The New Patriotic Party (NPP) constituency executives in Banda in the Brong Ahafo Region have alleged that the Member of Parliament (MP) for the area, Ahmed Ibrahim, is shielding evildoers and have asked the legislator to allow the laws of the country to take its course.
This comes in the wake of alleged xenophobic threats against some individuals in the area.
In a press statement signed by constituency chairman Bawuah Nicholas, the NPP leaders in the area said: “While acknowledging the non-involvement of all indigenes of Banda Ahenkro in these acts, we are quick to state without any equivocation that there is a group at Ahenkro which is behind these atrocities, and being shielded by Hon Ahmed Ibrahim.”
The NPP leaders stated in the release on Thursday, March 23, that they were “pleading with him (Ahmed Ibrahim) to recoil for the group to be unmasked and dehorned as the image of Banda is at stake”.
They also charged the MP to “stop the blame game and help to produce the culprits”, adding: “We call the security agencies to apprehend or invite Hon. Ahmed to assist in investigations.”
The executives outlined other crimes in the area which they felt needed attention and begged for answers from the MP. They indicated that they needed answers from the MP because “he has oversight responsibility in the area”.
Below is the full statement:
THE XENOPHOBIC THREAT IN BANDA – NPP SETTING THE RECORDS STRAIGHT
Ladies and Gentlemen of the press, we the members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Banda District have observed with great concern the unfolding developments in the wake of the said xenophobic threat in Banda. It is interesting to note that, all the stakeholders and well-meaning citizens of Banda are bent on uncovering the mystery behind the said threat. Suffice it to say that, Nananom, Imams, Pastors, Regional Minister, Police and other Security agencies have given all assurances that they would do the best within their power to protect life and property in Banda, and would pass through thick and thin to get the brains behind the threat.
Ladies and Gentlemen, whilst every well-meaning citizen of Banda is frantically looking for the culprits, there is one citizen and a major stakeholder of Banda (Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim) who claimed he had in his possession names of those who issued the threat. He alleged the threat was issued by some NPP members, thereby blaming the entire Party in Banda for being behind the threat.
This unfortunate statement coming from no mean a person than the Member of Parliament for Banda, one is at a loss as to why the law maker would not help the law to take its course? We, the members of NPP at Banda have observed that Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim may be running from his own shadow. Ladies and Gentlemen, it is not for nothing that “mere” posting up of letters on the walls of some public buildings in only one town (Banda Ahenkro) should send workers in almost all the towns and villages in Banda running helter-skelter giving the district such a notoriety.
There are several questions that remain unanswered and our MP, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim would have to help us in that direction since he has an oversight responsibility for the district.
1. Banda District Assembly Burglary Case. A week to the issuance of the xenophobic threat in Banda, the District Assembly offices at Banda Ahenkro were ransacked and items containing vital pieces of information were made away with. Why is nobody talking about the burglary case again?
2. African Faith School Incident. A teacher by name Fordjour at African Faith School in Banda Ahenkro was said to have been warned by a group. He down-played the warning and died mysteriously, the cause of it still unknown.
3. The District Director of Education’s Episode. The former District Director of Education; Nana Asiedu was alleged to have been warned by a group in a letter, signed by the former D.C.E of Banda, Hon. Jacob Boateng. In the letter the Director was asked to transfer some GES staff at Banda Ahenkro because they could not stay with those strangers. The then Director refused the transfer and shortly after he was found dead in his room.
4. The former District Chief Executive (DCE) Saga. This same group was said to have warned a former D.C.E Hon. Alexander Bonsu to leave the community. He disregarded the threat, went to work and was nearly lynched to death.
5. Atrocities on Non-indigenes of Banda Ahenkro.
A. The NPP Constituency Secretary was assaulted at Ahenkro in his normal rounds during the 2016 limited registration exercise.
B. During the same period, Mr. Lamini, a teacher and an Electoral Commission Technician for Banda was threatened with a 24-hour ultimatum to leave Ahenkro. He was escorted by the police and has since not returned.
C. There was an attack on the NPP Constituency Secretary and Election/Research Officer who doubled as the 2016 special voting agent at Ahenkro.
D. Mayhem was visited on NPP 2016 Parliamentary Candidate, Secretary, Election/Research Officer and Former D. C.E for Wenchi and Tain. When they tried to petition the District Electoral Commissioner at Ahenkro for a recount of the 2016 Parliamentary ballot.
E. Brutalities were meted out to NPP Constituency Secretary and Elections/Research Officer who were the Review Officer and Polling Station agent respectively in the 2016 Review Committee at Ahenkro.
F. There was a horrific attack on the NPP Parliamentary Candidate and supporters at the 2012 C.D.D Debate at Ahenkro.
G. Tear gas was released on NPP supporters in their 2012 campaign launch at Ahenkro.
6. Attacks on NPP Jubilant groups that pass through Ahenkro after the 2016 Victory.
A. Bongase NPP group was pepper- sprayed.
B. An NPP group from Kumasi led by one Faisal was also peppersprayed.
7. Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim 2016 post-Elections comment. The Honourable MP was alleged to have said that, the number of strangers at Ahenkro is increasing, thereby increasing NPP Votes as well, and a major source of worry to him. This comment made many workers to relocate outside Ahenkro.
8. Xenophobic threat at Banda. The last straw that broke the camel’s back was the posting up of letters on all public buildings at Banda Ahenkro, allegedly warning every worker in the district to leave, such that they (citizens of Ahenkro) could have access to those works. Ladies and Gentlemen, contrary to reasoning, Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim, who hails from Ahenkro and whose visits coincide with almost all these cases, cannot resolve these problems in his own backyard but has chosen to now blame NPP for the woes.
The New Patriotic Party (Banda) would like to use this medium to plead with all workers and non-citizens of Banda to return. The Party is ever ready to collaborate and work with anybody be he an indigene or a noncitizen for the speedy development of the district. While acknowledging the non-involvement of all indigenes of Banda Ahenkro in these acts, we are quick to state without any equivocation that there is a group at Ahenkro which is behind these atrocities, and being shielded by Hon. Ahmed Ibrahim.
We are pleading with him to recoil for the group to be unmasked and dehorned. The image of Banda is at stake.
Hon. Ahmed should stop the blame game and help to produce the culprit. We call the security agents to apprehend or invite Hon. Ahmed to assist in investigation.
……..Signed…………
BAWUAH NICHOLAS (CONSTITUENCY CHAIRMAN)
PETER DONKOR (1ST VICE CHAIRMAN)
BASHIRU ADAMS (COMMUNICATION OFFICER)
Source: Ghana/AccraFM.com
