Minority Explains SONA Boycott Was In Response To Akufo-Addo’s Tyranny

The Minority in Parliament has explained that the walkout that it staged in Parliament today as President Akufo-Addo was about to deliver the 2020 State Of the Nation Address (SONA) was in response to the President’s tyranny.

At a short press conference held after the walkout, the MPs explained that their action was in defense of Ghana’s democracy and intended to be a warning to the President that “enough is enough.”

“As noted, these are not normal times. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Our tradition is credited for laying the foundations for this Fourth Republican dispensation. It is our moral duty to the Constitution we swore to protect and the people we serve in this House to rise and resist oppressor’s rule – in that enduring and rallying call of our national anthem.

“Our walkout was therefore a bold protest against tyranny and to send a very clear message directly to President Akufo-Addo that enough is enough. We shall no longer accept the growing levels of impunity and unconstitutionalism masked by duplicitous and hollow rhetoric.”

According to the Minority, President Akufo-Addo has become a danger to Ghana’s democracy and that his reckless undertakings includes removing former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei, and appointing in place, his crony, Jean Mensah.

According to them, the President has since entered into cahoots with the Electoral Commission, to rig the 2020 election.

“President Akufo-Addo goes down in history as the only President in the Fourth Republic to supervise the cruel removal of Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, Madam Charlotte Osei. That conduct in infamy appears to have paved the way for an elaborate scheme to rig the 2020 elections by compiling a new Voters Register. Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu let the cat out of the bag when he stated emphatically that if the NPP was successful in compiling a new Voters Register, the NDC will never come back to power. One wonders how a register that brought the NDC to power in 2012 and the NPP to power in 2016 can suddenly become so discredited in the eyes of the NPP if not for the sinister agenda exposed inadvertently by the Majority Leader.

“The Akufo-Addo-led Government in cahoots with the Jean Mensah-led Electoral Commission remains intransigent despite overwhelming public opposition including from a strong coalition of Civil Society Organisations and Political Parties. We cannot help but agree with the US State Department Human Rights report which has raised concerns of possible voter suppression in opposition strongholds as the real intention for the needless and wasteful new Voters Register.”

The minority also accused the President of attacking the media, citing inaction over the killing of Ahmed Hussein Suale, the closedown of radio stations perceived to be affiliated to the opposition, such as Radio Gold and Radio XYZ.

It also cited the alleged targeting of Mr. Raymond Archer, former publisher of The Enquirer newspaper, in a demolition exercise that was carried out on his office building at the Trade Fair Center in La.

“The growing culture of impunity and the tyranny that has reached alarming proportions was once again on the prowl when agents of National Security demolished businesses belonging to Ghanaians in the private sector located at the Ghana Trade Fair Site at dawn under the cover of darkness. Not even notice was served on the owners to take out their valuables ahead of the barbaric demolition. “We are not in any doubt that the cruel nature of the demolishing which has been justified by the President’s appointees and spokespersons was targeted at former award winning journalist, Raymond Archer who many in this administration have not forgiven for his incisive and explosive investigative pieces of yesteryears.’

The Minority also faulted the President over the government’s rejection of the recommendations by the Emile Short Commission that perpetrators of the Ayawaso West Wuogon by-election violence be penalized, saying the President has rather rewarded perpetrators with juicy appointments.

This morning, the Minority side had walked out of Parliament when President Akufo-Addo appeared there to deliver the SONA. They had chanted the last stanza of the national anthem, “…and help us to resist oppressors’ rule with all our and might forevermore,” several times as they retreated.