Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, convenor of the “Hands off Our Hotels” demonstration, has warned the Ghana Police Service to desist from unleashing violence at innocent citizens who try to exercise their civic rights.
The North Tongu lawmaker’s comments come on the back of the tear gas fired on some protestors as well as pepper spray which were sprinkled on them for attempting entrance to the termination point of the demonstration.
Speaking with TV3’s Mawuena Egbeta, the MP warned that: “They shouldn’t try that again. Now we expect that the police will comport themselves.”
The police and organisers of the protest had earlier agreed on Christ the King Catholic Church as the termination point for the protest. However, along the way, the demonstrators were stopped by the police who barricaded the route to the Christ the King Church, preventing the people from coming forward.
The development resulted in a scuffle between the police and the protestors where the peace keeping officers fired tear gas and sprinkled some pepper spray on the demonstrators.
The act, is what the North Tongu Member of Parliament and organiser of the protest cautioned the police to desist from since none of the people indulged in any violence.
“First of all, let me condemn what the police did. This is a peaceful march. Our people have conducted themselves so well. Look at the thousands who poured out. There were no issues, no violence, nobody came here with a weapon. Why do you fire tear gas at innocent civilians, helpless and hapless?
“Now as we speak, we’ve had to rush a few to the hospital. If anything happens to our fellow citizens, the police hierarchy will pay for it. They will be held accountable. We condemn what they have done and we want to tell them that their duty is to protect us. They cannot take the law into their own hands and intimidate innocent citizens, helpless and hapless citizens who are only performing their civic duties,” he stated.
The demonstration is a registration of their disapproval of the sale of some hotels belonging to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) to the Minister of Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.
