The Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has accused President Akufo-Addo of reducing Ghana’s Armed Forces to a citizenship inspectorate unit.
This he says is evident in the military deployment to borders in the Volta Region to undertake what he describes as ‘identifying who is and isn’t Ghanaian’ ahead of the voter registration exercise.
At a press briefing organised by the NDC to condemn the deployment of military personnel to the region, the former Deputy Education Minister said the Akufo-Addo administration is demeaning the Ghana Armed Forces.
“The Ghana Armed Forces is very respected all over the world. Anytime we attended UN General Assembly meetings, they mention Ghana Armed Forces with pride. This year we celebrated 60 years of the Ghana Armed Forces deployment in peace operations.
“Why is President Akufo-Addo, as Commander-in-Chief reducing the Ghana Armed Forces to some citizenship inspectorate unit,” he queried.
The opposition NDC is unhappy with the deployment of the military to Ketu South – Aflao border. The Volta Regional Minister, Archibald Letsa says the troops were deployed days ago as part of measures to curb the importation of Covid-19 into the country.
Government says same. Information Minister, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah says the notion that the deployment is to prevent some Voltarians from registering to vote in the December polls is flawed.
But the NDC is not convinced.
“We all know that this deployment, when it was first rolled out did not include the military. The Immigration was at the helm of affairs as our Constitution demands.
“We need to understand what the heightened threat is. You invite the military when the threat levels have escalated. We are not aware of any heightened threat. Who is at war,” he asked.
According to Mr Ablakwa, there is an agenda against the Ewes and the only reason military are there is so that they can decide who can and cannot register as voter registration exercise begins Tuesday.
He claims some officers of the military are “boiling with anger” over the deployment.
He added that “there is no such deployment at the western front. Why the discrimination? That is what we are worried about.”
The NDC says it does not understand why government is “consistently picking on the Volta Region. We are for peace. We all want to live in unity. We have an equal stake.”
