopped by a court injunction obtained ex parte by the Greater Accra Regional Police Commander, Professor Mills drew the attention of the police to the judgement of the Supreme Court in the case of NPP v. IGP in which the then NPP-in-opposition sued the IGP for refusing them permit to demonstrate. The Supreme in that case castigated the police for their tendency to ?show the public where power lies?.
Professor Mills also reprimanded IGO Patrick Kwasi Acheampong for behaving like the spokesperson for the NPP Government on budgetary expenditure by complaining about the high cost of policing demonstrations. He advised the IGP, if he had any advice on cost cutting, to advise President Kufuor to scrap the ROPAA since the cost is likely to be in the trillions of cedis and the millions of dollars. Professor Mills warned against any attempts to infiltrate fifth columnists into the ranks of the demonstrators to provoke violence and stressed that they would be dealt with when exposed.
Professor Mills regretted that by signing the ROPAB into law, President Kufuor has simply shifted the pressure point of public agitation and protest to the Electoral Commission, and advised the Electoral Commission to take a cue from the Insolvency Act of 1962, Act 153, which, though passed some 44 years ago, has still not been brought into force by Legislative Instrument as anticipated under the Act.
Professor Mills expressed sympathy for those who sustained injuries during the demonstration of 21st February 2006 and suggested to the organisers of the anti-ROPAA demonstrations to award them the National Honour of ?Heroes of the BAR of Ghana (Battle Against ROPAA Division).
? The full text of Professor Mills? Statement is below:-
Source: GhanaWeb
